Meena Lee walked to the 18th hole Saturday with visions of a repeat of 2006.
That year, the South Korean birdied 18 to force a playoff she eventually won for her second LPGA title in only her second full year on tour.
With Ai Miyazato surging ahead at 11 under, Lee needed at least par, if not birdie, for a chance to become the second two-time LPGA winner at the Ko Olina Golf Club.
In a cruel reversal of fortune, Lee made her only double bogey of the tournament, three-putting after a poor sand shot to open a clear path toward Miyazato’s eighth win on tour.
The double dropped Lee into a tie for second, four shots behind Miyazato, after a 2-under 70 on Saturday at the LPGA Lotte Championship.
Miyazato took the drama out of it herself with three birdies in the final six holes, but Lee proved to be the one golfer capable of making a run after birdieing three of her first four holes.
“Yeah, was really good putting and iron shots, so eventually I’m going to make good (birdies),” said Lee, who hasn’t won since her triumph here six years ago, when she held off a late-charging Michelle Wie. “The three birdie in a row first nine holes was a really good (start).”
Despite the disappointing finish, the course was a welcome sight for Lee, who earned her first top-10 finish since October of last year.
Three of her four rounds were in the 70s, but a 7-under 65 on Thursday, which included an eagle on the par-4 second, helped position her for a run on Saturday.
She started the day one of five golfers tied at 6 under, four shots back.
After dropping a 7-footer for birdie at No. 2, Lee sunk two straight long birdie putts on Nos. 3 and 4 to move to 9 under.
She managed to tie Miyazato for the lead at 10 under after her fifth birdie of the round at No. 10 but suffered a tough bogey on the par-5 14th.
The clincher came on the closing hole, when Lee’s approach landed in the bunker behind the green that Miyazato also found herself in. While the champion got up and down for par to seal the win, Lee’s bunker shot trickled all the way back down the green, setting up a three-putt from 50 feet to end an otherwise solid round of golf.
“I tried on the second shot but was a little bit downwind,” Lee said. “I tried to go for the pin, but I didn’t hit good shot and I made three-putt.”
The crowds weren’t close to resembling the atmosphere in 2006, when Wie, a Punahou alumnae, made a late charge to threaten Lee’s second tour victory.
Lee said the weather conditions were similar, adding that she might be one of the few golfers, if not the only one, who enjoyed the windy conditions that plagued the field all week.
“Same condition — really good conditions,” she said. “I’m working very good with my caddie on the distance control, and club selection was really good.”
Lee missed the fairway five times out of 14 drives, which was the lowest among the leaders. She made up for it with her stellar iron play, hitting 12 of 18 greens in regulation.
