Mi Hyang Lee hadn’t won an LPGA event in 3,143 days—a span of nearly nine years. Even though she had the 54-hole lead at the Blue Bay LPGA, she didn’t do anything early Sunday to warrant an end to the drought in China.
Lee shot 40 on the front nine and lost her lead but not her confidence. Despite two double bogeys and two bogeys on the front nine at Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course, Lee flipped a switch at the turn and played bogey-free golf with three birdies on the back nine to win. She birdied the 18th hole with an incredible approach shot to shoot a final-round two-over 73 on Hainan Island.
Advertisement
The 32-year-old from South Korea shot 67-66-71-73 for an 11-under 277. She won $390,000.
“My caddie Chad [Payne] said to keep fighting,” Lee told Golf Channel. “After the double on 9, I almost gave up. It was some terrible golf. He said, ‘you can fight and fight, still make a lot of birdies. We had nine holes left. He gave me a lot of positives.”
The mindset shift went from bogeys and double bogeys to pars and birdies.
Lee beat China’s Weiwei Zhang by one shot for the victory. Lee was in the final group, but Zhang had already posted a three-under 69 and was in at 10 under. Zhang was putting and waiting for Lee to finish, hoping Lee would par the final hole and that there would be a playoff. It wasn’t meant to be for Zhang, who was a gallery favorite in her home country.
Advertisement
On the 72nd hole, Lee nearly holed out for eagle. Her approach shot landed below the hole and clipped the side of it. She made the one-foot birdie putt to win her third career LPGA event. Lee lifted her arms up, then put her hands to her head as though she couldn’t believe it, either. The lead changed hands often, but the day ended as it had begun, with Lee in the lead.
Lee battled a shoulder injury the last few seasons and even grabbed it at one point during Sunday’s final round. She was ranked 83rd in the Rolex World Golf rankings before the victory and now will be moving up considerably. Lee hadn’t won since the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open in 2017.
Lee joins Nelly Korda, World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul and Hannah Green as winners this season. Last year, there was a record 29 different winners on the LPGA.
“I trusted myself this morning. I was nervous. I really wanted to win,” Lee said. “I tried to be patient with my caddie. I had two doubles on the front nine was really struggling. I had a lot of ups and downs inside me. I kept fighting on the back nine. I had three birdies on the back nine, and I’m really proud of myself.
Advertisement
“Also, I had a lot of struggling the last few years. Just want to say thanks to my dad [who was in attendance] and my caddie and my coach and friends and my family my friends on tour. They kept saying confident things to me. I think this win, they made it [happen] for me.”