LEE6 JEONG-EUN captured her first major championship and a record $1 million prize on Sunday by out-duelling Celine Boutier for a two-shot victory at the 2019 US Women’s Open.
South Korea’s Lee — who had never won on the LPGA Tour — stumbled to the finish with two bogeys in her final three holes but managed to shoot a one-under 70 to finish at 278 at the Country Club of Charleston in South Carolina.
It was six-under winning total for the player who became known as Lee6 Jeong-eun when she became the sixth player of that name on the Korean LPGA tour. She has embraced the designation as her lucky charm.
The 23-year-old Lee started her round two shots behind co-leaders Boutier and Liu Yu of China.
She made bogey on her first hole but then came back with a birdie on the par-four second.
She got hot on the back nine, making birdies on three of five holes starting at the par-three 11th.
Boutier looked like she might make a run at Lee and possibly force a playoff but her bid ended in flames with a missed short putt on 16 for birdie, followed by a bogey-double bogey to close her round.
Boutier shot a 75 and finished in a tie for fifth with four others — including 54-hole co-leader Liu.
South Korean’s Ryu So-yeon and American’s Lexi Thompson and Angel Yin shared second on 280.
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