Min Woo Lee looks to add Australian Open crown to Aussie PGA title

The Australian Open crown will not be the only thing on Min Woo Lee’s mind this weekend, as the battle continues to represent Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 28: Min Woo Lee plays a practise round ahead of the ISPS HANDA Australian Open at The Lakes on November 28, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Min Woo Lee and Cameron Smith briefly crossed paths on the practice range on Tuesday but they will be in each other’s pockets – and potentially heads – when The Australian Open begins on Thursday after tournament organisers named them in a mouth-watering marquee group for the opening two days of the national championship.

Lee and Smith are coming off contrasting performances at the Australian PGA. Lee produced one of the great performances of his career as he stormed to victory at Royal Queensland. Smith was distraught after missing the cut, choking back tears as he made his way off the course.

They are the hottest tickets in town and they’re set to spend the opening rounds of the tournament going hammer-and-tong as they chase the Stonehaven Cup in a week which could have seismic repercussions for not just the local pecking order, but the Olympic Games.

As it stands, Australia will only have two representatives in Paris and while Smith retains top spot, Jason Day will likely go past him in coming weeks. Lee is also closing fast and will continue to narrow the gap if Smith has a poor Open.

Min Woo Lee and Cameron Smith are set to do battle again. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

There is plenty at stake for both men and in Lee's case, he won’t just have Smith to worry about – he will also need eyes in the back of his head given sister Minjee Lee will be playing in the group behind as she chases the women’s crown.

Asked about the rivalry with his sister, Min Woo Lee said: “Yeah, there’s a little bit. We’re happy for each other. We want to only do well and inspire kids and keep playing good golf.

“So it’s not that bad of a sibling rivalry, but petty – a little petty – from me usually.”

Smith, however, will be the greatest threat to Min Woo Lee’s quest to win the Open. The Queenslander left his home state last week in tatters and there was no doubt a touch of envy when Lee sidled up to next to him at the practice range on Tuesday.

When Tiger Woods was in his pomp, he would often save his very best for when a fellow pro – either that he didn’t like or wanted to impress – set up next to him on the practice range.

Woods would step it up a notch, his way of sending a message to those with eyes on his crown. For a fleeting moment at The Lakes golf club on Tuesday morning, the Australian Open had a message-sending moment of its own.

Lee was flushing balls on the practice range when Smith made his way over and took the spot next to Lee. There was a shake of hands and a brief acknowledgment.

Minjee Lee and Min Woo Lee. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

Lee was coming to the end of his session but he still found time to pull out the driver and send a handful of balls into the distance. Each one went further than the other. Message sent.

It was not the only message sent by Lee this week. On Monday, as he was still basking in his win in Queensland, he took time out to fire back at a critic on social media.

Above an image of Lee drinking out of the Joe Kirkwood Cup, he cheekily wrote: “Sorry, what was that? I’m too busy winning.” His social media use has gained him a cult following, making him one of the most visible and popular players on the PGA Tour.

“Since I was a little kid, I loved doing social media and loved being a spotlight and being the front of attention,” he said.

“So it’s nice to be both – a great player and try to be funny about things and try to make people happy. It’s really cool. Every week I feel like I’m getting more fans wherever I go and wherever I do go, there are fans, even in small countries.

“I really appreciate that. The supports been unreal.”

Lee is fresh off winning the Aussie PGA title. (Photo by Patrick HAMILTON / AFP)

It will be strong this week as well and Lee will arrive for the opening round with warm and fuzzy feelings thanks to his memories of The Australian Golf Club – the opening rounds of the tournament will be played over two courses – where he played with American Jordan Spieth as a teenager.

“I was 17 years old, so it was unreal,” he said.
“I played with him on the Saturday, obviously when school was done and all the kids got out and the fairways were filled with so many people.

“I didn’t end up playing that good, but it was definitely an experience I can look back on and kind of got caught up in all of it, and as a 17 year old, you don’t have that big of a crowd.

“So I really loved that moment and now that I get to play with Jordan, it’s pretty cool, week in, week out. I know The Australian golf course is tough, which is probably better for me.

“I’m hitting the ball really well now.”