Sixteen-year-old Minjee Lee pulled off a brilliant comeback to become the first Australian golfer to win the US Girls’ Junior Championship.
Three down through 30 holes in the 36-hole final, West Australian Lee won the next four holes in a row and held on to secure a 1-up victory over California’s Alison Lee at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City, near San Francisco, on Saturday.
“It is big,” said world No.8 amateur Lee after her late rally to follow in the footsteps of former title winners including the great Nancy Lopez and rising LPGA star Lexy Thompson.
“I just pulled myself together and I was like just go for it. You’ve got an opening. Just take your chances and then go from there.”
The triumph caps a great return to form following time out with an ankle injury earlier in the year.
Lee said the injury time out proved a blessing in disguise.
“I think I could like just refuel, because I haven’t had a break in ages, so I had the best break.
“Then I just came out even stronger, and I could do things that I never could have done in my swing technically.”