Minjee Lee’s third major victory at KPMG Women’s PGA has hidden significance

FRISCO, Texas – Minjee Lee had the same steely expression on his face at the 2025 kpmg Women’s PGA Championship east of Fields Ranch. Her manner never changed, regardless of the company’s fast, breathing fire setting, as she roared through 54 holes, her manner never changed, winning the third-place main title in her mastery percentage.

The appearance was the same when Lee stepped on a triple-digit calorie index on Sunday’s first tee: OK. Lee looked unwavering with her polarized sunglasses acting as a shield. She smiled, waved to the crowd, and opened the tee, indicating a long walk.

But the appearance can be deceptive.

“I just think it through,” Lee said six hours after the opening. “I must have been nervous from the day. I’m not sure if it will make my heart beat more…but I’m not as calm as everyone thinks.”

Regarding the rigorous major training test, Li Zaozao stumbled. She shot in 3, 5 and 6, while Auston Kim cuts Lee’s lead by two in front of her three straight wins.

Lee had a chance to swing – as collapsed as she had in the final round of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club in 2024, she entered Sunday as a co-leader but bombed at 78.

but That Minjee Lee is not this Minjee Lee.

“I just wanted to be easy there,” she said. “The wind was so tough, so I was just trying to take one step at a time. Some of the drives I hit were really bad, but I was able to get up and down, let the bogey, not have too big scores to come back from it. I think I was really good.”

Understanding that there are bird holes ahead, Lee’s chasers’ harsh tests are the same, and Lee sticks to her plan. Her emotions never changed. After each shot, she would open the code book and take notes. One foot is in front of the other. Eyes forward.

She made a bird and a bird in the 5th stroke, but she also gave a stroke in the tenth stroke. She stabilized herself with 11 and 12 unity, then faced a potential game-changing hole at the 13th sinister par-3 par-3.

Lee’s T-shirt was found in green, but about 70 feet from the hole. Her first putter hit a wind wall, shorting it, keeping her eight feet on par. On the lead of 16 on the 4th, King has a birdie putt that can get into two below two and has the potential to cut Lee’s lead or cut Lee’s lead into one or tie if Lee’s par attempts to miss it.

Lee rolled the par putter almost at the same time as King’s efforts burned the edge. Lee’s fist pierced the wet Texas air as the ball found the bottom of the cup, keeping her lead at three.

Then at the age of 14 and 15, the birdie extended Lee’s mat to No. 4 and extended the stress-free walk to the point where she had been pushing herself to secure her trophy.

“I think I really deserve this,” Lee said after the game below fourth, two-thirds. She is one of three players to finish the week under par.

The reflection of KPMG Women’s PGA Championship Trophy (Lee), 29, shows the magnitude of this victory – a victory that led her to surpass Nelly Korda, Lillia Vu, Lillia Vu, Brooke Henderson, Yuka Saso and Jin-Young Ko, who all scored two big wins. Lydia Ko is the main champion Lee third champion tie, he is one of the players who showered in the champagne after putting.

Lee has 11 LPGA wins, two distances from the LPGA-approved professional grand slam (four out of five) and the so-called actual grand slams. Now, Hall of Fame registration is also a very realistic possibility.

Lee admits that such a goal has pushed her. She still sees the hall as her “end goal” and hopes to win a professional grand slam. But for her, these things could hardly be seen in Beixing. What led to her major victory in the tough North Texas Heat was not because of the power of rare air, but to prove to herself that she could have more wishes than before.

This victory Meaning more than anyone can see, that’s Lee’s motivation.

“I feel like I’ve had a lot of questions over the past few years,” she said. “I think the more I hear the media and other people say to my putts, I think that’s going to get more and more over time. I think that just means more to me. … Obviously, the U.S. Open is my absolute favorite, but as far as I should be, I think it’s one.”

Lee won the first two professional titles – the 2021 Evian and the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open – with traditional putts, despite his low left hand. Her fight with Flatstick has been bothering her over the past two years, Lee’s coach Ritchie Smith told her about using long putts this year. This conversion allowed her to release her on the green and earned a dominant performance at PGA Frisco.

But the victory, trophy, champagne-soaked clothes and record bonuses didn’t make Lee stare at the star’s next mission. Her eyes remain straight because that was what got her here and she thought would lead to any success that would come next.

“I didn’t set goals, like I’m going to win three majors and try to get three wins,” Lee said. “I’m just sticking to my own process and one of my biggest goals is to improve putting statistics, so I think I’ve been doing that all the time. I’m only taking one step at a time. I’m going to enjoy this win and then I sit down with my coach and talk to him on the phone and go see where we’re going after that.”

The 29-year-old smiled when asked to think about the overall picture of her career and what might be in the future.

“The next thing is Evian,” Lee said in France during his fourth Grand Slam of the season from July 10 to 13. “That’s my next stop.”

As the doubts were eliminated, her process was verified and Lee set out to celebrate the victory that would shape her legacy. It’s time to relax, even if she still looks like she does in the course and stays in the status quo and forward-looking way.

For Minjee Lee, now released and confident, what she is before her is everything.