Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Australian Minjee Lee fired a gritty two-over-par 74 to win the Women’s PGA Championship on Sunday, capturing her third major title by three strokes on another demanding day in Frisco, Texas. The 29-year-old from Perth added the title to her 2021 Evian Championship and the US Women’s Open title she won in 2022, finishing with a four-under-par total of 284. American Auston Kim and Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen tied for second on one-under 287.
“A lot of patience out there today,” said Lee, who started the day with a four-shot lead after a brilliant, bogey-free round on Saturday but had three bogeys in her first six holes. “I just felt like some shots were going my way and some shots weren’t,” Lee said. “I just said stick to my game plan. It was a battle against myself pretty much, especially with how tough the conditions were this whole week — not just today, just amplified today because it’s a major Sunday.”
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Lee made her first birdie of the day at the par-five ninth, where she missed the green but chipped to two feet. She gave a stroke back at the 10th, but after rolling in a tense nine-foot putt for par at 13, she drilled a nine-footer for birdie at the 14th to boost her lead back to three strokes. She added a birdie at 15, holing a five-and-a-half-foot putt, remaining in control from there despite a last bogey at 16.
Through it all, Lee said, she was keeping an eye on her nearest rivals while trying to maintain her focus on another hot, wind-whipped day at Fields Ranch East in Frisco, north of Dallas. “Pretty much I saw every single leaderboard and I knew exactly where I was pretty much all of today,” she said. “I just tried to check the scores and then I just come back to each shot and try and execute it the best that I could. I really played within myself today.”
Kim, a 24-year-old American ranked 98th in the world and seeking a first LPGA victory, applied as much pressure as she could. After a birdie at the par-five first, she strung together three birdies in a row at the seventh, eighth, and ninth — landing her tee shot at the par-three eighth a foot from the pin. “I just wanted to charge and get as close as I could to the top,” said Kim, who posted her best finish in a major. Prior to this tournament, she’d missed more major cuts (five) than she had made (four). “I knew that the course is hard. I just played my percentages and tried to capitalize on good shots today.”
Chanette seized her share of second with a 68 highlighted by an eagle at 15, where she found the green with her tee shot and rolled in a 14-foot putt. World number two Jeeno Thitikul, who led after each of the first two rounds and started the day in solo second four behind Lee, was never able to get much going. She closed with a three-over-par 75 that left her tied for fourth on one-over 289 with Japan’s Chisato Iwai, who carded a one-under 71.
The grueling conditions all week took a toll on some of the game’s top names. World number three Lydia Ko, who started her week with a four-over 75, carded a one-under 71 on Sunday to finish in a group sharing 12th on 293. World number one Nelly Korda fired a final-round 76 for a share of 19th on 294, and world number four Yin Ruoning was in a group on 295 after a closing 76.
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