Min Woo Lee yesterday started celebrating his first Australian PGA Championship title on the next-to-last hole when he put on a chef’s hat and did a synchronized clap along with the boisterous crowd before jogging off to the 18th.
He narrowly missed par on the last hole, but still closed with a three-under 68 to finish 20 under for the tournament and a three-shot win over Japan’s Riyuka Hoshino, who also closed with 68.
Lee, who is ranked No. 45 and comes from Western Australia, has made “let him cook” his popular catch phrase.
Photo: EPA-EFE
With a four-shot lead going into the final hole, he put on a chef’s hat and clapped his hands above his head in time with the crowd at the 17th, the so-called Party Hole at Royal Queensland Golf Club.
He also brought the crowd alive with a long chip for an eagle at the par-five ninth.
“The best atmosphere shot I’ve ever hit,” Lee said. “That one, at that point, it was getting close. I was in a pretty average position. To chip that in — it was amazing. It’s one of the best shots I’ve probably hit.”
Lee had a wire-to-wire win in the Asian Tour’s Macau Open last month for his first victory since 2021, and added this one quickly on home soil. It was his fourth career title, and his third DP World Title.
“I’ve always thought I could win, but it took a while to get over the hump,” he said. “Two wins in the last month or so ... really proud of it.”
He was targeting a victory on the European tour last year, and while he did not achieve it in the season that ended last week, he still made it within the calendar year that also included a tie for fifth at the US Open.
Lee is next week to play in the Australian Open that has a joint tournament format to feature men’s and women’s fields. His sister, two-time major winner Minjee Lee, would also be playing in Sydney.
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