Australian Minjee Lee had no major worries about taking home the golf major US Open in North Carolina in the USA. With a final round of 71 strokes, par, she took home the victory check of 1.8 million dollars (115 million kronor) – the highest sum so far in women’s golf.
– We are only moving in the right direction. I think it will get better and better in the future. It’s such a large sum, and I’m really honored to be the first winner of one, she says.
The total landed at -13 and the 271 strokes in four days also meant a record in the US Open context.
– I mean, this is pretty special. This is the one I have always wanted to win since I was little, so it feels pretty amazing to be able to get it done today. I just can not believe it, says Lee.
The closest chase was the American Mina Harigae, four strokes behind Lee, followed by the South Korean Choi Hye-Jin at -7.
Anna Nordqvist came on split sixth place after a final round of 73 strokes, and a total of four under par.
– I’m happy. I gave it my all this week. It has been a tough ordeal. During the weekend, the branches have been even firmer and faster. I think it was a real test for us, she says to reporters after the match.
22-year-old amateur Ingrid Lindblad, whose progress was one of the big topics of conversation during the competition, accounted for her worst round on Sunday, with 76 strokes, but stayed one stroke below par on the total. That meant a shared eleventh place.
– I met the greens. I hit good punches. But we were like too far from the flag, as if we were not aggressive enough to open for short birdie putts, she tells reporters after the round.
Now Scandinavian Mixed is waiting in Halmstad which begins on Thursday. And the US Open seems to have given more flavor.
– Everyone has cheered on one. And the people out here have been fantastic, they have shouted “cheering tigers *” and “cheering Ingrid” and said “well done this week” and so on. It has been great fun, she says.
Frida Kinhult finished as a shared 24th, four strokes over, and Linnea Johansson finished in a shared 50th place, ten over.
Footnote: The sports association at Louisiana State University where Ingrid studies is called the Tigers.