Minjee

FRISCO, Texas — Minjee Lee closed with a two-over 74 but never gave up the lead Sunday in the final round of the Women’s PGA Championship to win her third major title.

While Lee had three bogeys in a four-hole stretch on the front nine, she had started the day with a four-stroke lead over Jeeno Thitikul. And the world’s No. 2-ranked player, also in that final group, bogeyed both par fives that are among the first three holes on Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco.

Lee, ranked 24th, finished at four-under 284, three strokes ahead of Auston Kim and Chanettee Wannasaen, the only other players under par.

“A lot of patience out there today. Obviously, I had ups and downs today,” Lee said. “It’s a battle against myself pretty much, especially with how tough the conditions were this whole week, not just today. Just amplified because it’s major Sunday.”

Kim and Wannasaen both shot 68 to match the best rounds of the day, and the tournament, after only two 68s combined the first three rounds. Kim was bogey-free, but had only pars after three consecutive birdies to wrap up her front nine.

With a record $12 million purse that was up from $10.4 million a year ago and matched the U.S. Women’s Open for the most price money, Lee took home $1.8 million. That matches the $1.8 million Lee got for her four-stroke win in the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open.

The 29-year-old Australian who is a Texas resident, living in nearby Irving, got her 11th career win. It was her first this season, making it 16 players to win 16 LPGA tournaments this year.

PGA Tour

Keegan Bradley celebrates after winning the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands on Sunday.

(Jessica Hill / Associated Press)

CROMWELL, Conn. — Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley rallied from three shots behind with four holes to play and birdied the 18th hole before a delirious home crowd for a two-under 68 to win the Travelers Championship.

The victory only strengthened the case for Bradley to bring his clubs to Bethpage Black for the September matches against Europe. He moved to No. 9 in the standings.

And he wound up beating Tommy Fleetwood, who scored the clinching point for Europe at Marco Simone two years ago.

One shot behind Fleetwood going to the 18th hole, Bradley stuffed his approach to just under 6 feet below the hole. Fleetwood, looking like this might be the time he wins a PGA Tour title, came up some 50 feet short and took three putts for bogey and a 72.

PGA Tour Champions

AKRON, Ohio — Miguel Angel Jimenez won the Kaulig Companies Championship for his fourth PGA Tour Champions victory of the season, rallying to force a playoff and beating Steven Alker with a 20-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole.

Two strokes down after playing partner Alker birdied the par-five 16th, Jimenez made a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-four 17th and an 18-footer on the par-four 18th.

Tied for the lead entering the round at Firestone South, the 61-year-old Jimenez and 53-year-old Alker each shot two-under 68 to finish at 10-under 270. Stewart Cink was third at eight under after a 66.

Jimenez won his third major title after taking the Regions Tradition and the Senior British Open — both in 2018 — and earned a spot next year in The Players Championship at the TPC Sawgrass. The Spanish star has 17 career victories on 50-and-over tour.

The U.S. Senior Open begins Thursday at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Australian Minjee Lee opened up a four-shot lead at the “brutal” Women’s PGA Championship with a third-round 69 as overnight leader Jeeno Thitikul faltered in Frisco, Texas.

Lee was three shots behind Thitikul at the start of day three but produced an impressive bogey-free round, which included three birdies, to move to six under as windy conditions again made it difficult at the Fields Ranch East course.

Thailand’s Thitikul, chasing her first victory at a major, led after the first two days of the tournament but shot a four-over 76, which included two birdies and six bogeys, and is on two under par.

England’s Charley Hull shot the lowest score of the second round with a 69 and followed that up with a 73 as she goes into the final day on four over par.

There have only been five rounds in the 60s at the tournament and Lee has carded two of them with 69s on days one and three.

“I just try to stay patient out there,” said two-time major winner Lee. “You can’t get ahead of yourself, especially in these conditions.

“It’s only getting harder and harder just with I think pressure of a major championship, and also the course just demands so much from you.”

Lee’s previous major wins came at the 2021 Evian Championship and 2022 US Women’s Open.

She added: “I know what it takes to win and I know just kind of what to feel and what to expect now that I have two under my belt.

“I just think the experience that I’ve had is really going to help me hopefully get over the line.”

Lee and Thitikul are the only players under par for the third of this year’s five LPGA majors.

American Lexi Thompson is on one over par after a 75 that began with a triple bogey and bogey, while compatriot Nelly Korda (72) and Ireland’s Leona Maguire (72) are one shot further back.

“Definitely proud of how I stayed strong,” Thompson said. “It was kind of a nightmare of a start, but I knew coming into the day it was going to play very difficult.

“I don’t know really what happened on my first hole, but [I’m] happy I got it out of the way and stayed positive out there and just made pars and a few birdies here and there.”

World number one Korda added: “It’s brutal out there when it comes to the set-up of the golf course, wind conditions, everything. I’m very happy with even par.

“You’re just happy to get 18 under your belt on a day like this.”