Lee wins U.S. Women’s Open, Horschel takes Memorial

 Minjee Lee won the U.S. Women’s Open by four strokes over Mina Harigae at Pine Needles on Sunday to earn $1.8 million, the largest payout in the history of women’s golf.

Lee closed with an even-par 71 to finish at 13-under 271 after the Australian flirted with the tournament record of 16 under set by Juli Inkster in 1999 at Old Waverly. Lee’s winnings came from a record $10 million purse.

Harigae shot a 72 for her best finish in a major and a check of slightly more than $1 million.

South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi was one of only two players to break par Sunday, carding a 70 to finish third at 7 under. South Korea’s Jin Young Ko, the world’s No. 1-ranked player, was fourth at 6 under after a 71.

The 26-year-old Lee was never challenged on a course that played significantly tougher than the previous three days. She opened with rounds of 67, 66 and 67.

Lee became the sixth straight international player to win the U.S. Women’s Open and the first from Australia since mentor Karrie Webb in 2001. It was her second win at a major championship overall after winning the Evian Championship last July. Her previous best finish at the U.S. Open was a tie for 11th in 2017.

Lee, who entered the week ranked No. 4 in the world, has won eight LPGA Tour events and became the first repeat winner this year following her victory at the Founders Cup three weeks ago in New Jersey.

PGA TOUR

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Billy Horschel ended any doubt about his victory at Muirfield Village with an eagle putt from one end of the green to the other on the 15th hole, sending him to a four-shot victory at the Memorial.

Horschel was staked to a five-shot lead at the start of a sun-soaked final round and no one ever got closer than two shots. He closed with an even-par 72.

Horschel finished at 13-under 275 and won $2.16 million, the largest paycheck of his career. As an elevated event, the win comes with a three-year exemption.

Aaron Wise shot a 71 to finish second. The consolation prize was a day off on Monday. Wise moved from No. 88 to No. 44 in the world ranking and is now exempt from 36-hole U.S. Open qualifying.

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Jerry Kelly birdied the first hole of a playoff with Kirk Triplett on Sunday to win the PGA Tour Champions’ Principal Charity Classic.

Kelly hit his approach to 4 feet on the par-4 18th to set up the winning putt. The 55-year-old from Wisconsin has nine victories on the 50-and-over tour after winning three times on the PGA Tour.

Kelly and Triplett each shot 5-under 67 to finish at 18-under 198 at Wakonda Club, two strokes ahead of Steven Alker (69) and Hall of Famer Bernhard Langer (68).

The 60-year-old Triplett won the last of his eight senior titles in 2019.

EUROPEAN TOUR

WINSEN, Germany (AP) — Kalle Samooja of Finland finished with back-to-back birdies and set the course record with an 8-under 64 to win the Porsche European Open for his first European tour title and a spot in the U.S. Open.

The 34-year-old Samooja finished at 6-under 28, two shots ahead of Wil Besseling (71).

Samooja’s win and Besseling’s runner-up finish put them among the top 10 players not already eligible who earned U.S. Open spots based on a four-tournament money list.

KORN FERRY TOUR

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Davis Thompson won the REX Hospital Open on his 23rd birthday for his first Korn Ferrry Tour victory, closing with a 2-under 69 to beat Andrew Yun and Vincent Norrman by a stroke.

The No. 2-ranked player from the inaugural PGA Tour University, Thompson finished at 17-under 268. Yun and Norrman closed with 68s.

OTHER TOURS

Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe closed with a 5-under 66 for a one-shot victory over Travis Smyth in the International Series-England on the Asian Tour. Vincent earned $360,000 from the $2 million purse, part of the $300 million infusion in the Asian Tour from Saudi-funded LIV Golf Investments. ... Kazuki Higa won for the second time this year on the Japan Golf Tour. He closed with a 4-under 67 for a one-shot victory over Tomoharu Otsuki in the BMW Japan Golf Tourr Championship Mori Building Cup. ... Nicolai Kristensen shot a 4-under 66 and beat Ugo Coussaud (68) in a playoff in the D+D Real Czech Challenge on the European Challenge Tour. ... Morgane Metraux of Switzerland won her first Ladies European Tour title when she made eagle on the first playoff hole to win the Ladies Italian Open over Meghan MacLaren and Italian amateur Alessandra Fanali. ... Rourke van der Spuy shot a 3-underr 69 for a three-stroke victory over Hennie Otto and Louis de Jager in the SunBet Challenge on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa. ... Olympic silver medalist Mone Inami closed with a 1-under 71 for a two-shot victory over Saiki Fujita in the Richard Mille Yonex Ladies on the Japan LPGA. ... Yu Jin Sung had a 2-under 70 and won the Lotte Open by four shots over Su Ji Kim on the Korean LPGA. ... Scott Stevens birdied the par-4 18th hole four straight times — the first in regulation and the last three in a playoff with Jake Knapp — to win the PGA Tour Canada-Mackenzie Tour’s season-opening Royal Beach Victoria Open in British Columbia. Stevens closed with a 3-under 67 to match Knapp (63) at 16-under 264. ... Chile’s Cristóbal Del Solar overcame a double bogey on the par-3 16th to beat Mitchell Meissner by a stroke in the PGA Tour Latinoamerica’s Volvo Golf Championship in Colombia. The former Florida State player closed with a 6-under 69 to finish at 16 under.