Minjee Lee needed a final-round 64 and then a playoff to win her first major championship last year at the Amundi Evian Championship. Winning her second major was much easier. Following rounds of 67-66-67, Lee cruised to four-shot victory at the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles Resort with a final-round 71 and a Women's Open record 13-under 271 total.
Lee essentially locked up the title early, starting with a fine shot into the par-5 first hole with her Srixon ZX 4-hybrid that led to a two-putt birdie. She followed with a 30-plus footer for birdie with her Scotty Cameron by Titleist Timeless blade putter at the second hole to open up a lead that was never threatened.
Currently ranked fourth on the Rolex Rankings, Lee is delivering on the promise she showed when she was the No. 1-ranked amateur in 2014. The U.S. Women's Open win was the 26-year-old's eighth LPGA victory and second in the last few weeks having won the Founders Cup last month.
Still, the victory is a bit of a surprise for the Australian given her track record at the USGA's marquee women's championship, where Lee had not recorded a top-10 finish in eight previous starts.
WHAT IT DOES: The ZX7 is a single-piece clubhead made from 1020 carbon steel with tungsten weights in the 3- through 7-irons to mitigate a loss of ball speed on mis-hits. Srixon engineers shifted weight to the perimeter and behind the sweet spot to improve forgiveness and to enhance the feeling that comes from a well-struck shot with a forged club. The sole has a higher bounce angle toward the leading edge that tapers on the trailing edge for better turf interaction. WHY WE LIKE IT: These irons are part of the reason Brooks Koepka signed an endorsement deal with the company. The ZX7 balances the right amount of help with the right amount of leave-me-on-my-own. Although this kind of tech talk might not get golfers’ pulses racing, better players will appreciate the attention paid to the sole geometry and groove design. The sole widths of the ZX7 increase as they increase in loft. Why? The wider soles are advantageous for better players who tend to get steeper in their angle of attack when hitting short irons. On the face, two groove geometries (wider on the 3- through 7-irons and deep and closer together on the 8-iron through pitching wedge) are used to create more consistent launch and spin. Read More >>
Lee’s iron game was particularly strong at Pine Needles, ranking T-3 in greens in regulation, hitting no fewer than 14 over her first three rounds and 13 on Sunday with her Srixon ZX7 irons with Aerotech SteelFiber i80 stiff shafts with Golf Pride New Decade MCC 60 round grips.
What Minjee Lee had in the bag at the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open
Ball: Srixon Z-Star
Driver: Srixon ZX7 (Mitsubishi Diamana DF50 R), 10.5 degrees
3-wood: Srixon ZX, 16 degrees
5-wood: Srixon ZX, 18 degrees
Hybrid: Srixon ZX, 22 degrees
Irons (5-PW): Srixon ZX7
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore (50, 54, 58 degrees)
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