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Minjee Lee beat Charlie Hull in the playoff at the Kroger Queen City Championship on Sunday, September 10, registering her ninth LPGA Tour victory and first of this season.
Lee shot a final-round 71 with the help of three birdies and a double bogey. Hull carded a 69 on Sunday and sank five birdies and two bogeys. Both ended up in a tie at 16-under 272 after 72 holes.
During the playoff hole on the par-four 18th, Lee's second shot landed just three feet short of the hole. Hull ended with a par, and all Lee needed was a gentle tap to secure a birdie and win the 2023 Kroger Queen City Championship.
Fans online were ecstatic after Lee's first win since the 2022 US Women's Open. Here's a look at some of the comments:
"Nerves of steel on the final few holes & then in the play off with Charley hunting her down, good to see her back in the winners circle 👏"
"Congrats Minjee! Way to tough it out. Great job!!🎉🎉"
"Congratulations. Absolutely clutch!"
"Congrats to the queen🎉🏌️♀️😉"
"Great tournament and finish"
"Congratulations Minjee ⛳️ Woo Hoo"
"Awesome and congrats!"
"Congratulations. Very clutch. @HullCharley played awesome down the stretch as well."
"Small margins, skill and a little bit of luck with them golfing gods on yer side."
"Congratulations Minjee Lee on your 1st win of 2023. 💕💕❤❤💙💙💜💜🧡🧡💚💚💛💛😍😍😘😘🏆🏆🤗🤗😊😊👊👊🙌🙌"
"I just came out with a really good attitude" - Minjee Lee said she wasn't 'super nervous' during her final round of the 2023 Kroger Queen City Championship
The 27-year-old Australian golfer's most recent victory before the 2023 LPGA Kroger Queen City Championship was at the 2022 US Women's Open, which took place last June. Since then, she has secured three top-4 finishes but couldn't quite clinch the final victory.
Lee expressed that her win felt exceptionally special and that she believed it was well-deserved, as it had been a long time coming. In the winner's press conference, she spoke about her final round at Kenwood Country Club.
She said:
"I wasn't super nervous or anything. I just came out with a really good attitude and I was just like, let's have a lot of fun today and trust that I've put in the work."
"I started really well the front nine. I think I made three birdies and had a little bit of a... I made a mistake on the par-5 and made double. But other than that, I feel like I was pretty solid all week."
The two-time major champion added that the playoff against Charlie Hull, whom she described as competitive and aggressive, was fun to play.
Minjee Lee is currently ranked 13th in the Rolex Women's Golf Ranking. She hasn't missed a cut in 15 starts this season, has secured three top-10 finishes this season, and has earned $1,189,936. She also holds the 13th position in the Race to the CME Globe standings.
