Minjee Lee once dominated women’s golf, rarely missing cuts and shooting rounds as low as 62. But that version of Lee now feels like a distant memory. Ahead of her tournament at Royal Mayfair Golf Club on Wednesday, the three-time major champion did not hide from that fact.

“I haven’t really had the best season so far,” Lee admitted to the press. “I know golf can change in a couple swings or a couple of different thoughts here and there, but, yeah, struggled a little bit through Europe.”

Her recent results make the situation even harder to ignore. Since finishing a strong T3 at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in late February, Lee has missed four cuts and withdrawn from two more tournaments. She missed the cut at the AIG Women’s Open, Amundi Evian Championship, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, and Aramco Championship. She also pulled out of the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open and the JM Eagle LA Championship.

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For a player with 11 tour wins and three major titles, this is a tough stretch to watch. Lee has been one of the best players in women’s golf, so seeing her struggle this much has felt surprising. This is more than just a bad run of results. It looks like something has gone wrong with her confidence and her game.

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“Sometimes when it’s not going your way you can have, you know, some thoughts that are, you know, a little bit doubtful,” Lee said this while explaining how hard it is to work on a swing change when she has not had enough practice to fully trust it yet.

It shows just how mentally tiring a slump like this can be, even for a player as successful as Lee.

Her slump also stands out against the shape of the 2026 season around her. Her best result of the year remains that T3 in Singapore, and she tied for 28th at the U.S. Women’s Open earlier this summer. Nelly Korda enters the CPKC Women’s Open as the tour’s world No. 1, the player Lee is measured against at the top of the game while trying to find her own form again.

From Major Champion to Missed Cut, Twelve Months Apart

The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship missed cut hurts a little more when you remember what Minjee Lee was doing there just one year earlier.

In June 2025, Lee stood at Fields Ranch East in Texas with a major title on the line. She battled through extreme heat, strong winds and a tough final round to shoot 2-over 74 and win her third major by three shots.

Afterward, she said the week was “a battle against myself pretty much.” She fought through it and came out on top.

Fast-forward 12 months, and the picture could not look more different.

Lee returned to defend that title at Hazeltine National this June. Instead of lifting another trophy, she went home early. Rounds of 71 and 75 were not enough to make the weekend.

That is the part that makes her current slump feel so painful. One year ago, Lee was the player everyone else was trying to catch. Now, she is trying to find that player again.

She is one of only three Australian women to win three major championships, joining Karrie Webb and Jan Stephenson. That makes this struggle even harder to watch. The talent is still there. The memories are still there. But somewhere along the way, the confidence that made Lee look almost unshakeable has started to fade.

Now, she is not chasing another major title. At least not yet. She is chasing the feeling she had when winning one. She is trying to rebuild her swing, trust her game again and find the fearless version of herself that seems to have gone missing.

Why Minjee Lee Could Find the Reset She Desperately Needs in Canada 

If there’s one place Minjee Lee has felt at ease this season, it’s Canada. She’s made the cut every time she’s played here. Last year, she gave home favorite Brooke Henderson a real run for her money, coming up just short in second. The crowd was cheering mostly for Henderson, but Lee held her own with quiet composure.

Lee didn’t flinch under that pressure. “I don’t think I ever got a heckle or anything,” she said, crediting Canadian galleries for staying respectful even as they rooted hard for Henderson.

“I kind of stick to myself a little bit and just try and focus on what’s going on with me,” she added, a glimpse into the quiet, internal focus that’s carried her through 11 seasons on tour.

That same self-reliance is what she’s leaning on now, along with her team. Lee singled out her caddie, Mikey, for keeping things “light and fun” on the course even as results have gone sideways.

“I think I have such a great team around me,” she said. “Sometimes you just have to put in the reps and get through it.”

There is no guarantee that Edmonton will fix all of Lee’s problems. Swing changes take time, and doubt does not disappear just because a course feels familiar. 

A strong finish at Royal Mayfair would be a signal, not a cure. The swing change stays mid-stream, and trust comes from reps, not results. The real test is the next two months, whether Edmonton kicks off a stretch of good rounds or ends up a lone bright spot. The CME Group Tour Championship and the rest of the fall will show which one it was.