SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. — Minjee Lee of Australia received the U.S. Women’s Open by 4 strokes over Mina Harigae at Pine Needles on Sunday to earn $1.8 million, the most important payout within the historical past of ladies’s golf.
Lee closed Sunday’s closing spherical with an even-par 71 to complete at 13-under 271 for the match after having flirted with the match document of 16 underneath set by the American Juli Inkster in 1999 at Old Waverly Golf Club in Mississippi.
“I mean, I’m speechless,” Lee stated. “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 just feels amazing.”
Lee’s winnings got here from a document $10 million purse.
“We’re only moving in the right direction,” Lee stated. “I think it’s only going to get better and better from here. It’s such a large sum, and I’m really honored to be the first winner I guess of this sum. We’re only going to get better and better.”
Harigae shot a 72 for her finest end in a serious match and earned a examine of barely greater than $1 million.
Although she knew she had no likelihood to win down the stretch, Harigae stated it was nonetheless anxious understanding that $1 million — a bigger payout than what the winner makes at most L.P.G.A. Tour occasions — was at stake.
“I’m not going to lie, my stomach hurt the last couple holes coming down the stretch,” Harigae, 32, stated. “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 certainly one of solely two gamers to interrupt par Sunday, carding a 70 to complete third at 7 underneath.
South Korea’s Jin Young Ko, No. 1 within the girls’s golf rankings, completed fourth at 6 underneath, seven pictures again of the lead after a 71. Lydia Ko was at 5 underneath after a 72.
Ingrid Lindblad, the Louisiana State University participant from Sweden, was the low beginner at 1 underneath, tying for eleventh after a 76.
Lee, 26, was by no means challenged on a course that performed considerably harder on Sunday than it did the earlier three days. She opened with rounds of 67, 66 and 67.
Lee turned the sixth straight worldwide participant to win the U.S. Women’s Open and the primary from Australia since her mentor, Karrie Webb, received in 2001. It was her second profession victory at a serious championship after profitable the Evian Championship final July. Her earlier finest end on the U.S. Open was a tie for eleventh in 2017.
Lee, who entered the week ranked No. 4, has received eight LPGA Tour occasions and have become the primary repeat winner this 12 months following her victory on the Founders Cup three weeks in the past in New Jersey.
Lee entered the ultimate spherical with a three-stroke lead over Harigae and had stated after the third spherical that her aim was to proceed to remain aggressive and make birdies.
She lived up these objectives early, birdieing the primary two holes to maneuver to fifteen underneath and take a five-stroke lead over Harigae.
She stumbled a bit with bogeys on the fifth and seventh holes, however she was nonetheless capable of make the flip at even-par 35 and with a four-stroke cushion when Harigae additionally bogeyed the seventh. The lead elevated to 5 strokes after Harigae bogeyed the par-4 eleventh gap, all however sealing Lee’s win.
Lee then knocked in a bending 9-foot birdie putt on No. 12 to push the result in six, prompting her to pump her arm in celebration. She appeared in distance of Inkster’s document when she acquired to fifteen underneath after a birdie on the par-5 fifteenth gap, however closed with two bogeys.
Harigae didn’t make her first birdie till the fifteenth gap.
Nelly Korda closed with a 73 on Sunday to tie for eighth in her first match since present process surgical procedure to deal with a blood clot in her left arm.
“The first week back you have rust, right, so you don’t really expect much from your game,” stated Korda, the world’s No. 2 participant. “You don’t know where your game is at. Knowing that I can play on a really tough golf course at a major and even kind of be in contention is definitely a positive.”
