Minjee Lee Takes Command at Brutal Women’s PGA Championship
Australian Star Seizes Four-Shot Lead as Jeeno Thitikul Falters in Windy Texas
As swirling winds wreaked havoc once again at Fields Ranch East in Frisco, Texas, it was Minjee Lee who kept her cool on Saturday to produce one of the standout rounds of the week. The 28-year-old Australian carded a steady, bogey-free 69 to vault into a four-shot lead heading into the final round of the 2024 Women’s PGA Championship.
Conditions have been unrelenting all week, and the third round was no different. Strong gusts and firm greens made birdies hard to come by and mistakes costly. But Lee, a two-time major winner, showed why she’s one of the best in the world when the pressure’s at its peak.
“It’s only getting harder and harder,” she said afterward. “Not just because of the pressure of a major championship, but the course itself demands so much from you.”
Composed Lee Pulls Clear with Clinical Round
Starting the day three shots off the pace, Lee produced arguably the best round of the tournament so far—three birdies, fifteen pars, no bogeys. In a championship where red numbers have been a rarity, it was the kind of round that could define the tournament.
“I just try to stay patient out there,” Lee added. “You can’t get ahead of yourself in these conditions.”
And it’s that discipline that’s now put her at six under for the tournament—the only player with two sub-70 rounds this week, having opened with another 69 on Thursday.
Lee’s game plan was simple but effective: keep the ball in play, avoid the blow-up holes that have torpedoed many scorecards this week, and take birdie chances when they come. It’s a major-winning formula she’s executed before, at the 2021 Evian Championship and the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open, and it’s working again.
Thitikul Slips as Wind and Pressure Take Hold
Overnight leader Jeeno Thitikul had been chasing her first major title and looked poised after a strong start to the week. But round three turned into a grind. The Thai star couldn’t find her rhythm in the wind, stumbling to a four-over-par 76 with six bogeys and just two birdies.
She now sits four shots back at two under, tied for second with nobody else under par through three rounds.
Despite the setback, Thitikul remains in contention, and she’ll take some encouragement from the fact that nobody has truly lit up the back nine so far. If she can regroup, there’s still time to mount a charge.
Charley Hull, Lexi Thompson & Nelly Korda Battling Hard
Further down the board, Charley Hull continued to show grit in tough conditions. After carding the lowest score of round two with a 69, the Englishwoman returned a solid if unspectacular 73 on Saturday, leaving her at four over par and still within an outside shot if Lee stumbles on Sunday.
“Conditions are brutal,” Hull said earlier in the week. “It’s just about hanging in there, not trying to force anything.”
Meanwhile, Lexi Thompson endured a horror start to her third round—a triple bogey on her opening hole followed immediately by a bogey. But the American dug deep to salvage a 75 and sits at one over, five back.
“Kind of a nightmare start,” she admitted, “but I knew it was going to be tough today. I’m proud I stayed strong out there.”
World number one Nelly Korda, who has made a habit of staying in the mix even when not firing on all cylinders, posted an even-par 72 to join Leona Maguire of Ireland at two over par. Neither is out of the picture with one big round left.
“It’s brutal out there,” Korda said. “With the set-up and the wind, everything. You’re just happy to get through 18 holes.”
One of the Toughest Tests on Tour
It’s rare to hear top-level pros describe a course as “brutal” multiple times in one weekend, but the layout and conditions at Fields Ranch East are doing everything they can to test the best. With just five rounds in the 60s all week, and many of the sport’s biggest names struggling to break par, this championship is shaping up to be a war of attrition.
The greens are firm, the fairways unforgiving, and the wind is a constant disruptor. Add in the pressure of major championship golf, and it’s no surprise so few players are under par.
“It’s really about patience,” said Lee. “You just can’t force things. You’ve got to hit smart shots and take your chances when they come.”
Final Round Forecast: Pressure and Wind to Decide It
As Lee stands on the brink of a third major championship, the final round promises drama and tension. With just one player truly in red numbers and a host of proven competitors in pursuit, Sunday is far from a foregone conclusion.
Thitikul will hope to bounce back mentally and physically, while players like Thompson, Korda, and Hull will be hoping for early momentum to mount a charge.
But all eyes will be on Minjee Lee. She’s been here before. She’s handled pressure. And now, armed with the lead and the experience of two previous major triumphs, she has a golden chance to lift the trophy again.
“I know what it takes to win,” she said with quiet confidence. “Hopefully, that helps me get over the line.”
If she does, it will be one of the most hard-fought and well-earned major titles of the year.
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