Lee was beaten by 20-year-old rookie Ga Eun Song at the third playoff hole after they were tied through 72 holes at the Hana Bank Championship in Pochun Adonis Country Club, just outside Seoul.

Song had made a birdie from close range at the 72nd to join Lee at 15 under par and force the playoff.

After each player made safe pars at the first two playoff holes, both at the par-five 18th, Song wedged to inside a metre and made a birdie for the win.

Lee hit a nice short iron shot into the hole but from just beyond two metres, her birdie putt ducked under the hole.

Lee, who was runner-up in the LPGA Tour’s Arkansas Championship last week behind Japan’s Nasa Hataoka, is headed for the LPGA’s Asian swing and is ensconced in the top-10 in the world.