[Evian] Minji Lee "First Major Queen in Life"... Jeongeun Lee6 'Runner-up in Playoff' (2nd report)

Fourth Major Evian Championship First Playoff Hole 'Winning Birdie' for Lee Jeong-eun 6's Sixth Career Victory, Second Shot 'Hazard Tears'

Im Ji (right) is being showered with congratulatory water immediately after winning the Amundi Evian Championship in a playoff on the final day. Evian-les-Bains, France = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Multibits

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Minjee Lee (Australia) has become a ‘Major Queen’ for the first time in her life.

On the 26th (Korean time), at the Evian Golf Club (par 71, 6,527 yards) in Evian-les-Bains, France, the final day of the fourth LPGA Tour major, the Amundi Evian Championship (total prize money $4.5 million), she shot 7 under par to tie with Jeongeun Lee6 (25, Daebang Construction) at 18 under par 266, then made a ‘winning birdie’ on the first hole of the playoff at the 18th hole (par 5). This was her 6th career win, her first since the LA Open in April 2019, and the winner’s prize was $675,000 (7.8 billion KRW).

Starting from a tie for 4th place, 7 strokes behind, Minjee Lee swept up 7 birdies. She chased the leader with birdies on the 1st hole (par 4) and ‘stepping stone birdies’ on the 7th and 9th holes, then dominated the top of the leaderboard with three consecutive birdies from the 14th to 16th holes and a birdie on the final 18th hole. On the first hole of the playoff, she dropped her second shot with a 6-iron 3 meters from the hole and easily made the birdie. She cheered, saying, "I just tried to make birdies," and "The result came from focusing on playing my best."

Minjee Lee is a 7-year professional golfer who debuted on the LPGA Tour in 2015 after representing Australia’s national team. Born in 1996 when her parents settled in Perth, Australia, she first picked up a golf club at age 10 after swimming. She showed outstanding talent, being selected as the representative of Western Australia at age 12. She played as an Australian national team member for four years, reaching No. 1 in the amateur golf world rankings, and made her professional debut at the Evian Championship in September 2014.

In her first year on the LPGA Tour, she finished in the top 10 six times, including her first professional win at the Kingsmill Championship. In 2016, she had her best season, winning the Lotte Championship and the Blue Bay LPGA. She is famous as the sibling golfer of Minwoo Lee (Australia), who won the European Tour Rolex Series Scottish Open on the 12th of this month. This year, Minjee Lee has competed in 11 tournaments, finishing in the top 5 three times, and wiped away the bitterness of never having won a major at Evian.

Jeongeun Lee6 started the final round 5 strokes ahead but exchanged 5 birdies for 5 bogeys and failed to reduce her score. After struggling with 4 over par over 11 holes, she made a birdie on the 12th hole and then three consecutive birdies from the 16th to 18th holes to push the match into a playoff. However, she collapsed after dropping her second shot into the water. She eventually made a bogey with a ‘4 on 2 putt’. Her dream of a second career win, her first since the 2019 US Women’s Open major, also disappeared.