INDIANAPOLIS — Iris Lee made history at Meridian Hills Country Club on Friday.

The Orlando, Florida, native – the second-youngest player in the field this week – outlasted Athena Singh, of Morehead, Kentucky, 1 up to win the 99th Women’s Western Junior Championship. At 13 years and 6 months, Lee is believed to be the youngest champion in the history of one of junior golf’s oldest events.

Mercedes Bush (1920) and Alice Ann Anderson (1933) both won the Women's Western Junior at 14 years old.

"I'm excited. Excited, and tired," Lee said. "My legs were about to break, but I'm really proud I made it to the end."

The championship match came down to the final hole.

After Singh converted a birdie putt on No. 15 to take her first lead of the day, Lee responded by winning the par-5 16th to square the match. One hole later, Lee hit her approach shot inside Singh's on the par-4 17th and rolled in a birdie putt to take a 1-up advantage heading to the final hole.

On No. 18, Lee found the front of the green while Singh missed left and faced a difficult up-and-down. Singh chipped to three feet to keep the pressure on, but Lee calmly closed out the victory with a two-putt par to secure the championship.

The back-and-forth battle featured momentum swings throughout the afternoon. Lee took an early 1-up lead through two holes before Singh answered with a victory on No. 4. Lee responded by winning Nos. 5 and 6, only to see Singh claim Nos. 7 and 8. Lee regained the advantage with wins on Nos. 9 and 10 before Singh squared the match with victories on Nos. 11 and 12.

Looking back on the match, Lee said she was too focused on the moment to fully appreciate the drama.

"At the moment, I couldn't really think about anything. I was way too focused," Lee said. "But now that I've thought about it, it was the best time. Just being out there meant a lot."

Lee, ranked No. 23 in the AJGA rankings and No. 281 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, capped an impressive week with four match-play victories. She said she embraced the challenge of competing against older opponents throughout the championship.

"I definitely learn a lot from them," Lee said. "It just gives me a feeling that I have nothing to lose, which is an advantage that helps me be more aggressive."

Friday's action began with the semifinal round, where both matches went the distance. Lee defeated Elizabeth Guthrie, of Charlotte, North Carolina, 1 up, while Singh edged Maria Isabella Errichetto, of Colombia, 1 up to set up the championship match.

The 17-year-old Singh, ranked No. 86 in the AJGA rankings and No. 601 in the WAGR, arrived at Meridian Hills fresh off competing in last week's Women’s U.S. Open, where she shot rounds of 78 and 74 at The Riviera Country Club in California.

"It was really cool to play with all the pros and see how my game compared with theirs," Singh said. "It was definitely a cool experience and, even though I didn't make the cut, it made me play better this week."

Lee credited Meridian Hills caddie Braden Myers, an Indiana University student, for helping her navigate the championship match.

"He was the best," Lee said. "He helped me a lot with reading the greens because he knows the course really well. He also helped me be confident and have a good mindset. He's the best caddie."

By reaching the championship match, Lee and Singh earned exemptions into the 2026 Women's Western Amateur, scheduled for July 6-11 at River Forest Country Club in Elmhurst, Illinois.

First played in 1920, the Women's Western Junior is one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious junior golf championships. Its list of champions includes Nancy Lopez, Cristie Kerr, Grace Park and Candie Kung.

Match Play Results

Round of 16
Thursday, June 11
Elizabeth Guthrie, Charlotte, North Carolina, def. Kara An, Valencia, California, 2 up
Grace Carter, Jupiter, Florida, def. Alyssa Zhang, Allison Park, Pennsylvania, 20 holes
Grace Lee, Suwanee, Georgia, def. Amy Weng, San Juan Capistrano, California, 4 and 3
Iris Lee, Orlando, Florida, def. Jenna Kim, Raleigh, North Carolina, 2 and 1
Athena Singh, Morehead, Kentucky, def. Alexandra Snyder, Orlando, Florida, 3 and 2
Alyssa Rigby, Vancouver, Washington, def. Reese Wallace, South Barrington, Illinois, 2 and 1
Maria Isabella Errichetto, Colombia, def. Keira Shavitranuruk, Orlando, Florida, 1 up
Alli Wiertel, Oswego, Illinois, def. Alexa Takai, Honolulu, Hawaii, 22 holes

Quarterfinals
Guthrie def. Carter, 4 and 3
I. Lee def. G. Lee, 2 and 1
Singh def. Rigby, 2 and 1
Errichetto def. Wiertel, 6 and 5

Semifinals
Friday, June 12
Lee def. Guthrie, 1 up
Singh def. Errichetto, 1 up

Final
Lee def. Singh, 1 up