Lee’s big Sunday: 2nd major title, record payday
Minjee Lee closed with an even-par 71 on Sunday to win the U.S. Women’s Open by four strokes over Monterey native Mina Harigae in Southern Pines, N.C. Lee earned $1.8 million, the largest payout in the history of women’s golf.
“I mean, I’m speechless,” Lee said. “I can’t believe it right now. No, it’s just super, super special and just a great honor. It’s been my dream since I was a little girl. It’s the one that I always wanted to win on; now I’ve done it, and it just feels amazing.”
Lee finished at 13-under 271 after flirting with the tournament record of 16-under set by Los Altos’ Juli Inkster in 1999 at Old Waverly.
Harigae shot a 72 for her best finish in a major and a check of slightly more than $1 million.
Although she knew she had no chance to win down the stretch, Harigae said it was still stressful knowing that a check that is larger than the winner makes at most LPGA Tour events was at stake.
“I’m not going to lie, my stomach hurt the last couple holes coming down the stretch,” Harigae said. “I was really stressed out, but I was really just focusing on one shot at a time, making solid contact, and just hitting good putts.”
South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi was one of only two players to break par Sunday, carding a 70 to finish third at 7-under.
Lee, 26, was not challenged on a course that played significantly tougher than the previous three days as she became the sixth straight international player to win the U.S. Women’s Open and the first from Australia since mentor Karrie Webb in 2001. It was Lee’s second win at a major championship overall after winning the Evian Championship in July. Her previous best finish at the U.S. Open was a tie for 11th in 2017.
Lee, who entered the week ranked No. 4 in the world, has won eight LPGA Tour events and became the first repeat winner this year following her victory at the Founders Cup three weeks ago in New Jersey.
Lee entered the final round with a three-stroke lead over Harigae and said after the third round her goal was to continue to stay aggressive and make birdies.
PGA Tour: Billy Horschel eagled the 15th hole, part of a par-72 round, as he posted a four-shot victory over Aaron Wise at the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio.
Horschel, who began the day with a five-shot lead, finished at 13-under 275 and won $2.16 million — the largest paycheck of his career. As an elevated event, the win comes with a three-year exemption.
Horschel said he has learned from Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus that he didn’t need to do anything special with a five-shot lead unless the moment called for it. It was calling on the 15th hole after Wise stuffed a wedge to 2 feet for birdie to move within two shots of the lead.
“If I had to do something special, I was ready for it,” he said. “Making that was huge.” PGA Tour Champions: Jerry Kelly birdied the first hole of a playoff with Kirk Triplett to win the Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines, Iowa.
Kelly hit his approach to 4 feet on the par-4 18th to set up the winning putt. The 55-yearold from Wisconsin has nine victories on the 50-and-over tour after winning three times on the PGA Tour.
Kelly and Triplett each shot 5-under 67 to finish at 18under 198 at Wakonda Club, two strokes ahead of Steven Alker and Hall of Famer Bernhard Langer.
European tour: Finland’s Kalle Samooja shot an 8-under 64 to finish at 6-under 282 for a two-shot win over Wil Besseling of the Netherlands in the European Open in Winsen, Germany.
Samooja had eight birdies in the final round as he erased a seven-shot deficit and secured a spot at the U.S. Open.