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Australian star Minjee Lee bagged her second seven-figure paycheck this season as she won the season-long Aon Risk Reward Challenge in the 2022 LPGA season, thereby winning the $1 million check.
The Aon Risk Reward Challenge is a season-long competition on the PGA and LPGA Tour that offers $1 million in prize money to winners on both tours. The player's scoring average on difficult holes is measured at different tour stops. While Minjee Lee won the award on the LPGA Tour, Scottie Scheffler won it on the PGA Tour.
The LPGA Tour selects certain holes from various events on the season calendar. The two best scorers from each hole were taken into consideration. Lee averaged a birdie on almost every designated hole to take the honor, beating Thailand's World No.1 Atthaya Thitikul in the process.
Doing so, she became the second Australian to win the award after Hannah Green won it in 2021.
“It’s inspiring to see a company like Aon show up for women’s golf in such a big way, and the equal prize money really showcases their dedication to gender equity, both on and off the golf course,” said Minjee Lee. “I’ve had a great season this year, and winning the Aon Risk Reward Challenge is just the cherry on top.”
Interestingly, Lee has been occupied with her performances and hasn't had the time to use the whopping amount that she has earned.
"Actually, I haven't really splurged," she said, laughing. "I haven't really had the time to go shopping yet."
Minjee Lee ranks third in the Race to CME Globe rankings
Earlier, Minjee Lee received her first seven-figure paycheck when she won this year's US Open at Pine Needles, her second major title. This was followed by two top-10 finishes at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and AIG Women's Open. This helped her rocket into the top five in the Rolex women's rankings.
While she started strong in the first half of the season, she has not won an event since August. However, she hopes to finish strong in the last event of the season. The CME Group Tour Championship is scheduled from November 17 to 20 in Naples, Florida.
"Probably the last few weeks I haven't really been quite on top of my game," she said. "I was striking it so well come, what, like eight, nine months throughout the year. Probably didn't hit it as well or putted it as well the last couple of weeks, but this is the last event of the season … I really want to do well."
The World No. 5 has an incredible 2022 season and heads the LPGA season money list with $3.7 million, $1.1 million ahead of Chun In-gee, and $1.4 million ahead of Lydia Ko.
If she manages to win the $2 million winner's prize money at the CME Group Tour Championship, she could script history by having the richest season in the history of women's golf.
Moreover, if she wins, she will become the only woman in the history of women's golf to win two tournament prizes over $1 million in the same year.
Even if she finishes second ($687,000) she could still beat Lorena Ochoa’s record of $4,354,994 set in 2007. Ochoa won seven LPGA Tour titles that season, including one major. Minjee Lee currently ranks third in the Race to CME Globe and is 540 points behind compatriot Lydia Ko.
