FRISCO, Texas – Minjee Lee entered the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship with a four-stroke lead and browsed every ranking she saw in the course. Even after some early bogey, she was ranked No. 1 in the third major title all day.
“I know exactly where my score is,” Lee said. “But I just think it through. Like I’m definitely nervous from the day. I’m really not sure if I’m going to make my heart beat more. … I look calm, but not as calm as everyone thinks.”
Lee finished with 2 hits 74 while maintaining a lead of at least two strokes throughout the final round. Her 284 total leads to three points with Auston Kim and Chanettee Wannasaen, the only other player to finish under par with PGA Frisco’s Wind-Swept Fields Ranch East.
Lee, a 29-year-old Australian, is a Texas resident who lives near Irving, and won her 11th victory. She joined Karrie Webb (seven) and Jan Stephenson (three) as the only woman in Australia to win three majors.
Lee had three bogeys in the four-hole extension midway through the first nine, but played Jeeno Thitikul, a companion to world No. 2 player Jeeno Thitikul, who was 5 of the first three holes. Still looking for her first major, Thitikul hit 75 on the first shot on the right on Sunday, ending 15 with 289 and tied for fourth (71) with Chisato Iwai.
Lee ranked 24th, earning $1.8 million in a record $12 million wallet, $10.4 million a year ago and matching the U.S. Women’s Open with the most prize money. Her four-stroke victory also earned $1.8 million in the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open.
Both Kim and Wannasaen shot 68, the best round of the day and matched the best match of the game in the first three rounds with only 68 seconds. Kim had no bogey, but only par after three birdies in a row to end her first nine.
“I’m really happy with how I handle myself, emotions, all the adversity,” Kim said. “There are a lot of things on this day, but I’m chasing. I think it will definitely help. There’s a lot of pressure right now.”
Although it was still as strong as the week of 15-20 mph per week, the gusts of lasting 30 mph made Saturday’s race conditions so difficult.
Thitikul won solo after the first and second rounds. But the 22-year-old from Thailand was 76 shots behind on Saturday, when Lee had the only bogey-free of any player at that time.
Lee is the 16th player to win this year in 16 LPGA Championships. However, Nelly Korda, who won seven times last year, is not one of the top-ranked titles, with 6 points with 294 points in 76 catches.
At a critical moment, Lee held the 8-foot clutch par on the 13th hole of the 170th yard, maintaining the two-stroke lead to maintain a three-stroke. That was around the same time, Wannasaen rolled into the No. 1 hole in a 235-yard 15-hole 14-foot eagle putt, although the 21-year-old from Thailand then missed the green and burned 455 yards for the 16th.
Lee made a subtle fist pump from the 14th 9-foot birdie, and the rear 9 was ranked 5th in the rear 9, then the 15th birdie. She was the only player in the 60s two rounds this week, Thursday and Saturday, she was in the 69s.
“I just tried to be simple there. The wind was so hard,” Lee said. “Some of the motivation I hit was really bad, but I was able to swing up and down, give bogey, not too big to come back. I think I did a great job there today. I know the chances of the 14th and 15th holes. The 14th and 15th holes were birdies, so just trying to be patient and just trying to make those holes.”
Lee’s first bogey was ranked 5th after a third shot into a dark green bunker, then she had back-to-back bogeys on the 441-yard fifth and 434-yard sixth hole. It wasn’t until ninth that there was a birdie who had to be under 4 turn – three before Thitikul and Kim.
King started the final ninth round, which was more than the female major’s record comeback. Several players have done this, including Lee winning the 2021 Evian Championship in France from seven defenders in her first major championship.
The 24-year-old Kim first opened his game with a 5-foot birdie putt on a 528-yard 5. After three birdies, she ended her first nine people within two shots of Lee. She stopped the cup in a 157-yard eight-hole t-shot T-shirt.
