…. Jumeirah Estates, Dubai
Min Woo Lee was heading home ‘proud’ of his efforts after a fourth full season on the DP World Tour.
Lee, 24, birdied the closing hole for a second day running in a three-under 679 for a seven-under tally and a share of 12th place at the year-ending DP World Tour Championship here on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Estates.
The effort handed the Perth golfer an eventual season-ending 34th place on the DP World Tour money-list, and also at the close of the Tour’s 50th year anniversary.
Ming Woo Lee and his young friend Tommy, who the Aussie presented his caddy bib to following his 12th place finish in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship. (Photo @TourMiss)
A slight disappointment for Lee was finishing four places shy in securing an automatic tee-time into next year’s 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool but in currently lying at 66th on the World Rankings (To be adjusted post the PGA Tour’s RSM Classic) I would say there is a strong chance the young Aussie could find himself inside the top-50 by next July.
Of course, Lee brilliantly capped his season with a T14th in the Masters, an effort that saw him finish just two places shy of an automatic 2023 Augusta tee time for finishing inside the top-12 and there again, if he’s inside the top-50 as at December 31st there is his automatic invitation back to Augusta National
“The Masters was definitely the highlight of my year, as that was wonderful to play all four rounds and I was excited to finish where I did,” he said.
Lee contested just 14 DP World Tour events this season and splitting his time also competing on the PGA main our and the Tours secondary Korn Ferry Tour.
Among his best finishes on the DP World Tour were back-to-back third place results late in the season, and both in Spain including the first when he paired with eventual champion and overwhelming crowd favourite Jon Rahm at the Spanish Open.
Lee kept that form going to share eighth place a week later at the Nedbank Challenge and then wound-up in Dubai with a great share of 12th in the season-closing DP World Tour Championship.
“It’s been an amazing last handful of events for me on the DP World Tour, and it would have been amazing to finish top-10 but then a share of 12th is a pretty good result in a world-class field,” he said.
“Looking back it’s been great to post three top-10s in my last four events, so it’s been great to finish the DP World season on a high note and before that .. well I did well in the majors which is key but I did not finish well in the normal tournaments I contested.
“Career-wise, I feel as though I am getting stronger with every ‘stat’ across the board as I am driving the ball better while my approach game probably needs a bit more help but it’s trending in the right direction while putting and chipping are really good.
“Across the board, everything has got a little bit tighter and especially mentally as I have got along a bit better and I’ve let affect me too much.
“So, I’m happy to leave Dubai on a high note and look forward to the flight home to Australia and teeing-up in the Aussie PGA and Aussie Open.”
He teed-up in a dozen PGA Tour events from early February though to the new co-sanctioned Scottish Open in July, that he was defending, to the following week’s 150th Open at St. Andrews.
Though it was a disappointing spell competing on the world’s biggest tour, missing the halfway cut in all but four tournaments, though remarkably three of those were in the majors with a best result of 14th on debut at the Masters, 27th also in a maiden US Open and then a share of 21st in a second straight Open Championship.
Lee also found his way onto the Korn Ferry tour where he contested three events from late August to early September, making the cut in one.
Now after criss-crossing the Atlantic Ocean for much of his year, the double DP World Tour winner was heading ‘down under’ for the two co-sanctioned very close to the Pacific Ocean and they are Fortinet Australian PGA Championship at the famed Royal Queensland and the following weeks, and co-sanctioned for an historic first occasion, the ISPS Handa Australian Open.
“I’m excited to be getting back home and playing in front of an Aussie crowd and as I said, I’m going to be teeing-up in both events with a real spring in my step given four top-10s in my last four tournaments,” he said.
“And who’s to say what may happen as to win either the PGA or the Aussie Open would be the real icing on my good season cake.”
