Min Woo Celebrates 21st Macau Open Winning A Third Career Title On Three Different Continents

2 years ago by Comments Off on Min Woo Celebrates 21st Macau Open Winning A Third Career Title On Three Different Continents

Champion Aussie golfer Min Woo Lee is celebrating the 21st hosting of the Macau Open winning a third pro career title on three different continents.

Lee, 25, was never headed over the four rounds of the prestigious Asian Tour title event in posting a closing score of 63 to win by two shots with a very impressive 30-under-par tally on the host Macau Golf and Country Club.

The Perth golfer posted earlier rounds of 62, 64 and 65 to deny Thailand’s Poon Saksansin who matched Lee’s closing 63 in finishing runner-up at 28-under.

Lee’s victory is his third pro career success after capturing the 2020 ISPS Handa Vic Open (Joint Australian/DP World Tour event) and the 2021 prestigious Genesis Scottish Open, also one of the top DP World Tour titles.

As well, Lee becomes the fifth Australian-born winner in this year’s 21st anniversary in the hosting of the event that was first staged in 1998, and returning to the Asian Tour schedule this year for a first occasion since 2017.

For a second day running Lee capped his round eagling the par-5 13th hole.

Remarkably over the four days Lee grabbed three eagles, 25 birdies and only two bogey.

Lee headed into the last day leading by two from Saksansin and if there was a turning point in Lee’s favour it was at the par-five 13th, where the Aussie opened up a four-stroke cushion after he made an eagle, for the second day in row, against Poom’s par.

A wild drive a long way left on the short par-four 15th by Lee gave Poom a glimmer of hope, but his ball stayed away from trouble. He had a clear shot to the green and was able to avert disaster and make a comfortable par.

Predictably Poom refused to submit and made birdies on the next two holes to close the gap to two before they both made four on the par-five 18th.

“I love it,” said Lee.

“As soon as the week started I had a couple of days rest because of the typhoon, and the course was looking amazing from the beginning. Obviously, it was pretty bad for a couple of days there, so it was props to the green keepers for keeping the course in such good condition.

“And yeah, I played wonderful, really flawless golf for a lot of the holes, there was only a few holes that I could really look back on. But yeah, I’m really proud of the way I handled myself.”

Lee’s score smashed the event’s previous lowest winning total of 20 under, set by Australian Scott Hend in 2015 and was just two short of the Asian Tour record, which Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat set at the SAIL Open in 2009, at the Classic Golf and Country Club in India, when he finished 32-under-par.

“Poom played unbelievable today, he’s a bad mofo! He never left, he just stayed around. I tried my best and ended up on top, but he was giving it to me for the whole time”, said Lee in also winning the $US 200,000 first prize cheque.

It is his first victory since claiming the Scottish Open in July of 2021 and while he was winning in Macau, his sister and two-time Major winner Minjee Lee tied for 12th in the Buick LPGA Shanghai.

For Poom it was yet another fine performance coming off the back of his success in the Yeangder TPC last month and a joint third placing in last week’s International Series Singapore.

“I don’t know when I’ll be able to putt like this again,” said Poom, whose win at the Yeangder TPC was his first in five years and fourth Asian Tour title.

“I would say that I played very well today but needed a miracle to win. Like I said yesterday I would have to hit at least 10-under to win today. Lee is a very good player. He hits it very far and had a very good game plan. His chipping and putting are awesome. He should have been better than 30-under-par.”



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