Australian golfer Minjee Lee has won the US Open title at Pine Needles by four strokes, earning her a $2.5million cheque that set a record for women in the sport.
The 26-year-old was sprayed with champagne by fellow Aussie Hannah Green after her triumph on Monday morning Australian time, which saw her shoot 71 on the final day after saving several pars thanks to her outstanding form with the putter.
‘I’m speechless, I can’t believe it right now,’ she said.
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‘It’s super special and such a great honour right now. It’s always been my dream to win this since I was a little girl.’
She believes the huge prizemoney is a great step forward for women in the sport.
‘We’re only moving in the right direction and we’re going to get better and better from here.
‘It’s such a large sum and I’m honoured to win it.’
Lee is just the third Australian to win the tournament, with her idol Karrie Webb victorious in 2000 and 2001 and Jan Stephenson the champion in 1983.
In a lovely twist of fate, Webb’s caddy in 2021 was Jason Gilroyed – who also carried the bag for Lee throughout the tournament.
Lee finished four strokes ahead of American Mina Harigae, who also admitted the huge prizemoney was in her mind while she was playing.
‘I’m not going to lie, my stomach hurt the last couple holes coming down the stretch. I was really stressed out, but I was really just focusing on one shot at a time, making solid contact, and just hitting good putts,’ she said after play had finished.
South Korean players Hye-Jin Choi and Jin Young Ko finished third and fourth respectively, with Aussie Lydia Ko rounding out the top five.
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Lee’s brother Min Woo, also a golfer, was full of emotion when talking about his sister on Twitter, accompanying an image of her lifting the trophy with an adorable childhood photo.
Conditions weren’t easy at Pine Needles, which is in North Carolina, but Lee stood a class above her rivals on the last day, showing no signs of nerves or buckling under pressure.
The total prize purse was $13,870,850; almost double what the prizemoney was for the event last year and an incredible boon for women’s golf.