Minjee Lee of Australia with the US Women's Open trophy. Photo / Getty
Minjee Lee of Australia with the US Women's Open trophy. Photo / Getty
Australian Minjee Lee cantered to a second major title but history will remember her victory for another reason.
The 26-year-old from Perth grabbed a women's record payday of $2.76m as the US Open chasers - including Kiwi Lydia Ko - were left to pick up the considerable pieces in North Carolina.
As expected, the West Australian had too much of a lead, and her form was too good, for any of the contenders to mount a decent challenge on the final day at the Pine Needles course.
Lee was far from perfect during the last round, flirting with the scraggly rough and even having to hit out of a small dead plant on the 10th.
But she never appeared under any threat in her bid to claim the biggest purse in women's golf.
Lee finished even for the day and 13-under for the tournament, to win by four strokes. Her total of 271 was a US Open record, but not the one everyone is talking about.
The US Open prizemoney was doubled this year to over $15m, as part of the worldwide effort to give women's sport far greater status.
World number three Ko had actually claimed a record payday of nearly $2m when she was just 17. That figure was reached by winning the tour-ending title in Florida plus a massive tour championship bonus.
Given the early trajectory of her extraordinary career, Ko is in a major title drought, the last of her two victories coming in 2015 and 2016.
Lydia Ko reacts after sinking a putt. Photo / Getty
She has resurrected her career but there is a logjam of talent at the top of women's golf and Lee, whose gym work is paying off with distance off the tee, looks like a potential new star.
The Australian scored her first major victory last year, at the Evian Championship in France.
She had a massive driving distance advantage over American Mina Harigae, her only major threat on the final day.
Harigae was always in her shadow, and finished at nine-under, for a $1.65m payday. Korean Hye-jin Choi was two shots behind her.
Ko was unable to sustain her third-round charge and finished alone in fifth to scoop $614,000.
Lee said the tournament was the one she had "always wanted to win".
On the massive money boost, she said: "We're moving in the right direction - it's only going to get better and better.
"It's such a large sum - I'm honoured to be the first."
