Min Woo Lee won his first PGA Tour title on Sunday, holding off late charges from the chasing pack to win the Houston Open – and joining an exclusive club with the victory.
Lee had led by five shots on the back nine but surges from Gary Woodland – who went four-under on his last four holes – and Scottie Scheffler – who also had four-straight birdies on the back nine – made it a closer affair.
Although Lee bogeyed the 16th after hitting into the water, the Australian was able to finish with two pars and maintain his one-shot lead, tapping home from close range on the final hole to seal his debut PGA Tour victory.
The 26-year-old bent over and pumped his fists multiple times when the win was confirmed, finishing on a 20-under 260 after four rounds, breaking the tournament record by four shots.
“That’s why Sundays are so tough,” Lee said afterwards. “You know people are creeping. You know people are attacking.”
Lee celebrated with a video call to his sister, Minjee Lee, who is a two-time major winner on the LPGA Tour.
Following his victory, the siblings become just the third sibling pairing to win on both the PGA and LPGA Tour.
The win in Houston could prove to be a breakthrough moment for Lee, who has twice finished as a runner-up on the PGA Tour, with four top-five finishes to his name too.
He is known for his skillful wedge game and a booming drive, but at Memorial Park, his whole game coalesced perfectly.
A seven-under-par 63 in his third round had opened up a four-shot lead heading into Sunday and that blossomed to five as Lee looked to be holding his nerves.
The only blip on his stellar outing in Houston was when he sliced his shot into the water on the par-five 16th, but he was able to collect himself and close out the round without any further slip-ups to finally get himself into the winner’s circle.
“It’s hard – it’s really hard,” Lee said. “Obviously, Scottie is a wonderful golfer and he keeps you on your toes. The first time being in front, I’m glad I got it done. I’m very exhausted. It was a lot of mental grind. I’m so proud of how I handled myself.”
Lee’s victory is the perfect preparation for the Masters which takes place in April. Afterwards, Woodland was full of praise for how Lee handled the pressure down the stretch at the Houston Open.
“Everyone out here knows how talented the kid is. He’s an absolute stud,” the 2019 US Open champion said. “We all know, once you break through, for him sky’s the limit, so really happy for him. For me, it was great just to get those juices flowing again, just to see some results.”
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