Minjee Lee takes out Women’s PGA Championship and collects $2.8m

With the biggest prize purse in women’s history up for grabs in Texas, an Australian star stepped up and entered rarefied air in Australian sport.

Minjee Lee’s brother calls her a “robot” because she’s so unflappable and rarely makes mistakes.

But the newly minted three-time major champion conceded she was battling not just the hot and blustery Texas summer but also “myself” after surviving a brutal test to claim an emphatic victory at the women’s PGA Championship and enter rarefied air in Australian sport.

The three-shot win not only netted Lee a massive $2.8m payday, it ended a 19-month winning drought, coming after a full change in equipment, including moving to a broomstick putter, and put to bed demons of a US Open collapse in 2024 that prompted the major gear move.

Lee’s younger, and more extroverted, brother, PGA Tour winner Min Woo, said his sister was “built for the majors” and despite her recent struggles, dropping outside the world’s top 20 for the first time in a decade, he had no doubt she’d be back in the winner’s circle.

“Her game is built for the majors, she’s very solid and her mental side is one of the best I’ve ever seen,” he said.

“Just the way she carries herself on the golf course. She’s very level headed and I always say she’s a robot, she doesn’t make that many mistakes, and she just goes along her business.

Minjee Lee has joined an elite category. Picture: Alex Slitz/Getty Images/AFP

“So it’s very cool to see that it pays off and she’s had a really successful year, so a successful career I would say, so it’s really cool.

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

Starting the final round at Fields Ranch East just outside Dallas, where the Australian star has made her US base, Lee toughed out the scorching and windy conditions, riding out some significant early bumps on a rollercoaster final day.

As temperatures hit 35C, Lee led by as many as five shots, and as few as two after three front nine bogeys, before a steely performance across her final six holes secured an emphatic three-shot win, despite a two-over par closing round of 74, to finish on four-under and collect the bumped-up winner’s cheque.

Such was the brutal nature of the four days in Texas, Lee was one of only three players in the entire field to finish under par.

Lee celebrates after winning the Women's PGA Championship. Picture: AP Photo/LM Otero

Lee, 29, became just the fourth Australian golfer to win three or more majors, joining Karrie Webb (7), Peter Thomson (5) and Jan Stephenson (3) in an elite category.

She added the PGA to the US Open she won in 2022 and the Evian Championship in 2021 and now has three legs of the women’s major grand slam among 13 worldwide wins in an elite career.

“That (grand slam) is my ultimate goal. 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,” Minjee said.
“I had ups and downs … It’s a battle against myself pretty much, especially with how tough the conditions were all week, amplified because it was major Sunday.

“I saw every single leaderboard and knew pretty much where I was all of today. I just tried to check the scores then come back to each shot and try and execute. I really played within myself today.”

Pretty insane that Min Woo Lee is the second best golfer in his family.

His sister Minjee has a FIVE shot lead at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. pic.twitter.com/HB2tmwBoPN

— Fore Play (@ForePlayPod) June 22, 2025

The win also ended a 19-month winless drought for the former world No.2, the longest of her decorated career, a run that moved her to make significant changes going into 2025.

Lee changed her club supplier and also moved to a broomstick putter to address the issues that also cost her victory in last year’s US Open, the win in Texas helping bury those Demons having lost a three-shot lead in the final round.

“I feel like I had a lot of doubt the past few years just … I guess with my long game but more with my putting,” she said.

“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.

“I think this one just means a little bit more to me. I mean, obviously US Open is my absolute favourite, but in terms of my most deserved I think this one is the one.”

But it wasn’t without drama.

Lee surrendered the monster lead she had at Fields Ranch, this time on the front nine, with three bogeys in her opening six holes.

But the chasers didn’t come as hard though, and Lee, who came from three shots behind herself in the third round to take control, navigated her shaky star to recover with a birdie on her ninth hole.

Lee used her broomstick putter with great effect in Texas. Picture: AP Photo/LM Oter

With the wind whipping the flat, treeless, baked layout, Lee was managing her mental state as much as her game.

She was still in control of the leaderboard, and despite another bogey to start the back nine, with her lead reduced to two shots, she got that shot back with a birdie on 14 and another on 15 to lead by four shots, giving herself a significant cushion going into the final stretch of tough holes.

A nervous bogey on the 16th after missing the fairway dropped her lead to three shots with two to play, but both her nearest challengers were already in the clubhouse.

But having vowed to use the experience she gained in her two previous major wins, Lee stuck her tee shot on the par 3 17th to the middle of the green, walked off with par and down the tough 18th hole with a three-shot lead.

Lee laced her drive down the final hole, nailed her seven-iron approach before two putts delivered one last par and another trophy.

The win will also send Lee back up the rankings, having slipped outside the world’s top 20 for the first time since 2015 amid her winless run.

Gabriela Ruffels and Grace Kim (+10) were the next best of the Australians in a tie for 36th, while Karis Davidson and Steph Kyriacou (+12) were in a tie for 47th.

Hannah Green (+16) and Hira Naveed (+25) were the other Australians to make the cut.

FINAL LEADERBOARD

4-under Minjee Lee

1-under Auston Kim, Chanettee Wannasaen

AUSTRALIANS WITH MOST MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

7 – Karrie Webb

5 – Peter Thomson

3 – Minjee Lee, Jan Stephenson

Originally published as Minjee Lee takes out Women’s PGA Championship and collects $2.8m