Déjà vu struck again for Minjee Lee as the World No. 4 lost in a playoff to Lee Dayeon for the second time in three years at the Hana Financial Group Championship on Sunday.
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The Australian needed to hole a 10-foot par putt on the second playoff hole to extend the contest, but was left disappointed as she failed to sink that par, leaving Dayeon to seal her ninth KLPGA win with a par.
It was a familiar outcome for the 28-year-old Korean, who also defeated Minjee in a playoff at the 2023 edition, edging both the Australian and Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit in a three-way battle then.
Dayeon admitted her latest victory carried a special sense of familiarity at the Bear’s Best Cheongna Golf Club in Incheon.
“I’ve always had good results here, even though I can’t really explain why. Over time, I’ve just come to feel like this course suits me well,” said Dayeon.
“To win here again truly feels like a dream. All week, I kept telling myself, ‘If I win, I’ll be grateful. And if not, that’s okay too.’ To have actually won, and in such dramatic fashion, just makes me incredibly thankful.”
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Minjee went into the final round, four shots back of the pace, but staged a brilliant comeback by firing a bogey-free four-under-par 68, capped by a clutch birdie at the last to force extra time.
Dayeon, who started the day in tied-second place, three shots adrift of the lead, mixed her front-nine with two birdies and two bogeys for an outward 36. She then forced her way back into contention too with three birdies on holes 14, 15 and 17 to match Minjee’s nine-under-par 279 total, before going on to win in the playoff with her choice outfit.
“I always try to wear something red when I’m in the final group on Sunday. Earlier this season, I wore blue instead — and let’s just say it didn’t go well,” she laughed.
“So now I feel like red brings me a bit of good luck. But today, it wasn’t just superstition. I wanted to give myself a positive mindset and strong energy going into the round, and maybe it worked. From the outfit to facing Minjee again in a playoff, so many things felt just like last year. It was surreal.”
Despite Minjee’s disappointment, the two Lees shared a heartfelt embrace at the end.
“Minjee is someone I really admire and look up to. She’s such a kind and inspiring person, and it meant so much to me just to be in a playoff with her again,” said Dayeon. “In 2023, I cried after the win, so this time I told her, ‘I’m not going to cry.’ And she told me, ‘It’s okay, you can cry if you want to.’ It was such a sweet moment.”
