The comeback player of the year spot, at least for the midseason, was clinched just a couple weeks ago in Frisco, Texas at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, when Minjee Lee outlasted everyone else to win her third-career major.
Lee’s struggles in 2024 were well documented. She had only four top-10 finishes, only one of which was a top five. She finished No. 54 in the CME Standings and for the first time since 2020, she didn’t win a single tournament. Her putting completely bottomed out. Lee was No. 157 in strokes gained putting, No. 95 in putts per greens in regulation and No. 135 in putts per round.
Lee was striking the ball well still. She was actually No. 2 in strokes gained tee-to-green and No. 1 in strokes gained approach. The iron play has never been an issue for Lee, there’s arguably nobody in her generation better than her in that portion of the game, but the putting issues were making it impossible for her to compete.
Fast forward to 2025 and that weakness has become a strength. She made a switch to a long, broom-style putter and her confidence on the greens is obvious. She now ranks No. 3 on the LPGA Tour in strokes gained putting, No. 8 in putts per greens in regulation and No. 35 in putts per round.
Her sand save percentage has skyrocketed as well, thanks in no small part to her improvement on the greens. In 2024 she was executing at a 34% rate, in 2025 that has moved up to 55%.
Her iron play hasn’t been as strong as we traditionally have seen from Lee, but when you putt as well as she has, the results start to speak for themselves.
Lee has missed just one cut on the LPGA Tour this season. She has matched her output of top-10 finishes from 2024 and already has three top-five finishes. She just recently won her third-career major title at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, and can achieve the career grand slam at the AIG Women’s Open. She is second in the CME Standings and is the money leader at the current moment.
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