Million-dollar Minjee's high-stakes lure

A raft of accolades are on the line for Australian golf star Minjee Lee at the LPGA's rich season-ending Tour Championship in Florida.

MINJEE LEE.
MINJEE LEE. Picture: Robert Laberge/Getty Images

No shying away, Minjee Lee is making no secret of her desire to clinch player-of-the-year honours as the LPGA season reaches a thrilling climax in Florida.

Lee enters the elite season-ending Tour Championship starting on Thursday just one point behind New Zealander Lydia Ko and facing a mathematically simple yet far-from-straightforward scenario in Naples.

To be crowned the Rolex Player of the Year, Australia's US Open champion must finish in the top 10, above New Zealand's resurgent former world No.1, and hope neither of the top-ranked Thai Atthaya Thitikul or Canadian Brooke Henderson win the event.

"I really want to win that, but I know there's four people who potentially could win it and are really close," Lee said on Wednesday.

"I know I'm one point behind Lyds (Ko). I'm just going to have to take it day by day.

"I'm just going to do my best and see where it is at the end of the week."

Either way, Lee has already enjoyed a phenomenal year.

The 26-year-old has secured the Annika Major Award for adding a second career major to her collection at the US Open in South Carolina, as well as finishing joint runner-up at the US PGA Championship and fourth at the Women's British Open.

The West Australian prodigy this week also pocketed a cheque for $US1 million ($A1.49 million) for winning the AON Risk Reward Challenge as statistically and strategically the most attacking player on the LPGA Tour.

Even more impressively, Lee ranks No.1 in the world among men and women for ball striking on approach in 2022, a stat she was only made aware of this week.

"It does feel pretty darn amazing. Better than anyone in the world, so hopefully I can keep it going," she said.

And last but not least, Lee could also surpass the great Lorena Ochoa as women's golf's highest-ever season earner if she pockets the $US2 million winner's cheque on Sunday.

With $US3,759,835 already banked, Lee is more than $US1 million clear of her closest rival in 2022.

"It would be such a great honour. Lorena is one of my favourite players," she said.

But to win, Lee acknowledges she will need to emerge from an uncharacteristic late-season slump by her lofty standards.

The Perth ace has missed three cuts and not finished in the top 35 in any of her past seven events.

She admits to being drained from a sapping season.

"My body can do it, but mentally at some point you kind of need a break," Lee said.

"Have a break and reflect and refresh. That's been a little difficult for me.

"I'm always working on that because I've not really been in that type of position. I didn't really know how to refresh.

"So I'm learning as I'm going. I'm doing my best the best way that I know how.

"I'm just going to try to get out of my own way and play the way I know.

"That's my number one goal at this point."