Minjee Lee produced a moment of magic on Sunday to edge out Charley Hull in a thrilling end to the Kroger Queen City Championship at the Kenwood Country Club in Cincinnati.
Australia’s Lee held a two-stroke lead heading into the final round and carded a 71, while England’s Hull came alive with three birdies in a row from the 14th to get to -16.
Lee must have thought she’d need to hole a lengthy putt at the first extra hole to take the tournament back down the 18th, when Hull’s putt from off the back of the green trundled towards the cup – but it stopped millimetres short.
It was then Lee’s turn to produce a wonder shot. After Hull had played a decent approach of her own, Lee ran her second up to three feet. Hull knew she needed to hole her 18-footer, but her effort failed to hold it’s line and, moments later, Lee tapped in for her first LPGA title since the 2022 US Women's Open.
For Lee, there was a sense of relief having lost a five-shot lead on the back nine. “I had a few moments where I felt I was losing, but I wasn't,” Lee said. “I was like, ‘Let's play ‘til the end and see where it ends up.’ I didn't give up. I played every shot the best I could and won the playoff, so it feels nice.”
After finishing runner-up at the AIG Women’s Open last month, a deflated Hull said she was determined to get back to work and “make my hands bleed”.
Her determination looked to have paid off this week. One more roll of the ball would have seen her claim her third LPGA Tour win and first of the season, but her long range putt on 18 stayed in the jaws of the cup.
“Minjee played well in the playoff,” Hull said. “At the end of the day, she was leading going into the final round and I done my best.”
For Lee, a two-time Major champion, this was LPGA Tour victory number nine, and she now heads off for the Asia swing before returning for the final domestic stretch in November.
-
Phil Can Still Thrill - Watch Mickelson Smoke A Driver Off The Deck At LIV Golf SingaporePhil Mickelson showed he can still be box office viewing with a pure driver off the deck in Singapore
-
Sunday Golf Big Rig Bag ReviewMike Bailey puts the latest from Sunday Golf into play - the company’s first bag designed for use with a cart
-
Making The Cut's Not Enough - LET Pro Details How Finishing Outside Of The Top-25 Can Actually See Players LOSE MoneyHannah Gregg has described how even making the cut can see her lose money for a tournament week due to the worrying lack of prize funds on the LET
-
JM Eagle LA Championship Prize Money Payout 2024There’s a record purse for a regular-season LPGA Tour event at Wilshire Country Club
-
Two-Time Major Runner-Up Amy Olson Announces Retirement Aged 31The LPGA Tour pro, who has been on maternity leave since last year, made the announcement on social media
-
Angela Stanford’s Pursuit Of 100 Consecutive Majors Could End Painfully Short After Two Huge BlowsThe 46-year-old had been hoping to make a 99th successive Major appearance at the US Women's Open, but a double blow means her options are slimmer than ever
-
Nelly Korda's Fifth Straight Win Helps NBC Record Most-Watched Chevron Championship In Over A DecadeThere was a peak TV audience of almost two million on Sunday evening as Korda picked up the second Major of her career
-
‘Exhausted’ Nelly Korda Puts Bid For Sixth Successive Title On Hold With JM Eagle LA Championship WithdrawalThe Chevron Championship winner has opted to skip the next LPGA Tour event despite initially confirming she would be in the field
-
'Hopefully Keep The Streak Alive' - Nelly Korda Shows No Signs Of Stopping As World No.1 Targets Sixth Straight WinAfter her fifth successive victory, Nelly Korda is eyeing a place in the history books
-
How Nelly Korda And Scottie Scheffler Have Amassed 9 Wins And Almost $20 Million In Prize Money Over Their Last 10 StartsThe World No.1 pair are on quite the tear right now, as both Korda and Scheffler added yet more silverware to their cabinets after their respective victories
