LPGA TOUR
US Women’s Open
Minjee Lee Banks Massive US Women’s Open Prize
Australia’s Minjee Lee scored an emphatic four-shot victory at the 77th US Women’s Open staged at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in North Carolina. The impressive achievement earns Lee the largest payday offered to an event winner in the history of Women’s golf—US$1.8million.
The 26-year-old from Perth becomes the third Aussie to win the coveted event after Karrie Webb (2000 & 2001) and Jan Stephenson (1983). Lee follows in the footsteps of the game’s greats Annika Sorestam (1996), Karrie Webb (2001) and Cristie Kerr (2007) to win the US Women’s Open at the stunning Pine Needles layout. Lee, the number 4 ranked golfer in the world who won the 2021 Evian Championship, now boasts two major wins and eight LPGA Tour titles.
America’s Mina Harigae was distant runner up. It was the 32-year-old’s best finish at the US Women’s Open besting her T28 in 2012. Harigae, who held the 36-hole lead with Lee, carded rounds of 70 and 72 over the weekend to finish at 9-under. Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi took solo third place at 7-under with a final round 1-under 70.
The final round started with Lee holding a three-shot lead. The day ended with Lee owning the record for the lowest 72-hole total score in US Women’s Open history at 271. The previous lowest tally was 272 set by In Gee Chun in 2015. Lee began Sunday with birdies at the opening two holes. After bogeys at the 5th and 7th holes, she bounced back with birdies at the 12th and 15th holes to enjoy an unassailable lead over the final stretch. Lee fired rounds of 67, 66, 67 and 71 for her second win of the current LPGA Tour season.
Sweden’s Ingrid Lindlad received the Gold Medal for Low Amateur. The 22-year-old, who is the No. 2 ranked amateur golfer in the world, produced rounds of 65, 71, 71 and 76 to reach 1-under and finish in a tie for 11th place. Lindblad set the US Women’s Open 18-hole record low round for an amateur golfer of 65 in opening round playing with childhood idol Annika Sorestam. She would also set the new 36-hole and 54-hole lowest scoring records during her remarkable week. Lindblad, who owns two professional wins as an amateur on the Nordic Tour, is a name to watch in the coming years.
Final Scores
US Women’s Open
1. Minjee Lee -13
2. Mina Harigae -9
3. Hye-Jin Choi -7
4. Jin Young Ko -6
5. Lydia Ko -5
T6. Bronte Law -4
T6. Anna Nordqvist -4
Other Australians
T28. Hannah Green +5
T63. Grace Kim +13
MC. Sarah Kemp
MC. Gabriela Ruffels
Photo credit: David Cannon/ Getty Images
