FRISCO, Texas – Minjee Lee entered the final round of the KPMG Women`s PGA Championship holding a four-stroke advantage. Despite admitting to nerves and encountering some early bogeys, she successfully held onto her lead throughout the day, ultimately claiming her third career major championship.
“I knew precisely my position relative to the scores,” Lee stated. “But I want to be clear, I was definitely nervous at the start of the day. I wasn’t entirely sure if the heat was accelerating my heartbeat. I might have appeared calm, but I wasn`t as relaxed as people might think.”
Lee concluded the tournament with a final round of 2-over 74. She maintained at least a two-stroke lead for the entire final round, finishing with a total score of 4-under 284. This placed her three strokes ahead of Auston Kim and Chanettee Wannasaen, who were the only other competitors to finish under par on the challenging, wind-affected Fields Ranch East course at PGA Frisco.
The 29-year-old Australian, who resides in nearby Irving, Texas, achieved her 11th professional victory. She joins fellow Australians Karrie Webb (seven major wins) and Jan Stephenson (three major wins) as the only women from the country with at least three major titles.
While Lee recorded three bogeys within a four-hole stretch on the front nine, her playing partner and World No. 2, Jeeno Thitikul, struggled more, bogeying both par 5s early in the round. Thitikul, still seeking her first major, shot a 75 on Sunday to finish tied for fourth at 1-over 289, alongside Chisato Iwai (71).
Lee, ranked 24th, earned $1.8 million from the record $12 million prize purse. This matches the U.S. Women`s Open for the largest prize money in women`s golf and is an increase from $10.4 million the previous year. Lee also received $1.8 million for her four-stroke victory at the 2022 U.S. Women`s Open.
Auston Kim and Chanettee Wannasaen both carded rounds of 68, the lowest scores of the day and matching the best rounds of the entire tournament (only two 68s were recorded in the first three rounds combined). Kim`s round was bogey-free but featured only pars after a run of three consecutive birdies to finish her front nine.
“I`m really pleased with how I managed myself, my emotions, and handled all the challenges,” Kim commented. “There was certainly a lot at stake today, but I was in a chasing position, which I believe helped alleviate some of the pressure in the moment.”
While the wind persisted at 15-20 mph throughout the week, Sunday lacked the constant gusts exceeding 30 mph that had significantly complicated playing conditions on Saturday.
Thitikul held the outright lead after the first and second rounds but dropped back after a 76 on Saturday, the day Lee posted the only bogey-free round of the tournament up to that point.
Lee`s victory makes her the 16th different winner in 16 LPGA tournaments held this year. Notably, top-ranked Nelly Korda, a seven-time winner last year, has yet to win in 2025, finishing tied for 19th at 6-over 294 after a closing 76.
In a pivotal moment, Lee maintained her two-stroke lead with a crucial 8-foot par putt on the 170-yard 13th hole, remaining at 3 under. Around the same time, Wannasaen sank a 14-foot eagle putt on the 235-yard par-4 15th to reach 1 under, though the 21-year-old from Thailand subsequently missed the green and bogeyed the 455-yard 16th.
Lee responded with a subtle fist pump after sinking a 9-foot birdie putt on No. 14, the sole par 5 on the back nine, and followed it with another birdie on No. 15. She was the only player during the week to record two rounds in the 60s, with 69s on Thursday and Saturday.
“I tried to keep my approach very simple out there. The wind made it incredibly difficult,” Lee explained. “Some of my drives were truly poor, but I managed to recover, make bogeys when needed, and avoid scores large enough to be irreversible. I think I handled myself very well today. I knew holes 14 and 15 presented birdie opportunities, so I focused on staying patient and making pars until I reached those holes.”
Lee`s first bogey occurred on the par-5 third hole after her third shot landed in a deep greenside bunker. She then carded consecutive bogeys on the 441-yard fifth and 434-yard sixth holes. Her first birdie didn`t come until the ninth, making the turn at 4 under – at that point, three strokes ahead of Thitikul and Kim.
Auston Kim began the final round nine strokes behind, two more than the record comeback margin in a women`s major. Several players have achieved come-from-behind wins, including Lee herself, who overcame a seven-stroke deficit to win the 2021 Evian Championship in France for her first major title.
The 24-year-old Kim started her round strongly with a 5-foot birdie putt on the 528-yard par-5 first. She closed within two strokes of Lee following her three consecutive birdies to finish the front nine. Her tee shot on the 157-yard eighth hole came to rest just a foot from the cup.
