Aussie-Born Lee’s Create Historical ‘Brother/Sister’ World Victory First.

4 years ago by Comments Off on Aussie-Born Lee’s Create Historical ‘Brother/Sister’ World Victory First.

When was the last time a brother and a sister each won on the major tour’s of the world?

I stand to be corrected but with 21-year Min Woo Lee capturing the European Tour/Australasian Tour sanctioned ISPS Handa Open, and to claim a maiden Tour victory, he joined his 23-year old sister Minjee Lee as ‘brother and sister’ champions given Minjee has won five times on the LPGA Tour.

It clearly has to be a first in Golf Australia history and surely a very first in European Tour/LPGA history.

And Min Woo carved out another slice of history in winning his first pro career victory on the same host 13th Beach Golf Links where his sister, and then an amateur, won her first major tournament six years ago.

Aussie MinWoo Lee wins the European Tour/Golf Australia sanctioned ISPS Handa Open to now join his sister, Mingee in an historical first. (Photo @GolfAustralia)

Lee joined his sister Minjee on the roll of honour at 13th Beach Golf Links with a four under par final round of 68, finishing two strokes ahead of New Zealander Ryan Fox on 19 under par.

The 21-year-old, making just his 19th European Tour appearance, started the day three strokes clear of playing partners Marcus Fraser and Travis Smyth and showed no sign of nerves as he birded three of his first four holes, including a chip-in on the first.

The Australian maintained his composure as winds gusted up to 30 miles-per-hour on the Bellarine Peninsula, with ten consecutive pars before his fourth birdie of the day on the 15th hole.

“I’m pretty proud of the way I played. I thought coming in I had a really good chance because I was hitting it really good, but I think I impressed myself with the game this whole week,” said Lee.

“Hopefully I’ll have more of these over my whole career.

“I felt really comfortable just because if I did exactly the same as I did yesterday, I felt pretty hard to stop. I started off really hot out the gate and was pretty comfortable those last few holes. I got a bit nervy, but I’m pretty proud of the way I finished.

“I hit one shot at a time. It’s a cliché, but it’s just that. You can’t really worry about anything else. I hit it so well, I’d give myself nine out of ten for ball striking this week. Coming into today I knew I could just stay calm and just hit every shot the same as the last three days. I was pretty calm until, you know, the last hole. I wasn’t nervous, just on my toes a little bit. I thought it’s a par five, straight downwind, the ball’s not going to curve much off the tee – stripe one down and I thought I had it in the bag from there.”

Fox made his charge for a second European Tour victory on the back nine. The Kiwi birdied the 16th hole and carded his second eagle of the day on the 18th for an eight under par round of 64, setting the clubhouse target at 17 under.

Lee dropped to 18 under with a bogey on the 17th, but finished with aplomb as he birdied the 18th for a tournament-record score of 19 under par and a special victory on home soil.

Frenchman Robin Sciot-Siegrist matched Lee’s final round of 68 to finish in a share of third place with Australians Fraser and Smyth on 14 under, while Jake McLeod took sixth place on 12 under.

Sam Horsfield, who was in the first group of the day with Geoff Ogilvy and women’s competitor Peiyun Chen, moved to seventh on 11 under par, alongside fellow European Tour member Sami Valimaki of Finland.

Minjee Lee, who won her second women’s ISPS Handa Vic Open title in 2018, finished two strokes behind Hee Young Park, who overcame Hye-Jin Choi and So Yeun Ryu in a four-hole play-off to win her first LPGA title in more than six years.

 



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