Minjee Lee wins U.S. Women's Open, record $1.8 million prize

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. — Australian Minjee Lee won the 2022 U.S. Women's Open at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club on Sunday by five strokes after shooting an even-par 71 in the final round to finish 13-under on the tournament and secure the second major victory of her career.

Lee's victory nets her $1.8 million — the largest payout in women's golf history — as part of the U.S. Open's record $10 million purse.

«I mean I'm speechless,» Lee said on the 18th green after raising the trophy. «It's the one I've always wanted to win and now I've done it»

Twenty-one years after her fellow Australian Karrie Webb won the U.S. Open at the same venue, Lee held on to her four-shot lead after three rounds and held off 32-year-old American Mina Harigae, who came into the week having never finished inside the top-10 of a major and finished second at 9-under.

On Saturday, Lee said she exchanged texts with Webb, whose caddie back in 2001 at Pine Needles was Jason Gilroyed. Gilroyed was also on the bag for Lee this weekend, but as Lee pointed out, the course has changed so much over the years that there wasn't a natural advantage to having him along her side.

Distance proved to set up Lee for success at Pine Needles. During both Saturday and Sunday, Lee was constantly ahead of Harigae by 30, 40, even 50 yards or more. Lee said that the extra time she's been «going hard» in the gym lately has helped her slowly increase her swing speed, which has resulted in longer drives.

«Obviously if you have a shorter club in, then you can be a bit more aggressive,» Lee said Saturday, effectively summing up her 67 on Day 3 and preempting what was a similar story Sunday. «But it doesn't matter how far I can hit it because the second shot is what Matters.»

Whil