Min Woo Lee to return to Royal Queensland for another shot at winning Australian PGA

Having come close on a couple of occasions at the Australian PGA Championship, Min Woo Lee has some unfinished business to take care of at Royal Queensland.

Successive top-five placings at the Australian PGA Championship will have Min Woo Lee hungry for victory when the tournament is staged at Royal Queensland for the third consecutive time in November.

The 24-year-old Perth product, who plies his trade in Europe and the United States, is the first player signed for the $2 million event which is co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia and the DP World Tour.

Lee, currently 62nd on the world rankings, described the event as “awesome” and hopes to lift the Joe Kirkwood Cup this year after falling short to Jed Morgan and Cameron Smith at Royal Queensland in the past 16 months.

“Hopefully I can top the top five (this time),” Lee said.

“I just really enjoy it. I like being in Australia and having that support. I love playing in front of Australian crowds, and being in Australia, it’s what you want at the end of the year.”

Min Woo Lee will return to Royal Queensland in November. Picture: Mike Mulholland / Getty Images

Lee is also a huge fan of the course’s par-3 17th “Party Hole”, which this year will have increased grandstand seating and doubled hospitality capacity.

“I absolutely loved it,” he said.

“I like parties, I like golf and I like people – it’s a good combo.

“Golf’s already hard. You might as well have fun.”

PGA of Australia chief executive officer Gavin Kirkman said it was a “tremendous coup” for the November 23-26 event to have already secured Lee’s participation “given his schedule across both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour”.

“Since bursting onto the scene as a teenager in Perth a few years ago, Min Woo has been on a steady progression to the point where he is now one of the best players in the world,” Kirkman said.

DP World Tour chief tournament business officer Ben Cowen said: “Our strategic alliance with the PGA Tour of Australasia underlines our joint commitment to providing playing opportunities for both memberships, as well as a formalised pathway for players to compete on the biggest stage.

“These playing opportunities continue to come to fruition, with this year’s Order of Merit winner David Micheluzzi, as well as Tom Power Horan and Andrew Martin, who finished second and third respectfully, exempt with full cards on the DP World Tour for the 2024 season.”

Originally published as Min Woo Lee to return to Royal Queensland for another shot at winning Australian PGA