Minjee Lee is back on the winner’s list for the first time in 2023 after holding her nerve in a two-hole playoff with English star Charley Hull to secure victory at the $3 million LPGA Tour‘s Queen City Championship in Cincinnati.
A monster par putt on the 18th hole in regulation play sent Lee, who took a two-shot lead in to the final day and lead by as many as five, and Hull in to the showdown having spent the entire day playing with each other.
Lee looked in the box seat to winnng on the opening playoff hole when Hull sent her approach through the green and in to the grandstand as they played the 18th again.
But after taking relief, Hull’s putt did everything but go in, sitting tantalisingly on the edge of the hole giving Lee a 5m putt for victory, which she didn’t make.
Second time down the 18th, the third time for the day on the toughest hold on the course, from the same fairway rough, Lee played a stunning approach to just 1m, with Hull roughly in the same spot her opponent was on the first playoff hole.
Needing to make the monster putt to keep the playoff going, Hull’s attempt missed, leaving Lee to tap in for a birdie and her ninth LPGA Tour win.
For Lee it was a breakthrough after first after a lacklustre 2023 season so far the two-time major winner who had fallen out of the top 10 to 13 in the world rankings.
“I had a few moments where I really felt like I was losing but I wasn’t,” she said.
“I was like let’s play to the end and see where we end up. I never gave up.
“I really wanted to re-set my goals here, finish off on a high and I got the win, which is nice.”