Australia’s Minjee Lee has won the Mark H McCormack Medal as the leading women’s amateur player in the 2014 World Amateur Golf Ranking.
The 18-year-old from Royal Fremantle Golf Club has topped the ranking for 26 weeks and receiving the medal will cap a stellar season which has seen her successfully defend the Australian Women’s Amateur title she won in 2013 and make an impact on the professional game with top 25 finishes in the U.S. Women’s Open and the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
The R&A and United States Golf Association (USGA) award recognises Lee’s outstanding performances this year and is named after Mark H McCormack, who founded sports marketing company IMG and was a great supporter of amateur golf.
Lee, who plays out of Royal Fremantle Golf Club, finished tied 11th in the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open in February and was part of the Australian team which competed in last month’s LPGA International Crown event in Maryland in the United States.
On the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour, Lee finished fifth in the Bing Lee Fujitsu General Women’s NSW Open, second in the Volvik RACV Ladies Masters and won the Oates Women’s Victorian Open by six shots.
“I am very proud and happy to win the McCormack Medal,” said Lee. “It is an honour for me to be awarded this medal and an achievement I will always remember in my career. I have had a great season and played some good golf so I’m really excited to be number one in the ranking.”
John Bodenhamer, USGA Senior Managing Director, Rules, Competitions & Amateur Status, said, “Ever since she won the 2012 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, Minjee has been one of the most decorated and exciting players in women’s amateur golf. We are happy to have her as a McCormack Medal winner, and we hope this serves as a springboard to more great achievements.”
Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A, said, “Minjee has played to a consistently high standard throughout this season and is a worthy winner of the McCormack Medal. Her performances in the amateur game have been extremely impressive and she seems to be carrying that forward into the professional game very well. Winning this medal is a wonderful achievement and it will be fascinating to watch Minjee’s career in golf develop in the years ahead.”
The World Amateur Golf Ranking which is supported by Rolex, was established in 2007 when the men’s ranking was launched.
The Men’s ranking encompasses more than 2,700 counting events, ranking more than 6,100 players representing 101 countries worldwide. The women’s ranking was launched in 2011 and has a calendar of more than 1,400 counting events with over 3,000 ranked players representing 74 countries worldwide.
