American Cheyenne Woods held off a strong challenge by local teenager Minjee Lee to win the Australian Ladies Masters on Sunday on the Gold Coast.

The 23-year-old shot a four-under-par final-round 69 at Royal Pines to finish the tournament at 16-under 276, two shots ahead of 17-year-old amateur Lee who carded a fourth-round 69 to finish on 278 overall.

It’s the best result in Woods’ two-year professional career, with the interest in the niece of superstar Tiger Woods resulting in the American Golf Channel taking the final two hours of the broadcast live into the United States.

After coming into the day with a one-shot lead, Woods immediately picked up a shot with a birdie on the par-4 1st.

A bogey on the par-4 4th and a hat-trick of birdies on the par-4 6th, 7th and 8th by Lee brought the pair together before Woods took back the lead at the turn with a birdie on the par-5 9th.

The world No.363 didn’t relinquish that advantage, adding birdies on the par-5 12th and 15th before a triumphant birdie on the par-5 18th completed a five-birdie, one-bogey final round.

Lee, a two-time Australian Amateur champion, started the day in third but her trio of birdies on the front nine allowed her to pass South Africa’s Stacy Lee Bregman and dream about becoming the first amateur to win the Ladies Masters since Amy Yang in 2006.

A birdie putt on the par-4 17th gave the West Australian the chance to close within one shot going into the 18th hole but her shot drifted to the right of the hole and meant she had to settle for the runners-up berth despite a birdie on the 18th.

Bregman, who recovered her game somewhat after a two-over front nine, finished tied for third on 280 (12-under) overall after a final-round even-par 73.

Sweden’s Camilla Lennarth (280) shot a final-round three-under 70 to claim a share of third with Bregman.