World No. 3 golfer Minjee Lee eyes Hall of Fame, career Grand Slam after stellar 2025 season
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Australia's Minjee Lee had a stellar 2025 season, winning a Major and registering seven other top-10 finishes.
PHOTO: AFP
- Minjee Lee, a world No. 3 with 11 LPGA wins and three Majors, thrives under pressure but, as an introvert, has grown more comfortable with the spotlight.
- Lee's ultimate goals include entering the LPGA Hall of Fame, inspired by Lydia Ko, and achieving a career Grand Slam by winning all Major championships.
- She will begin her 2026 season at the Feb 26-March 1 HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore.
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SINGAPORE – Even before she turned professional, Minjee Lee was already thrust into the spotlight, compiling an impressive resume that included the 2012 US Girls’ Junior title and a stint as the world’s top-ranked amateur.
Interest in the Australian has only grown as she established herself on the LPGA Tour, where she has amassed 11 wins, including three Majors, since 2015.
Time and again, the 29-year-old has proven she can thrive amid the scrutiny that accompanies golf’s biggest stages.
On the course, Lee has shown her ability to perform under pressure, but off it, the self-described introvert has had to learn to navigate the attention that success inevitably brings.
“It’s difficult because if that’s just not the person that you are, then it’s hard to show people really your true self and your personality,” the world No. 3 told Asian media ahead of the Feb 26-March 1 HSBC Women’s World Championship in Sentosa.
“But I think over the years, I’ve gotten a little bit more and more comfortable in my own skin and showing who I am and being in the public eye.
“I love to show myself through my golf and everything, but whenever I have an interview or I try to give a little bit of myself to everyone, I just want to show people who I am. It’s not easy, but it just comes with a lot of years and getting comfortable with it.”
For someone who has needed time to grow comfortable in the spotlight, Lee seems unlikely to step out of it any time soon, with loftier ambitions driving her to build on an already illustrious career.
Since she was young, she has dreamt of earning a place in the LPGA Hall of Fame. To qualify, one needs to amass 27 points. Two points are awarded for each Major win, with one point given for other achievements such as an LPGA victory or Olympic gold.
Watching New Zealand’s reigning Olympic champion Lydia Ko achieve the feat in 2024
She said: “Seeing Lyds get into the Hall of Fame just motivates me more to compete. That is my ultimate goal – it’s a hard one but your goals and dreams are meant to be big, right?”
With three Major victories, following her win at the 2025 Women’s PGA Championship
The LPGA recognises an athlete as having completed the career Grand Slam if they win four different Major championships that were designated as such throughout their career.
Lee, who has also won the 2021 Evian Championship and 2022 US Women’s Open, will only need to win either the Chevron Championship or Women’s British Open to become only the eighth female golfer to have accomplished the feat.
“We always get the best field at the Majors so it would just mean you’re playing your best at the highest level,” said Lee on the significance of getting a career Grand Slam.
“It is a reward of all your hard work and effort that you put in, but it’s also just validation that you have been at the best level.”
While she had a great 2025 season that saw her record eight top-10 finishes on the tour, Lee is careful not to get ahead of herself.
Having opted out of the first two LPGA events of 2026, she will begin her new season at the US$3 million (S$3.79 million) tournament at Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong Course.
“I do think I have some expectation there, but Singapore will be my first event, so I’ll go in and see where my game is at and hopefully I can perform well,” she said.
She has posted some creditable results in the Republic, finishing second and tied-second in 2019 and 2022 respectively, and is looking forward to coming back.
Lee said: “I really enjoy playing the golf course. I know it was on Serapong before and now on Tanjong. I enjoy both the tournament courses. I just enjoy Singapore in general and I love the hospitality and all the sights that you can see, even outside of golf.
“The food is always really fun to try new things and you can’t really go wrong with chilli crab and all the hawker food. It’s close to home. I love going back there and I look forward to my visit this year as well.”
