Australian golf star Minjee Lee joins exalted company with third major win

Australia’s Minjee Lee has held her nerve to win her third major championship with a three-shot victory in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Texas.

She dropped her broomstick putter and threw her hands to her head after completing the job with par on the 18th to finish the final round with two-over-par 74.

Her win lifts her into exalted company as just the third Australian female with at least three major championships alongside Karrie Webb, who won seven, and Jan Stephenson, with three. Hannah Green is the only other Australian female golfer with a major win, while there is only one male Australian golfer with more than three majors to his name – Peter Thomson, who won five British Opens.

After a brilliant third round when the rest of the field faltered in the tough conditions, Lee took a four-shot lead into the final round.

She managed to keep a break on her rivals throughout the round with American Auston Kim and Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen both shooting 68 to finish equal second on -1, three shots behind Lee. Her main challenger leading into the final round, Jeeno Thitikul, dropped away with a 75 on the final round.

“I just said ‘just stick to my gameplan’. It’s a battle against myself pretty much especially with how tough the conditions were this whole week,” Lee said. “I really played within myself today.”

With the $1.8million first prize in her sights, the normally composed Lee began shakily after a birdie at the first, with bogeys at the third, fifth and sixth holes, but she steadied and was on track to victory after a long par-saving putt at the 13th, and was never challenged. Her stoic demeanour never changed despite the pressure.

She dropped a shot at the 16th to make the lead just three shots with two holes to play but settled with par at the par-three 17th to enjoy her walk down the final fairway. A perfect tee shot on the final hole with a seven wood allowed her to breathe easier.