PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Min Woo Lee and his girlfriend Gracie Drennan got themselves a mini doodle puppy named Aussie two weeks ago.
“A new chef is in the house,” he posted on Instagram.
Lee proceeded to tell a roomful of golf fans on Tuesday a funny story about Aussie during a fireside chat with NBC’s Brad Faxon at a chalet overlooking the 16th green at TPC Sawgrass’s Stadium Course. Lee began by saying that Akshay Bhatia, winner of last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, wondered how Lee’s new dog was doing and he answered that Aussie was great.
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Next thing he knew, Gracie called with great concern. Aussie was in his playpen and Lee said, “He’s not really moving.”
An hour or so later, they were off to the veterinarian’s office for an exam. Lee was asked, “Do you smoke weed?”
Mar 8, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Min Woo Lee plays his shot from the ninth tee during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament.
“I was like, ‘What are you talking about? No,’ ” he recounted.
The vet informed Lee and his girlfriend that Aussie had found some THC in the backyard of their rental unit for the week.
“He was high on the ground,” Lee said as laughter rang out from the audience. “To be honest, we loved him cuddly and not biting. So, we might have to give him a bit more.”
More laughter ensued.
Here are some more nuggets from Lee’s chat.
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Lee never listened to mom, the golf pro
Lee’s mother was a golf professional and his father was scratch too. His mother taught him and sister Minjee, a star on the LPGA, the basics when he was a boy, but he said he didn’t listen to dear old mom.
“She was always right. I always knew she was right but I couldn’t let her think she was right. I was naughty. I was the annoying brother and my sister did her own thing. Our team always describes it if there was a straight line she’d be on the straight line and I’d be going like this,” he said, tracing a curve with big peaks and valleys.
Feb 20, 2026; Pacific Palisades, California, USA; Min Woo Lee watches his tee shot on the 15th hole during the second round of the The Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Lee loves TPC Sawgrass
“There’s something about it that fits my eye,” he said. “There’s a lot of variety, which I love. I like to shape it off the tee here. I can use the Mini Driver off the tee, which has a lot more face. It’s nice to look at it. The Mini Driver is a bigger 3-wood, smaller driver. Every club in the bag, I try to draw it other than the driver. This new one I’m using goes about 15 yards shorter in the air than my driver. My old Mini Driver used to go just farther than a 3-wood and so I’m not losing distance. It’s nice to have a club I can draw. Take 16 (at TPC Sawgrass), to have a club that’s fit for (the tee shot) is a great club to have in the bag.”
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Accuracy off the tee at a premium
“It’s a big premium hitting fairways. It’s legit thick,” Lee said of the rough. “I didn’t want to hear these words from my caddie, but he said it’s thicker than last week and I thought last week was thick. It’s also an advantage because I can produce a lot of speed and hit it out of the rough. But Bay Hill was one of the first weeks where I thought I don’t know how to golf. I had to change my golf ball. I couldn’t stop my ball. The firmness of the grass was too much for me. You have to think your way around these tough courses, and that’s where I wanted to be.”
Dr. Chipinski
“I call the Doctor when I chip in,” Lee said, explaining one of his many nicknames. “I chip in a lot but not recently. My iron play hasn’t always been that good so I miss a lot of greens and have a lot of chances of chipping in.”
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Lee said he likes to use a 60-degree wedge a lot, almost too much. “I’m stubborn about it,” he said, noting he’s trying to integrate the 56-degree wedge more often. The last few tournaments, he’s been hitting it better, which has translated into fewer chances to chip in. “In a way, I hope that nickname goes away,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Min Woo Lee shares hilarious story about his puppy getting high
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