CHASKA, Minn. — Dewi Weber’s life nearly changed on Sunday at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. A victory in the year’s third major championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club, one that would’ve come with a $1.95 million first-place check, would have completely altered the trajectory of the Dutchwoman’s path forward, both on and off the golf course.

Weber did everything in her power to make it happen, throwing punch after punch at her fellow competitors and rolling in putt after putt coming down the stretch in arguably the biggest moment of her golfing life. But when the dust settled, it wasn’t a figuratively bloodied and bruised Weber emerging from the melee to hoist the massive trophy, as she finished at 10-under total, three shots behind champion Haeran Ryu.

Despite that disappointment, there are some spoils that Dewi gets to enjoy as a result of that T3 finish in Chaska, Minn.

For starters, the 30-year-old improved her position in the season-long Race for the CME Globe, going from 101st in the point standings to 46th, a jump that now has Weber eying a spot in the field at the CME Group Tour Championship in November compared to fighting to maintain full status. She is the first player from the Netherlands to finish in the top five at a major championship, and this result is her career-best finish on the LPGA Tour.

But maybe most significantly, Weber will take $752,089 with her to her adopted home of Los Angeles, a check that totals more than what her official career earnings were at the start of the week, money that certainly alleviates any financial pressure Weber might have been feeling recently, as she and her wife Jentrie are expecting their first child in December.

“It takes a lot of stress off of my life. I don't think we'll be making any like super big purchases or whatever. I think life just kind of moves on,” said Weber. “It takes honestly a lot of stress away from my life. Absolutely. So, in that way it's life-changing, but it's not like – man, we live in LA. Everything is expensive.

“My wife and I joke that I have to win this tournament like three times in order to afford a house where we live. Life-changing in the sense that I can go through life a bit more stress-free.”

Weber’s golf looked pretty stress-free throughout the week at Hazeltine, as she fired three 70s and a 68 in round three to tie for third alongside Canadian major champion Brooke Henderson. She was second in birdies (19), second in birdies per round (4.75), third in strokes gained putting (+1.941) and tied for third in putts per round (27.50).

It was a nice change of pace for Weber to perform well during what’s been a frustrating 2026 season at times. This week was her sixth made cut in 12 starts this year, and the T3 showing is just her second top-10 result of the season, as she hadn’t found herself in the top 10 since the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass in March.

But it’s taken a lot of work, both mentally and physically, for Weber to reach this milestone, recent efforts that Dewi credits as the reason for this major championship breakthrough.

“I've talked to so many people, and I'm not saying coaches or whatever, but friends in life about the things that I was feeling,” said Weber. “I think I heard the same message over and over again. For some reason, I was stubborn enough to go, no, we're not doing that, we're doing something else. The last two weeks, honestly, I gave the opposite mindset a bit after shot, and this is where we are right now, in the top five in a major. So, I think that is plenty of confirmation.”

Even though they weren’t spraying her with celebratory champagne on the 18th green, there were several of Dewi’s fellow Tour players waiting outside of scoring to congratulate her on a job well done at Hazeltine, support that Weber was able to take solace in after a late three-putt bumped her a position down the leaderboard.

Among those friends were LPGA Tour winners Allisen Corpuz and Megan Khang, as well as Ladies European Tour champions Chiara Tamburlini and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, and it was clear that the warm welcome meant a lot to Weber, who gave each of them a big hug after they offered their congratulations. Then, during her post-round interview, Pauline and Chiara each grabbed the mic and posed a question to Dewi, with the former asking what she’d say to the people around her who see her as a role model.

“Honestly, I think you guys are like one of my best friends out here,” Weber said with a smile on her face. “Talking with you guys helps a lot. It helps me personally a lot because I think we all go through the same struggles. Talking it through helps me see maybe different perspectives. I think that is it. Getting different perspectives.

“And then hitting shots, not thinking about where the shot might end up, that there are literally 100 different possibilities. It's really nice.”

Chiara’s question was a bit more practical, as she inquired about what type of drinks they’d be sharing to celebrate Weber’s major success, trying to get her friend to smile in what she knew was an emotional moment.

“Whatever you guys want,” was Dewi’s answer.

And even though there might be some what-ifs that linger for Weber after such a close call in one of the five biggest tournaments in all of women’s golf, Dewi has to look back at this week and be proud of herself. Few athletes ever get to experience what it’s like to truly contend for a major championship title, and she can now count herself as one of them, an experience she more than earned by doing a ton of hard work on herself and her game.

So whatever libations Chiara and Pauline wind up choosing for the group to imbibe in, those drinks are certainly well-deserved for Dewi Weber after a hard-fought battle at Hazeltine National.

Dewi Weber Can Now Define Herself as a Major Championship Contender After Sunday at Hazeltine

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