GOLF: Minjee Lee stormed into the top 10 in the Race to the CME Globe today with a hard-charging runner-up finish at the LPGA Tour's Volvik Championship.
Lee, who turned 21 on Saturday, carded an equal day's best seven-under-par 65 to finish at 18 under at Ann Arbor, Michigan, one adrift of China's Shanshan Feng (68).
The Perth ace, who fell from the top page of the leaderboard with a two-over front nine during her third round, made amends in style today.
Although her opening birdie was negated by a bogey on the second, five more birdies in six holes from the fourth gave her a faint hope.
Feng, who had been imperious in reaching -21 through 14 holes of her final round, then wobbled slightly and her bogey on the 16th coincided with Lee's superb birdie on the 17th to bring the Aussie within two.
Lee later said she was unaware she had moved within reach of the lead, but said a shot the 18th finished near a fence, so she was happy to make scramble par.
Joint runner-up Sung Hyun Park, of Korea, made birdie to join Lee at -18, then watched as Feng took both putts at her disposal in making a closing bogey to fall over the line.
Lee was delighted to move from 19th to ninth on the season-long points list, especially after being disqualified last week after failing to sign her final-round scorecard at Kingsmill, thereby squandering another top-10 finish.
"I had a really fun day out there, started off pretty hot (and was five) under on the first nine," Lee said.
"I had a good week overall 68-67-71-65) and I'm taking next off.
"(The takeaway) is all positive - and obviously after last week I signed my scorecard," she joked.
Queenslander Sarah Jane Smith enjoyed another solid week with a closing 68 to finish T11 at 13 under par to move to 31st on the CME Globe list.
Victorian Su Oh was the only other Aussie to make the cut and finished T41 with a closing 70 getting her to six under. Oh sits 64th in the standings.
Golf Australia