WORLD NO. 3 LEE EYES TOP RANKING

She came close in 2022 and would be the first Australian to achieve the feat

- Deepanraj Ganesan

Australian golf star and world No. 3 Minjee Lee will always remember 2022.

It is not because she captured her second Major at the US Women's Open and in doing so, earned US$1.8 million (S$2.4 million) in prize money, one of the largest hauls in women's golf history.

Instead, last season was unforgettable for the 26-year-old because she had fallen tantalisingly short of becoming Australia's first female golfer to capture the world No. 1 spot.

Lee, who will be in Singapore for the March 2-5 HSBC Women's World Championship, told The Straits Times on Friday: "Being world No. 1 means you are recognised as being the best golfer in the world.

"We always work towards being the best and the best of our potential, which hopefully is to be world No. 1.

"It means so much to me. It has always been something I dream about since I was younger. It will be a great reward for all the work I have done and the time I have put into mastering the art of golf, if I am able to reach that ranking."

No Australian golfer has been No. 1 since the Women's World Golf Rankings debuted in 2006 and Lee had the opportunity to do so going into last August's Women's British Open.