2 days Ago
Australian golfer Min Woo Lee has often played second fiddle to his major-winning sister Minjee but can now enjoy a moment in the spotlight after claiming his first win on the U.S. PGA Tour in Texas on Sunday.
Overnight leader Lee overcame a late wobble to hold off a charging Scottie Scheffler and clinch a one-stroke victory in the Houston Open at Memorial Park Golf Course. Lee found water with an errant drive and bogey on the par-five 16th to open the door for world number one Scheffler who had soared up the leaderboard with four consecutive birdies. But the 26-year-old Western Australian composed himself to par the last two holes and earn his fifth professional win across tours.
"I saw (Scheffler) make par on 17, and 18's a very tough hole so I thought two pars will do it," said Lee, who carded a final round 67 for a 20-under total of 260. "But I was freaking out inside if you wanted to know. "It looked like I was cool but I didn't want him to make birdie.
" Lee and his 28-year-old sister Minjee are golfing royalty in Australia and became the 16th siblings to represent the nation in the same sport at the same Olympic Games in Paris last year. They share a unique record in the United States, with Min Woo winning the U.S.
Junior Amateur championship in 2016, four years after his sister won the Girls' title. With 10 wins on the LPGA Tour, including major triumphs at the 2021 Evian Championship and the 2022 U.S.
Women's Open, Minjee's trophy cabinet is a bit more stocked than her brother's. The siblings rarely have a chance to catch up while on tour, but Min Woo said the stars had aligned for a celebratory dinner in his home base of Las Vegas on Monday, with Minjee in town for the LPGA's Match Play event. "I just FaceTimed her on the cart trip here.
I called my family, and my mum was crying as usual, dad was very happy," said Min Woo. "I haven't seen (Minjee) in a little bit, so it's very cool to have a sister that's really good at golf, and she's going to win soon, too.".
