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What Minjee Lee’s 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Win Can Teach Everyday Golfers
By Brendon Elliott, PGA
Published on
Major championships aren't won with perfect golf; they are won with patience, smart decisions, and handling tough conditions. Here is how you can apply Minjee Lee's strategy to your own game.
1. Play the Shot You Can Actually Hit
Amateurs often try to hit the heroic shot they wish they had, rather than the reliable shot they actually have. Lee won by staying committed to her natural strengths.
- The Strategy: Before swinging, ask yourself: What is my most trusted shot shape, and what is the safest target? If the answer feels complicated, simplify the shot.
- The Drill: Hit 10 balls on the range with one club, focusing strictly on your natural shot shape. Track how many land in your target window. Lean on this shot when pressure is on.
2. Take More Club and Swing Smoother in the Wind
Wind exposes poor contact. Swings that are too hard add backspin, kill balance, and cause the ball to balloon.
- The Strategy: When playing into the wind, take one extra club, choke down slightly, play the ball a bit further back in your stance, and make a smooth three-quarter swing.
- The Drill: Hit five normal 7-irons. Then, take a 6-iron, grip down an inch, and hit five three-quarter shots. Notice how the smoother 6-iron flies lower, straighter, and with more control.
3. Make Par Feel Like a Win
Big numbers ruin scorecards, not boring bogeys. Lee won by accepting two-putts and refusing to force aggressive plays from bad positions.
- The Strategy: When you get out of position, stop asking, "How do I save par?" Instead, ask: "What is the absolute easiest way to avoid a double bogey?"
- The Drill: Play 9 holes. If you miss a fairway or green, you must choose the safest possible recovery shot. No hero shots through trees or over bunkers. Count how many double bogeys you successfully avoided.
4. Control Speed on the Greens
On fast, firm, or windy major-championship greens, distance control is everything.
- The Strategy: On long putts, stop obsessing over the exact line. Instead, visualize a 3-foot safety circle around the cup and focus entirely on rolling the ball into that circle to eliminate three-putts.
- The Drill: Place tees in a 3-foot circle around a hole. Practice putting from 20, 30, and 40 feet. Give yourself a point for every ball that stops inside the circle, aiming for at least 7 out of 10.
The Bottom Line
You don’t need perfect golf to shoot better scores. You need smarter targets, better tempo, and the discipline to manage tough conditions. Play your trusted shot, take more club in the wind, respect par, and control your putting speed.
PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. Read his recent “The Starter” on R.org and his stories on Athlon Sports. To stay updated on his latest work, sign up for his newsletter and visit OneMoreRollGolf.com.
