The gold medal for bass amateurs is wrapped around Ingrid Lindblad’s neck … then the Mickey Wright gold medal is awarded to the 2022 US Open champion Minjee Lee! He smiles broadly and greets to thank the gallery for the ovation he receives … then he raises the famous pot in the air! “I’m speechless. I can’t believe it. It’s a great honor, it’s been my dream since I was little, what I’ve always wanted to win! It feels amazing!” As for the innovative purse on offer this week, and what does it mean for women’s play? “It’s such a big sum. I’m very honored to be the first winner of such a sum, but we’re just going to get better and better!”
This is a well deserved victory for Minjee Lee. She flew out of the blocks with a birdie-birdie start, then landed him for the next two hours, responding to the bogeys at 5 and 7 with a series of nerve-wracking couple twists and putts, which kept her in good way. The birds at the age of 12 and 15 ensured that the work was completed fairly easily; The only downside for the bogeys at 16 and 18 was her chance to become the second player to shoot four rounds in the 1960s at a U.S. Open, after Nancy Lopez in 1997, she let herself go. However, you are unlikely to lose too much sleep because of this. A second major title for the brilliant 26-year-old from Perth, to go with the Evian breakthrough she won last year!
Minjee Lee wins US Women’s Open 2022!
Lee slips a short pair putt through the hole, Scottie Scheffler style, but who cares ?! She has become only the third Australian to win the U.S. Women’s Open, after Jan Stephenson and her hero Karrie Webb!
-13: Lee (F) -9: Harigae (D)
Updated at 00.06 BST
Mina Harigae takes a 20-foot bird attempt to the entrance distance, and has second place for herself! A million dollars will soon fall into his account. Deservedly, too, holding her nerves as the herd chased her, pulling away again for the final stretch. A final round of 72. She is -9 overall.
A big smile of relief appears on Mina Hariage’s face as she finds the center of 18 with her second. In height, she will have three putts from 20 feet to secure second place for herself. And it’s also a job done for Minjee Lee, as she’s also in regulation. The gallery rises to give the elected champion the ovation he deserves for his brilliance and mental capacity!
Bogey by Lydia Ko at the end. This is a horrible end for the New Zealander: three bogeys in the last four holes. Bogey for Bronte Law, too, who will be upset with this depressed end, but when the dust clears, he will be very pleased with his first place in the top ten in a major tournament. Ko and Law finish the week at -5 and -4 respectively.
A couple of pairs for Minjee Lee and Mina Harigae on the 17th. Lee’s unit flirted with the trees on the left, but otherwise both are fine. Lee is now a characteristic hole in the calm of his second major title. Harigae, on the other hand, may not be as serene. It is very close to its best performance in a major with a long chalk. His best result at the U.S. Open was a 28th-place tie in 2012; his best in any major are the 13th-place draws at the PGA 2020 and last year’s British Open. The difference between the second and the third is almost half a million dollars. You can imagine his heartbeat as his starting shot flickers with problems on the left … but he clings to the street. Lee also finds things short. Both so close to home now.
Ingrid Lindblad and Xiyu Lin sign for a 76, ending their week at -1. The Swedish fan is this year’s amateur bass. The only downside after a great week for the 22-year-old is her 11th place: if she had finished in the top ten, she would have won automatic entry to next year’s edition at the ‘iconic Pebble Beach. Still, what a performance!
Bronte Law takes a stunning approach at 17. She is left with a ten-foot bird and is on her way to becoming the only fourth player today to make one in the hole. He rises to -5 … but his playmate Lydia Ko comes across. He seems to have saved his pair at 17 with a four-foot long bunker shot, but he can’t make the putt and goes down to -6.
-14: Lee (16) -9: Harigae (16) -7: Choi (F) -6: JY Ko (D), L Ko (17) -5: Law (17)
A three-putt bogey for leader Minjee Lee in par-tres 16th. It’s an unlikely mistake to be especially costly, as it still has a five-shot lead over second-placed Mina Hairgae, who makes a couple of two puts. Probably a factor as to why they’re doing so poorly in the playoffs against Juli Inkster in 1999 and Ariya Jutanugarn in 2018.
-14: Lee (16) -9: Harigae (16)
Minjee Lee from Australia prepares to putt on green at number 16. Photo: Kevin C Cox / Getty Images
Updated at 23.36 BST
World number one Ko Jin-young is a level 71 pair. A slightly poorly cooked performance rescued by those birdies at 15 and 17 years old. Lots of victories on the LPGA tour for the 26-year-old from Seoul, but none major from Dinah Shore and Evian in 2019. This will be his best result in any major since he finished second in this competition in 2020, however, indications are that he may be about to quench his great thirst soon. Congress in three weeks? She finishes this at -6.
Ko Jin-young from Korea. Photo: Jared C Tilton / Getty Images
Updated at 23.33 BST
Mina Harigae plays the par-cin 15 fashionable textbook! Two large cracks in the middle, a fearless wedge at four feet and a direct putt in the center of the cup. Suddenly she finds herself alone in second place, two of the aforementioned Choi Hye-jin and Lydia Ko, who does well to get up and down the sand at the age of 16. Birdie also for fugitive leader Minjee Lee, by the way. Its freshness under the pressure of defending a great advantage, one that everyone expects you to convert, is no longer news.
-15: Lee (15) -9: Harigae (15) -7: Choi (F), L Ko (16)
A bogey in the end for Choi Hye-jin, the punishment for a weak chip from the back of the green. Push the remaining 12-foot putt pair and sign for an under 70. Finally, another round in red numbers! Only the second of the day so far, after Jeongeun Lee’s 696. She is the new leader of the club with -7. Her teammate Leona Maguire returns a disappointing final round of 74 and ends the week at -2.
World number one Ko Jin-young is finishing in style! Having received a blow at 15, he has now sent a tram to the cup from a silly distance at 17. He raises both arms in the air, suddenly feeling a higher end than he would have expected an hour ago. … and fourth place is suddenly within reach after the bogey of her namesake Lydia at 15 years old. Meanwhile, Birdie for Bronte Law at 15, and suddenly there was a bit of movement at the top of the standings. It is not the highest, but you have the essence.
-14: Lee (14) -8: Choi (17), Harigae (14) -7: L Ko (15) -6: JY Ko (17) -5: Law (15)
The current Olympic and PGA champion Nelly Korda is the new leader of the club. He won’t win today, but after overcoming three for his round today to 6, he has played the last 12 holes in a low. At 73, she smiles broadly, happy to be back after the long dismissal due to the blood clot in her arm. End the week at -2, and don’t bet against retaining your PGA title in Congress in three weeks!
Tell yourself what, though, Harigae almost breaks this duck with a wonderful splash of sand. His wedge baptizes the sand with a satisfactory blow, and the ball borders the right lip of the cup. Millimeters from that dodging bird! Lee also splashes nearby, though he never threatens to empty himself. Twice blows of fine sand from complicated positions. When the putts go by pair. The 14th has really made a number on the field today.
-14: Lee (14) -8: Choi (17), L Ko (14), Harigae (14) -5: JY Ko (16)
No birdies today at par-fourt 14. Not one! It’s a statistic likely to hold as the last pair advance through the hole – both Lee and Harigae have pushed their approaches to the bunker that protects the right front of the green.
… meanwhile, on par-tres on the 16th, Choi Hye-jin drops his five-foot throw and confidently throws the bird putt. He’s already secured second place at the U.S. Open on his resume, albeit as a 17-year-old amateur in 2017. A second place as a professional this time around? It is currently activated!
-14: Lee (13) -8: Choi (16), L Ko (14), Harigae (13) -5: JY Ko (15)
Updated at 22.44 BST
Lee kicks off the difficult par-tres 13 down a steep slope to the left of the green. She gets up, but not particularly close. Harigae, however, has sent a very aesthetically pleasing drawing to the heart of the green, the camber offers a little extra help to gather the ball at 12 feet. He doesn’t just hit the bird putt, which breaks to the right when the rhythm dies. Par, but the opportunity to close the gap at the top – and, more realistically, regain second-place ownership – is gone. Lee jumps ten feet to save another pair, and runs to the next tee, full of life.
Mina Harigae gets back on her heels irritated as a 15-foot bird attempt slips to 12. The insole is almost ready, probably because Minjee Lee then tickles with a curl from left to right, dead weight, for to the bird. The gap is suddenly six. Meanwhile, 18 emotional scenes like Lexi Thompson, forced to review her collapse last year in so many interviews, and whose grandmother died a couple of weeks ago, ends up with a bittersweet bird and dissolves into tears. For so many different reasons, she will be happy to take this tournament out of the way. At 76, and ends at +3. An ending on par, fortunately for his playmate Lilia Vu. He came back with 44 painful lashes for 79, and at least avoided carding 80. Once -5, he ends the week at +6.
-14: Lee (12) -8: Ko (13), Harigae (12) -7: Choi (15)
The wind is blowing, and this allows Lee to sink in 12 with …