Minjee Lee wins Greg Norman Medal

Minjee Lee has beaten Cam Smith, Jason Day – and her brother Min Woo – to become the first three-time winner of the Greg Norman Medal.

Minjee Lee is the first three-time winner of the Greg Norman Medal Picture: Getty Images

Minjee Lee is the Greg Norman medallist. She’s knocked off her brother, the evergreen Cam Smith and the resurgent Jason Day to become the first three-time recipient of the award for Australia’s leading golfer of the year in a glittering function at Brisbane City Hall.

Lee had an unremarkable year in the majors, by her standards, but won twice on the LPGA Tour to become the world No.5. She wasn’t at the ceremony, but will play the Australian Open in Sydney next week. Her brother Min Woo, who had a stellar year of his own, tucked into his dinner hoping his older sibling would get the nod.

“I don’t think I’ve done enough to win it but it’s always a good night,” he said. “With the jet lag, hopefully I don’t fall asleep. Hopefully one of the Lees ends up winning it.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Smith had liked his chances courtesy of two top-10 finishes at the majors and a smattering of wins on the LIV Golf merry-go-round.

Asked to tip a winner, he replied: “Geez, I don’t know. Hopefully me. I think I’ve played some pretty decent golf this year, a couple of wins, a couple of really solid finishes in the majors. ”

Minjee is a two-time major winner and two-time Olympian who doesn’t quite get the kudos she deserves in Australia.

The long-time coach of the Lees, Ritchie Smith, recently told The Weekend Australian Magazine: “She is more introverted, he is extroverted; she is a worker and he is more a player; she’s more a scientist he is more an artist. Neither one is the wrong approach. If we could mould them together, we’d probably have the best player in the world.”