Ilhee Lee is not a name that we have heard too often on the LPGA Tour. She has been on the Tour for several years, and almost two decades have passed since she turned pro. But, tragically, Lee has been battling an injury that has kept her on and off the game for many years now. Despite that, her love for the game isn’t lost, as she continues to prioritize her health and physical fitness, which has only helped her enjoy the game even more. But who is Ilhee Lee?
Ilhee Lee’s journey: Her career and setbacks
Born on December 13, 1988, Ilhee Lee hails from South Korea, where she was born and raised. She was introduced to golf at the age of 10 and attributes her father, Nam Pyo, for influencing her golfing career. Lee moved to the United States to join the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy in South Carolina after completing high school. Her talent and passion for the game were quickly evident when she won the 2004 Asia-Pacific Junior Championship as an amateur when she was 16.
She decided to turn professional two years later, in 2006, and played on the LPGA Tour of Korea before joining the LPGA Tour in 2010. She finished tied for 7th at the 2010 LPGA Tour Championship after earning her card in 2009 and finishing 20th at the LPGA Qualifiers, which was her first attempt to qualify for the tour. The 2010 Women’s PGA Championship was her first major debut, but she did not make the cut that year. After her first win in 2013 at the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic Lee continued to display her skill, making 24 cuts in 29 events, including four top 10 finishes and a season-best tied second place at the Mizuno Classic in 2014.
She continued to make cuts in 75% of the events she took part in and had eight top-10 finishes, which included a tied third finish at the JTBC Founders Cup in 2015. “I told my friend, if I make money, like plenty of money this week, I will help Africa to help build pipe things for the water. So I keep thinking about that; I want to make more birdie for them. I think that ends up really good,” Ilhee Lee expressed post her finish at the 2015 JTBC Founders Cup, highlighting that she wants to do more than just make money on the Tour.
Lee took part in all of the majors on the LPGA from 2010 to 2017, but her career-best finishes were when she was tied for 4th at the 2012 US Open and the 2015 Evian Championship. She made her first U.S. Open debut in 2012, making an appearance in 6 of them since, but missed the cut in 5, including her recent one at the 2025 U.S. Open at Erin Hills. She made headlines in May when she managed to get past the qualifying stage for the U.S. Open held at Soule Park Golf Course in California. In 2024 & 2023, she narrowly missed her chance to get a spot at the major championship.
While not much is known of her caddie, Lee posted a picture with Seung Jong Doh, who caddied for her at the 2025 U.S. Open and was also seen on her bag in 2023 at the Lotte Championship.
Unfortunately for Lee, her golfing career could not go the way she planned it to, given her constant battle with her shoulder, back, and ankle injuries that led her to be away from the game for a long time. Her injury has also helped her realize the importance of prioritizing her health” first—”Golf isn’t my life. Just the job. It was big-time. Golf was everything for me. I loved golf growing up. I was crazy about it. My parents were like, It’s too much. But I was always like, ‘I want to do better, better, better.’ Now my life, myself, my body, and my health are first. And then golf,” Lee stated in an interview post the U.S. Open qualifier.
While 2025 seems to be a comeback year for her, leading the LPGA ShopRite Classic at 8-under par, which included three consecutive birdies in a row on 9 different holes and a bogey, the 36-year-old veteran has decided to stick to playing limited events on tour and feels it’s ideal for her situation—”I’ve been playing four to five events every year. It’s a perfect amount for me, but I wish I could play a little more. It’s more fun now than stressful. Before, I was very stressed playing for nine years until I hurt my shoulder. I realized it’s not everything. I’m first before golf. Now it’s more fun. I play golf because it’s fun.”
Now that she has a lighter schedule, she seems to be spending a lot of time on other activities, beyond golf.
Ilhee Lee’s life beyond the course
While Lee spends most of her time working on fitness because of her injuries, she is also keen about photography, shooting, playing the drums, and backpacking. Lee even stated that her plan for a post-golf career is to explore nature as much as possible while being a professional backpacker. She even takes her cat, Zeze, for most of her trips, whom she posts about often on her Instagram.
Lee moved to her new home in Downtown LA from Dallas in 2023 and frequently posts the stunning view of the city visible from her home. Her move was primarily for her rehab work for her surgically repaired shoulder, which has been bothering her on and off for over a decade. While not much else is known of Ilhee Lee’s social circle, she is very close to LPGA player Jiyai Shin, who was formerly world no. 1 on the LPGA Tour of South Korea.
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