Australian rookie Minjee Lee surges to her first LPGA victory

Mon May 18, 2015 2:17pm EDT

It took an extra day more than she would have liked but 18-year-old Minjee Lee returned to the course Monday for her last two holes and left with her first LPGA win at the Kingsmill Championship in Williamsburg, Virginia.  Lee finished at 15-under-par for the tournament, two shots clear of So Yeon Ryu, to become the third rookie to post a win on Tour this year.

Lee, who earned 500 points with her win at the Kingsmill Championship and is projected to move up to 11th in the Race to CME Globe with 812 points and is projected to move from No. 59 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings to No. 19, up 40 spots.

With the $195,000 first-place check, Minjee moves to 365th on the LPGA Career Money List with $309,651

TOURNAMENT SPECIFIC FACTS:

Becomes the 9th winner of the Kingsmill Championship presented by JTBC, joining Lizette Salas, Cristie Kerr (3), Jiyai Shin, Annika Sorenstam, Suzann Pettersen, Karrie Webb, Se Ri Pak and Grace Park.

Earns 30 points toward the Rolex Player of the Year race and is projected to move to 10th with 34 points

Earns 150 points toward the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year and currently ranks fourth at 376

Minjee is the first Australian winner since Karrie Webb won twice in 2014.

Minjee joins Lydia Ko and Hyo Joo Kim as the players under the age of 20 to win on the LPGA Tour this year.

Minjee is only the seventh player in LPGA history to win an LPGA event before her 19^th birthday.