Australian golf star Minjee Lee has held her nerve to clinch her first LPGA Tour victory in 15 months with a thrilling playoff win at the Queen City Championship in Cincinnati.

Lee made a brilliant birdie at the second extra hole to deny England's Charley Hull and secure her first win since claiming a second career major at the 2022 US Women's Open.

Both players had finished with 16-under 272 totals after Lee posted a final-round 71 and Hull closed with a 69 to pull back a two-shot overnight deficit.

Lee had enjoyed a five-shot buffer with eight holes to play before the tournament took a dramatic twist on the par-five 12th at Kenwood Country Club.

Lee hit out of bounds en route to a double-bogey seven, the dual major winner's first blemish since the 14th hole on Friday — 30 holes earlier — opening the door for Hull, who drew level with consecutive birdies on 14, 15 and 16.

The pair played the 18th three times, with Lee finally prevailing after nailing a wedge from the left rough to within half a metre and draining the birdie putt.

The tense victory comes four months after the one-time world number two let a late two-stroke lead slip to lose a sudden-death playoff to Jin Young Ko in the defence of her Cognizant Founders Cup title in New Jersey.

All up, Lee had recorded 13 top-20s and eight top-five finishes since her US Open triumph before breaking the drought on Sunday to move back into the world's top 10 and collect the $US300,000 ($A470,000) winner's cheque.

The 27-year-old West Australian's victory came hours after her younger brother Min Woo Lee finished tied for seventh at the DP World Tour's Irish Open after charging to within one shot of the lead during the final round.

AAP