Lee Jeong-eun won an LPGA second-tier tour event.
Lee shot 6-under-par 65 in the final round of the Epson Tour IOA Golf Classic (total purse $200,000) at Alaqua Country Club (par 71) in Longwood, Florida, on Thursday, carding one eagle, seven birdies, and three bogeys.
Lee finished at 13-under-par 200, edging out Jeon Ji-won by one stroke to claim the title. The winner's purse is $30,000 (approximately 45 million won).
"I still feel a bit uncomfortable with my swing, but today I tried to focus only on what I needed to do, and it worked out well," Lee said after her victory. On sealing the one-stroke win with a birdie on the final 18th hole (par 3), she added: "It was 116 meters to the pin. I was debating between a controlled 9-iron shot and a full pitching wedge shot, and I chose the pitching wedge—it worked out perfectly."
Lee, who won six titles on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour before heading to the United States, captured the 2019 U.S. Women's Open, a major championship, and was named LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year that season.
However, Lee had not won since the U.S. Women's Open and was relegated to the Epson Tour, the LPGA's second-tier circuit, starting this year. After missing the cut in her Epson Tour debut, she won in just her second event, signaling strong prospects for returning to the LPGA Tour next year. The top 15 players in the points standings at the end of the Epson Tour season earn spots on the LPGA Tour for the following season. This victory moved Lee to first place in the points standings.