AP

Awesome Aussie: Lee wins U.S. Women’s Open, record $1.8M

Jun 5, 2022, 4:10 AM | Updated: 4:48 pm

Mina Harigae hits out of a bunker on the 14th hole during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open ...

Mina Harigae hits out of a bunker on the 14th hole during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)


              Mina Harigae hits out of a bunker on the 14th hole during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
            
              Mina Harigae reacts to missing a birdie putt on the 12th green during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
            
              Minjee Lee, of Australia, celebrates a win after the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. Minjee Lee, of Australia, won the match. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
            
              Minjee Lee, of Australia, celebrates a win after the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. Minjee Lee, of Australia, won the match. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
            
              Minjee Lee, of Australia, celebrates a win after the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. Minjee Lee, of Australia, won the match. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
            
              Minjee Lee, of Australia, celebrates a win after the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. Minjee Lee, of Australia, won the match. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
            
              Mina Harigae hits out of a bunker on the 14th hole during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
            
              Mina Harigae reacts to missing a birdie putt on the 12th green during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
            
              Minjee Lee, of Australia, celebrates a win after the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. Minjee Lee, of Australia, won the match. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
            
              Minjee Lee, of Australia, celebrates a win after the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. Minjee Lee, of Australia, won the match. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
            
              Minjee Lee, of Australia, celebrates a win after the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. Minjee Lee, of Australia, won the match. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
            
              Minjee Lee, of Australia, celebrates a win after the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. Minjee Lee, of Australia, won the match. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
            
              Hyejin Choi, of South Korea, lines up a putt on the 17th green during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
            
              Lydia Ko, of New Zealand, watches her shot on the 15th tee as Bronte Law, of England, looks on at right during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
            
              Mina Harigae watches her shot on the 14th green during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
            
              Minjee Lee, of Australia, hits the ball off the 12th tee during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
            
              Minjee Lee, of Australia, watches her shot on the 10th green during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
            
              Minjee Lee, of Australia, reacts on the 16th hole during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
            
              during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
            
              Minjee Lee, of Australia, left embraces Lydia Ko, of New Zealand, after the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. Minjee Lee won the match. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. (AP) — The awesome Aussie would not be denied.

Minjee Lee won the U.S. Women’s Open by four strokes over Mina Harigae at Pine Needles on Sunday to earn $1.8 million, the largest payout in the history of women’s golf.

Lee closed with an even-par 71 to finish at 13-under 271 after the Australian flirted with the tournament record of 16 under set by Juli Inkster in 1999 at Old Waverly.

“I mean, I’m speechless,” Lee said. “I can’t believe it right now. No, it’s just super, super special and just a great honor. It’s been my dream since I was a little girl. It’s the one that I always wanted to win on; now I’ve done it, and just feels amazing.”

Lee’s winnings came from a record $10 million purse.

“We’re only moving in the right direction,” Lee said. “I think it’s only going to get better and better from here. It’s such a large sum, and I’m really honored to be the first winner I guess of this sum. We’re only going to get better and better.”

Harigae shot a 72 for her best finish in a major and a check of slightly more than $1 million.

Although she knew she had no chance to win down the stretch, Harigae said it was still stressful knowing that $1 million — a check that is larger than the winner makes at most LPGA Tour events — was at stake.

“I’m not going to lie, my stomach hurt the last couple holes coming down the stretch,” Harigae said. “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.”

South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi was one of only two players to break par Sunday, carding a 70 to finish third at 7 under.

South Korea’s Jin Young Ko, the world’s No. 1-ranked player, finished fourth at 6 under, seven shots back of the lead after a 71. Lydia Ko was at 5 under after a 72.

Ingrid Lindblad, the LSU player from Sweden, was the low amateur at 1 under, tying for 11th after a 76.

The 26-year-old Lee was never challenged on a course that played significantly tougher than the previous three days. She opened with rounds of 67, 66 and 67.

Lee became the sixth straight international player to win the U.S. Women’s Open and the first from Australia since mentor Karrie Webb in 2001. It was her second win at a major championship overall after winning the Evian Championship last July. Her previous best finish at the U.S. Open was a tie for 11th in 2017.

Lee, who entered the week ranked No. 4 in the world, has won eight LPGA Tour events and became the first repeat winner this year following her victory at the Founders Cup three weeks ago in New Jersey.

Lee entered the final round with a three-stroke lead over Harigae and said after the third round her goal was to continue to stay aggressive and make birdies.

She lived up to that early on, birdieing the first two holes to move to 15 under and take a five-stroke lead over Harigae.

She stumbled a bit with bogeys on Nos. 5 and 7, but was still able to make the turn at even-par 35 and with a four-stroke cushion when Harigae also bogeyed the seventh. The lead increased to five after Harigae bogeyed the par-4 11th hole, all but sealing the win.

Lee then knocked in a bending nine-foot birdie putt on No. 12 to push the lead to six, prompting her to thrust her arm in celebration. She appeared to eye Inkster’s record when she got to 15 under after a birdie on the par-5 15th hole, but closed with two bogeys.

Harigae didn’t make her first birdie until the 15th hole.

Lee said she’s never been more nervous on a golf course — even though she never led by fewer than three strokes.

“Even with a three-shot lead I never felt comfortable today,” Lee said. “I felt like I still needed to play well. I still needed to hold my ground. That’s pretty much what I did. To start aggressively, I think it was the right move, and then after that I had quite a big lead, so I was able to just play my game just to finish.”

Nelly Korda closed with a 73 on Sunday to tie for eighth at 2 under in her first tournament since undergoing surgery to repair a blood clot in her left arm.

“The first week back you have rust, right, so you don’t really expect much from your game,” said Korda, the world’s No. 2 player. “You don’t know where your game is at. Knowing that I can play on a really tough golf course at a major and even kind of be in contention is definitely a positive.”

___

More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Awesome Aussie: Lee wins U.S. Women’s Open, record $1.8M