CINCINNATI — Minjee Lee lost a five-shot lead on the back nine Sunday and recovered at just the right time, hitting wedge to 2 feet for birdie to beat Charley Hull on the second playoff hole in the Kroger Queen City Championship.
Lee, a two-time major champion, won for the first time this year after closing with a 1-under 71. It was her second playoff victory on the LPGA Tour, and she never imagined it would get to that point.
The 27-year-old Australian seized control early and led Hull by five shots through 10 holes.
Six holes later, they were tied.
Lee led by four on the par-5 12th, with Hull already having hit her second shot into the water. Lee decided to go for the green with a fairway metal, and she pulled it so far left that it went out-of-bounds, leading to a double bogey.
Hull dropped only one shot, cutting the deficit to three shots, and then she made three birdie putts in the 12- to 18-foot range on the 14th, 15th and 16th holes to catch Lee.
“I had a few moments where I felt I was losing, but I wasn’t,” Lee said. “I was like, ‘Let’s play ’til the end and see where it ends up.’ I didn’t give up. I played every shot the best I could and won the playoff, so it feels nice.”
Just getting into the playoff was hard work. They were tied going to the…
