The field at the 2026 Blue Bay LPGA featured many strong candidates. The defending champion, Rio Takeda, the World No. 10 Ruoning Yin, and the World No. 15 Hye-Jin Choi were all in the competition. Yet, someone who was winless for the last 8 years has finally won an LPGA event to end her drought.

“Mi Hyang Lee wins again 3,143 days later 😮💪,” the LPGA Tour shared the news of her victory on Instagram.

Lee’s last win came in 2017 when she won the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open. She won with a score of 6-under 282 to register her second LPGA title after the 2014 Mizuno Classic. It has been 3,143 days since that last title. And she finally ended the hiatus now at the 2026 Blue Bay LPGA.

Mi Hyang Lee carded rounds of 67-66-71-73 to win the event with a score of 11-under 277. Following her closely was Zhang Weiwei, who ended at 10-under par. Auston Kim and Aditi Ashok both finished T3 after 8-under 280, while the defending champion Rio Takeda ended the event with a T5 alongside many others.

The 3x LPGA winner began Sunday with a 3-stroke lead after 54 holes. She maintained her lead in Round 3 despite weather challenges.

Because of the windy conditions, she mixed seven birdies and six bogeys in the 3rd round.

In the final round, she stumbled on the front 9.

With 2 double bogeys and 2 bogeys, she had taken 40 strokes to finish the front nine. This almost cost her a chance to end the title drought. However, she steadied herself on the back nine.

The back nine included 3 birdies on holes 10, 13, and 18. This helped her stay close to Zhang Weiwei, who surged with a final-round 69.

It was all down to Lee’s final hole to decide if she wins or enters a playoff against Weiwei. She was 75 yards in for her third shot on the par-5 18th. She hit a 58‑degree wedge that struck the flagstick and finished about two feet away. And then, a tap‑in birdie helped her claim the title by one stroke.

As she clinched her third LPGA title, it garnered a lot of respect and wishes from fellow professionals and fans alike.

The golf world celebrates Mi Hyang Lee’s comeback victory

Mi Hyang Lee’s long-awaited win quickly sparked a wave of appreciation across social media. Many professional golfers, including Lydia Ko, Lilia Vu, Grace Kim, Jenny Shin, and Dewi Weber, liked the Instagram post. This signaled strong support for her across the tour.

The World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul took it to another level. She reposted the LPGA Tour’s post on her story and wrote, “Congrats Unnie 👏🏻🥹.” “Unnie” is a Korean term used for an elder sister or female friend. Mi Hyang Lee is 32, while Thitikul is 23. The phrase reflects the respect the World No. 1 has for the South Korean professional.

Lydia Ko did the same. She uploaded the post to her Instagram story and wrote a message in Korean. The message roughly translates to, “Those who really know golf know how hard it is to win… What a cool @hyang2golf sister!!! so so so congratulations to you guys 🫶.” Her message shows the respect she has for Lee’s dedication and determination for so long.

Another reaction came from the Australian professional Min Woo Lee. She didn’t have to use any words, though. She showed her celebratory mood with “🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆.” The string of trophy emojis captured the significance of the moment. It was Lee’s third LPGA title after years without a victory.

Support also arrived from outside the golf world.

South Korean volleyball player and coach Han Yoomi joined the celebration. Just like Min Woo Lee, she also used only emojis to convey her emotions. This time, it was a string of five clapping hands. The comment “👏👏👏👏👏” echoed the applause many fans expressed for Lee’s perseverance.

Fans watching the dramatic finish could not hold themselves back, either.

They were equally vocal in the comments section. One user praised the closing stretch: “Brilliant finish. What a champion!”

Reflecting on the same spirit, another wrote, “In spite of shoulder injury, you made a great third shot on 18th and great win! Congrats of your third Trophy Mihyang!👏👏👏👏.”

Mi Hyang Lee has been battling a nagging shoulder injury. It started during an LPGA event late in 2025. She pushed through to finish the year before taking two months off. The Blue Bay LPGA was her third consecutive start this season. She even admitted that she might have been overdoing it physically and required medication to go to sleep the night before the final round.

These reactions paint a clear picture of how the win resonated across the golf world. The victory that ended Mi Hyang Lee’s title drought quickly turned into a shared celebration among peers and supporters.