Buoyant West Australian Minjee Lee chasing third major golf title at Women’s PGA Championship in Maryland

Minjee Lee is embracing the favouritism that comes with becoming a two-time major winner as she looks to add another at the Women’s PGA Championship in Maryland this week. World No.3 Lee arrives at Congressional Country Club in red-hot form after her runaway victory at the US Women’s Open in North Carolina earlier this month followed a Founders Cup win last month. The 26-year-old pocketed a cheque $A2.5 million for US Open triumph with another $A1.94 million on offer this week following the announcement overnight that the overall purse had doubled to $A13 million. The West Australian said she was feeling confident rather than under pressure after claiming her second major title, which followed her breakthrough major victory at the Evian Championship last July. “I think definitely after Evian I got a little less pressure, like a monkey off my back,” Lee said. “I think going into the US Open and all the other majors I think I have a bit more confidence playing in them - more confident than extra pressure.” It’s the first time the women have played a major at Congressional, which last hosted a major of any kind in 2011 when Rory McIlroy won the US Open. The Blue Course underwent a redesign that was completed last year with the new layout placing a premium on strategy rather than simply hit the ball straight from the tee. Lee welcomed the stern test it was set to provide. “I like to embrace the challenge, and I think the harder the golf courses get, I think the better I play,” she said. “You do have to focus a little bit more on smaller details, so I think that’s where I kind of excel. “When I play under pressure, that is where I excel as well. I think it just really sets up well. “My caddie actually told me some holes even if you hit a good shot, you might not be rewarded so patience is the key around here.” Currently ranked world No.21 Hannah Green won the Women’s LPGA Championship in 2019 and is in some good form after tying for 12th at last week’s Meijer LPGA Classic. Jan Stephenson (1982) and Karrie Webb (2001) are other Australians to lift the famously large trophy. Lee can overtake Australian men’s greats Greg Norman and David Graham and join Stephenson with a third major title. “This trophy, I really want it because it’s so big - I really want to hold it up,” Lee said. “Two majors in one season, that’s just overtaken my dreams, so I think it would be really, really special.”