Lee Min-young won the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour's Nichirei Ladies (total purse 100 million yen) in a closely fought contest that went to a seventh playoff hole.
Lee carded a 9-under-par 63 with nine birdies and no bogeys in the tournament's final third round held Sunday at the Shin-Sode Course (par 72) of Sodegaura Country Club in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
Lee, who posted a final total of 13-under-par 203, tied with Mana Yoshizaki and Mizuki Oide (both of Japan) before claiming the title in the playoff. The victory marked Lee's first win in one year and eight months since the 2024 Nobuta Group Masters GC Ladies Tournament, and her eighth career title on the JLPGA Tour. The winner's prize was 18 million yen (about 170 million won).
Starting the day seven strokes behind the leader, Lee jump-started her charge with three birdies on the front nine, then added six more on the back nine to finish in a tie for the lead.
In the first playoff at the 18th hole (par 5), Lee and Oide both made birdies, while Yoshizaki was eliminated after settling for par. Lee and Oide could not be separated through repeated playoffs at the same hole, until Lee made a birdie on the seventh playoff hole to bring the long battle to a close.
