By: Max Bechtoldt
There is no shortage of elite iron players on the LPGA Tour. There’s Jin Young Ko and Nelly Korda who have both used strong iron play to become the highest ranked players in the world. But, one player uses explosiveness and consistency on approach better than anybody else, Minjee Lee.
The leader in strokes gained approach in 2022? Minjee Lee. The leader in strokes gained approach in 2023? Minjee Lee. Over the last two seasons, Minjee Lee is the only player with enough rounds to qualify who has hit at least 75% of greens in a season. She’s done it in both years.
In Lee’s 2022 season she won her second major, the U.S. Women’s Open, mostly because of her ability to hit her irons. On the season, her strokes gained approach was 2.02, no other player has gone over 1.7 in the era of KPMG Performance Insights.
While Jin Young Ko is also lethal with her irons, so consistent, she just isn’t quite as explosive with them as Lee. Ko was third on the LPGA Tour in strokes gained on approach in 2023. Ruoning Yin may have the closest argument, finishing second in strokes gained approach, but having been on tour for only two years, I have a bigger sample size with Lee.
Lee has 10 LPGA Tour wins with two majors in her career. Her irons are the strongest aspect of her game.
