Min Woo Lee could become Australia’s highest-ranked player with a good showing in Scotland

A big week in Scotland could be enough for a rising Aussie star to achieve a significant goal way ahead of schedule.

Min Woo Lee has “all the tools” to be a golfing great according to his Olympic teammate Jason Day, with the younger of the pair on the verge of usurping his older countryman and becoming Australia’s highest-ranked player.

A recent runner-up finish behind fellow Aussie, Cam Davis on the PGA Tour pushed Lee to world No.31, a career-high ranking that has him just two spots below Day, who has slipped to 29 amid some middling results.

Day conceded he needed to “find a spark” in the lead-up to both next week’s British Open at Royal Troon and then the Olympics in Paris, having rolled through four sets of clubs recently trying to find the best set-up to attack the two major events in his immediate future.

The 36-year-old former world No.1 has formed a close bond with 25-year-old Lee, who is playing his first full season on the PGA Tour, having shared copious practice rounds, although not at the recent US Open when Lee ditched Day to play with “the big cat”, Tiger Woods.

Min Woo Lee and Tiger Woods at the US Open. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Their time spent together has left Day in no doubt about the levels Lee could achieve over the coming years, but Lee could make an even more immediate impact and leap over his Olympic teammate with a solid finish at this week’s Scottish Open, an event the younger Aussie won in 2021.

“Me and Min, we are good mates, we play practice rounds together all the time at major championships. We were supposed to play at the US Open, and he ditched me for Tiger Woods. I probably would have ditched myself for Tiger Woods too,” said Day, who is not playing in Scotland.

“I love Min’s game, I love him as a person, he’s got a lot of talent, he’s going to be in the game for a long time.

“It’s just going to be a matter of how much he wants it because he’s got all the tools to be able to be great at this game. I’m looking forward to teaming up with him.”

Don’t be like Ally. Look left and right before your cross roads. Good to be back in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Lets cook 👨‍🍳 pic.twitter.com/jHT9BMLtAd

— Min Woo Lee (@Minwoo27Lee) July 10, 2024

The prospect of being the top-ranked Australian player isn’t lost on Lee either, although his ascension could come sooner than expected, declaring he still feels “like a kid” having formed friendships with players he once idolised.

“Growing up, just thinking of playing with Adam Scott and Jason Day, but to call them friends is amazing,” Lee said.

“It would be amazing to be the top-ranked player from Australia. I still feel like I am a kid.

“Our goal is to be the best player in the world, so if that comes, it comes. Just to represent Australia and be the No.1 would be awesome.”

Lee, Davis, Scott and Jason Scrivener are playing in Scotland where there are three spots in next week’s British Open up for grabs.

Despite his recent win, and being ranked 39 in the world, Davis is yet to make the field.

Originally published as Min Woo Lee could become Australia’s highest-ranked player with a good showing in Scotland