FRISCO, Texas – Minsey Lee entered the ultimate spherical of the KPMG Ladies’s PGA Championship with a four-stroke lead, taking a fast look at each leaderboard he noticed on the course. Even after some early bogeys, she stayed on the high all day halfway by to her third main title.
“I knew precisely the place I used to be, just like the rating,” Lee stated. “However I simply need to be clear, like I’ve undoubtedly been nervous because the day. I actually did not know if it was sizzling to make my coronary heart beat much more.
Lee closed in 2 over 74, sustaining no less than a two-stroke lead all through the ultimate spherical. Her 4-under 284 complete was three strokes from Auston Kim and Chanette Wannasaen, the one different gamers to complete in PAR at PGA Frisco’s Wind-Swept Fields Ranch East.
Lee, a 29-year-old Australian resident of Texas and resident of close by Irving, received her eleventh profession. She joined Karrie Webb (7) and Jan Stephenson (3) as the one girls from Australia to win three majors.
Lee had three bogeys on a four-hole stretch halfway by the entrance 9, however performed accomplice Jeeno Thitikul, the world’s second-largest participant, bogeying one of many first three holes, par 5. Nonetheless in search of her first main, Chitickle completed over 289 on Sunday together with her first shot on a proper tough on the way in which to 75, tied her to fourth place with Chisato Iwai (71).
Ranked twenty fourth, Lee took dwelling $1.8 million of her $12 million pockets, up from her $10.4 million a yr in the past, matching the US Ladies’s Open for probably the most prize cash. She additionally received $1.8 million in a four-stroke victory on the 2022 US Ladies’s Open.
Kim and Wanasaan each shot 68, one of the best spherical of the day, matching one of the best of the event after two 68s mixed with the primary three rounds. Kim was a bogey however had a par after three consecutive birdies closing out the entrance 9.
“I am actually pleased with how I dealt with myself, my emotions, all my adversity,” Kim stated. “There’s clearly a variety of stuff occurring at the moment, however I used to be chasing it, and I believe it undoubtedly helps. I eliminated a variety of strain in that second.”
It was nonetheless windy, because it was 15-20 mph all week, however there have been no fixed gusts above 30 mph that made the taking part in situations extraordinarily tough on Saturday.
Thitikul took the solo lead after the primary and second rounds. Nevertheless, the 22-year-old from Thailand shot a 76 on Saturday. It had up till then Lee had solely a bogey-free spherical for both participant.
Lee is the sixteenth participant to win the 16 LPGA tournaments this yr. However top-ranked Nelly Korda, who received seven occasions final yr, is just not one of many winners after closing 76, which was nineteenth in 6 overs 294.
Maybe at a key second, Lee maintained a two-stroke lead on the thirteenth gap for 170 yards and an 8-foot par, staying at 3 below. It virtually concurrently rolled right into a 14-foot Eagle putt on the 235-yard par-4 fifteenth gap, reaching 1 below, however the 21-year-old from Thailand missed the inexperienced and bogeyed 455-yard 16.
There was a refined fist pump from Lee, then she made a 9-foot birdie on No. 14, made the one par 5 on the again 9, and continued one other birdie on No. 15. She was the one participant within the ’60s in two rounds this week, on Thursday and Saturday with 69 seconds.
“I attempted to get actually easy there, and the wind was actually robust,” Lee stated. “Among the drives I hit have been actually dangerous, however I might go up and down, make bogeys and did not have a rating that was actually too large to come back again. I knew the 14th and fifteenth holes have been birdie alternatives, so I simply tried to maintain the sufferers and make all of them as much as these holes.”
Lee’s first bogey got here in third place on par 5 after his third shot entered the deep greenside bunker. He then had consecutive bogeys on the fifth for 441 yards and sixth for 434 yards. She did not have birdies till the ninth. Turns at 4 below.
Kim began the 9 strokes within the remaining spherical. This was two greater than a file comeback for ladies’s majors. A number of gamers, together with Lee, did that when she returned to her first main title and got here again from the 7, profitable the 2021 Evian Championship in France.
Kim, 24, opened her spherical with a 5-foot birdie putt on a par 528 yards. She went inside Lee’s two-stroke after three birdies, closing out the entrance 9. Her tee shot on 8 holes for 157 yards stopped from the cup.
