Minjee Lee finishes third in epic LPGA Shanghai
Darren Walton |
Minjee Lee remains upbeat despite the Australian superstar’s player-of-the-year hopes suffering a significant blow in a thrilling climax to the Buick LPGA Shanghai.
Lee’s expected final-round charge failed to materialise as world No.1 Jeeno Thitikul denied Miname Katsu a maiden LPGA Tour victory in an epic play-off on Sunday.
Thitikul dodged several bullets before draining a metre-long birdie on the fifth extra hole at Qizhong Garden Golf Club to become the tour’s first two-time winner in 2025.
The victory also extended the Thai’s slender lead over Lee in the race for player-of-the-year honours with six events remaining, including next month’s $US11 million season-ending Tour Championship in Florida.
After starting the final round two shots behind Katsu in a tie for second with Thitikul, Lee fired a four-under-par 68 on Sunday to finish five shots behind the play-off pair in third place.
Lee had pulled to within one stroke of the lead with a birdie at the second hole on championship Sunday.
But that was as close as Australia’s triple major champion would get, with Lee unable to keep pace with her two final-round playing partners, who produced a titanic battle down the stretch.
Katsu enjoyed a four-shot lead with five holes to play, but Thitikul closed the gap with three birdies and a steely eagle on the par-5 17th, moments after needing to settle herself after watching Katsu chip in for birdie.
Thitikul looked beaten twice more in the play-off, especially after driving into water on the second extra hole.
But the world No.1 knocked a spectacular approach to inside a metre and saved par to force a third extra hole after Katsu left her second putt to win hanging over the lip of the hole.
With a closing nine-under 63, Thitikul and Katsu (65) had produced 14 birdies and an eagle between themselves in regulation play to both finish at 24 under par for the championship.
But neither could conjure another birdie until Thitikul’s winning play on the 77th hole to finally atone for two gut-wrenching runner-up finishes in her previous two starts.
“What happened on the last event definitely was still in my mind, but to be able to prove myself again this tournament, is just such like a dream come true,” Thitikul said after atoning for a shocking four-putt that gifted Charley Hull victory at her last start.
“I’ve had so many dramas in my golf career for sure.”
At 19 under, Lee’s outright third was the 29-year-old’s seventh top-five result, eighth top-10 and 15th top-20 finish from 20 events in 2025.
But with Thitikul prevailing, the world No.4 will almost certainly need to win for a second time, adding to her Women’s PGA Championship triumph in June, to crown her stellar season with the player-of-the-year gong.
“I feel like I did a lot of things well these past four days, despite being really over heated every single day,” Lee said.
“I would like to get my driving a little bit cleaner for the next few weeks but I’ve been striking it pretty well with my irons and doing pretty well with the putter as well.
“So going into next week and and CME (the Tour Championship), I think I could bring everything together and hopefully contend in all these weeks as well.”
AAP
