Lee locked in for Australian PGA Championship showdown at RQ

By Tony Webeck

CROWD-PLEASING West Australian Min Woo Lee will tap into the electric energy of the party hole as he eyes off a maiden Fortinet Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club from November 23-26.

The third consecutive playing for the Joe Kirkwood Cup in Brisbane has been locked in for late November and will once again be co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour.

It serves as one of the cornerstones of the 2023/2024 ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia schedule that began with the return of the PNG Open in May where South Australian Lachlan Barker earned his first professional win at Royal Port Moresby Golf Club.

The enormous galleries that flocked to RQ last November to witness the return of Open champion Cameron Smith, Adam Scott and many of our leading players stood on tip toes and craned their necks to get a glimpse of the par-3 17th all four days.

Scott brought the crowd to their feet with a long-range birdie on Friday, one of three birdies the 2013 Masters champion made on the hole that week.

Having felt the intensity of a Sunday at TPC Sawgrass and the daunting nature of the tee shot at the 17th hole of The Players Championship in March, Lee is excited to once again showcase his skills in front of an Aussie crowd.

“I absolutely love it,” Lee said of the atmosphere created at the Australian PGA’s penultimate hole.

“I like parties, I like golf and I like people so it’s a good combo. Golf’s already hard, might as well have fun.

“It’s an awesome event. I love playing in front of an Australian crowd. Being in Australia is what you want at the end of the year.

“The last couple of years have been awesome.”

Lee’s pairing with world No.1 Scottie Scheffler in the final group at The Players Championship in his tournament debut brought the 24-year-old into the consciousness of American golf fans. His willingness to engage with fans and the daring creativity with which he plays has already made Lee a major drawcard when he returns to play on home soil.

“Given his schedule across both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, having Min Woo commit to the tournament so far in advance is a tremendous coup for the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship,” said PGA of Australia CEO, Gavin Kirkman.

“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.

“He played brilliantly to win the Vic Open in 2020, but I am sure he would love to get his hands on the Joe Kirkwood Cup at Royal Queensland in November.”

Top five in each of the past two Australian PGA Championships staged at Royal Queensland, Lee is close to securing his immediate future on the PGA Tour.

He is sixth on the DP World Tour Race to Dubai rankings, is close to earning Special Temporary Membership on the PGA Tour and has a tie for second at the Abu Dhabi Championship to go with his tie for sixth at The Players.

“I am a little disappointed with the result because I was up there, but it’s such a good learning curve,” said Lee, who shot 76 to Scheffler’s 69 in the final round at The Players.

“It was amazing to be in a final group on a Sunday.

“The year’s been awesome. Started really well in Abu Dhabi and the Australian events at the end of last year.

“It’s been a pretty good start to the year and hopefully I can finish off well.”