Retirement not in the cards for US Women's Open champion Lee

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. :Tennis ace Ash Barty promptly retired after winning the Australian Open this year, but compatriot Minjee Lee does not plan to follow suit, the 26-year-old from Perth said after winning the U.S. Women's Open golf championship on Sunday.

Lee led throughout the final round and shot even-par 71 in tough conditions to secure the biggest prize in women's golf with an emphatic four-stroke victory at Pine Needles.

"I won't be retiring," Lee said after finishing with a record low total of 13-under-par 271.

She collected $1.8 million from a record total purse of $10 million, while American Mina Harigae (72) claimed second place on nine-under.

"It's such a great honor. It's been my dream since I was a little girl. It's the one I've always wanted to win so now I've done it and it just feels amazing," Lee said.

"It's such a large sum," she added, almost lost for words as she tried to articulate what it meant to win nearly $2 million in one hit, not quite sure what she would do with the money.

Lee, who won her first major title at last year's Evian Championship, joins Karrie Webb (2000 and 2001) and Jan Stephenson (1983) as Australians to win the U.S. Women's Open.

Starting the final round with a three-shot lead over Harigae, Lee quickly extended her advantage.

A two-putt birdie at the par-five first was followed by a 40-foot bomb at the second that was greeted initially with complete silence because the hole on the elevated green was not visible to the gallery.

It was not until Lee retrieved her ball from the cup that the spectators belatedly applauded.

Though Lee hit a couple of loose shots and made a couple of bogeys on the demanding front nine, nobody could make a run as a fluctuating breeze, firm conditions and tucked