In a Sea of Rookies, Veteran Player Mi Hyang Lee Prevails at Blue Bay

Leading into the week, I had my eyes on all the new faces that were making their debuts at the Blue Bay LPGA. It's pretty special that the week saw 22 rookies in the field, with a slew of amateurs in the mix as well, but golf never fails to remind us that anything, and everything, can happen and to expect the unexpected.

And I certainly didn't have Mi Hyang Lee, who's in her 14th season on the LPGA and hasn't won since 2017 on my 2026 bingo card. It was a rollercoaster of a day for the veteran player who began her Sunday three shots ahead of the rest of the field.

"[I] Still kind of a have little bit of shake in my hands," Lee said in her winning presser. "The first hole [I] made birdie, but then two doubles on the front nine and then finish 4-over...I almost gave up, but my caddie just kept telling me keep fighting, fighting."

And boy did she fight.

Though she began the day in control with a cushion of a lead, by the time she made the turn, Lee had found herself in a hole after her rocky start. Those doubles caused her to quickly drop from 12-under to 8-under-par, but the beauty in being a veteran allowed her so steady the ship and find her rhythm.

In the matter of a few holes Lee began rolling in birdies at the 10th and 13th to stay within striking distance of her playing partner Weiwei Zhang (who had the home crowd behind her). Zhang had been applying pressure all day long, but a costly bogey on the 17th opened the door for Lee, and she took advantage of it. She put an exclamation point on the day with a near-hole out eagle that led to a tap in birdie on the 18th.

"It was 75 yards to the pin and then me and my caddie try landing 65 then use 58 degree," Lee said about that miraculous shot on the 72nd hole. "[My] second shot was a little more than we thought, but was maybe a little bit better than having the full shot. I just practiced 65 [yard] shot and I think was lucky."

Lee carded a final-round 1-over 73 for an 11-under 277 total, finishing one shot clear of Zhang.

Hot on the top two's heels was our friend Auston Kim, who collected her second consecutive top-3 finish, continuing her incredible start to the season. Her solo third finish will move her up in Solheim Cup standings...and if all goes right, the young American would be making her first appearance in September. The U.S. team points cutoff isn't until late August, following the conclusion of the CPKC Women's Open.

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