Minjee Lee Conquers Windy Challenge, Wins KPMG Women's PGA Championship

Minjee Lee was showered with champagne Sunday night by so many of her Australian countrywomen. But in that mix was also one particular golfer from nearby New Zealand whose career accomplishments stand on their own – and also as an inspiration for Lee, now a three-time major winner.

Lee, who captured the 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship by three shots, was feted by, among others, Lydia Ko. Ko captured the career grand slam in 2024 and earned her spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame.

Both goals that are in Lee’s sights now.

“I really wanted to be in the Hall of Fame. That's why I started golf. That's why I wanted to be on the LPGA Tour, to, you know, win a bunch of tournaments and try to get into it,” Lee said. “Seeing Lydia do it, I think I would really like to get there.”

Lee is, of course, one step closer to that goal after winning the KPMG Women’s PGA, her third major triumph in the last four years. She also won the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2021 Amundi Evian Championship.

Lee shot a 2-over 74 Sunday at Fields Ranch East, but it mattered little as she won by three shots over Austin Kim and Chanettee Wannasaen, finishing with a 4-under 284.

Lee, Kim, and Wannasaen were the only three golfers to finish under par for the week. The scoring average at Fields Ranch East was just over 75 – the highest for any LPGA Tour major in over a decade.

Even though she had an over-par finisher, the real difference came Saturday when she posted a bogey-free 3-under 69.

“I think every single day it was a bit of a grind, even yesterday's score had 3-under, and today I had […] 2-over. But I feel like they were all equally as important,” Lee said. “Like I needed to do them on those certain days to ultimately have that trophy in my hand come today. So, yes, I feel like today's score I had to really dig deep for it, but I feel like I was pretty solid over the four days to, you know, have this trophy in my hand now.”

Lee had three bogeys in her first six holes to open the door to the chasing pack.

“The putting was not really the issue. I was missing the green, and then it put pressure on my chipping and my putting. So, I was like, let's try and first hit the fairway and then hit the green. So, I just tried to be really simple out there,” Lee said.

Kim and Wannasaen’s 68’s were the rounds of the day and that duo moved up eight spots on the leaderboard – but finished about an hour prior to Lee and there wasn’t much late-day pressure. Jeeno Thitikul, who is still searching for her first major win despite being a model of consistency on the LPGA Tour the last 18 months, shot a 3-over 75 Sunday.

Lee finally made a birdie on the par-5 9th after a tidy two-putt from 45 feet. She gave it back with a bogey on No. 10 but essentially closed the door with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15.

Lee hit it to just 18 feet on the par-3 17th and made an easy two putt before playing the finishing hole in textbook fashion – hitting the fairway and two putting for a par.

“It was just so tough with the wind, so just tried to take it one step at a time,” Lee said. “Some of the drives that I hit were really terrible out there, but I was able to get up and down, make bogey, not have a score that was too large to come back from. I think I managed myself really well out there today. I knew the 14th and 15th hole would be birdie opportunities, so just tried to stay patient.”

Lee ended the week first in strokes gained: putting. It has been an incredible turnaround for her on the greens after she switched to the long broomstick-style putter earlier in 2025. She is eighth on the LPGA Tour in strokes gained: putting for the year, a gigantic leap from 157th in the same statistic in 2024.

She said hearing so much about her putting from the outside eventually got under her skin. But a week like this silenced any lingering doubters.

“I feel like I had a lot of doubt the past few years (not with) my long game but more with my putting. I think the more I heard media and other people saying things about my putting, I think it got to me more and more over time,” Lee said. “I think this one just means a little bit more to me.”

One person who, of course, has always believed in Lee, is her brother Min Woo Lee.

He said at the Travelers Championship that he “called it” a few months ago she would win again soon.

“It's nice to be a major and her game is built for the majors, she's very solid and her mental side is one of the best I've ever seen,” Min Woo Lee said. “Mix that in with some good putting and good short game and, yeah, she's going to win.

“It's very exciting to see her back in the winner's circle and I'm very proud of her.”

And the north star of the group who is awfully proud of her, Lydia Ko, was right there to celebrate, too.

“It was just so nice that everybody came to celebrate with me. It’s those moments,” Lee said. “Lydia was there. I mean, those moments are the most special.”