Minjee Lee wins the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship for her 3rd major title

FRISCO, Texas (AP) – Minjee Lee closed with a 2-over 74 but never gave up the lead Sunday in the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship to win her third major title.

While Lee had three bogeys in a four-hole stretch on the front nine, she had started the day with a four-stroke lead over Jeeno Thitikul. And the world’s No. 2-ranked player, also in that final group, bogeyed both par 5s that are among the first three holes on Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco.

Lee, ranked 24th, finished at 4-under 284, three strokes ahead of Auston Kim and Chanettee Wannasaen, the only other players to finish under par.

Kim and Wannasaen both shot 68 to match the best rounds of the day and the tournament after only two 68s combined the first three rounds. Kim played without a bogey, but had only pars after three consecutive birdies to wrap up her front nine.

With a record $12 million purse that was up from $10.4 million a year ago and matched the U.S. Women’s Open for the most price money, Lee took home $1.8 million. That matches the $1.8 million Lee got for her four-stroke win in the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles.

The 29-year-old Australian who is a Texas resident, living in nearby Irving, got her 11th career win. It was her first this season, making it 16 players to win 16 LPGA tournaments this year.

While still windy like it had been all week at 15-20 mph, there weren’t the constant gusts of 30 mph or more that had made the playing conditions so difficult Saturday.

Thitikul, still in search of her first major title, had the solo lead after the first and second rounds. But she fell behind shooting a 76 on Saturday, when Lee had the only bogey-free round for any player until then. Thitikul then hit her first shot of the final round into the right rough on way to a 75 to finish at 1 over 289, tied for fourth with Chisato Iwai (71).