He’s considered one of social media’s favorite golfers however Min Woo Lee desires to point out his followers fewer miraculous moments as he tries to defend his Australian PGA crown at Royal Queensland this week.
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Followers shouldn’t panic as he guarantees that the Instagram and TikTok reels alongside together with his shenanigans with the group are going nowhere, however he desires much less one of many key the explanation why he has developed a cult following at dwelling and on the PGA Tour.
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‘Dr. Chipinski’ is likely one of the nicknames the 26-year-old goes by on social media attributable to his freakish capability to chip the ball into the outlet from across the inexperienced and greenside bunkers.
He did it 3 times in a spherical at this yr’s US PGA Championship – considered one of males’s golf’s 4 majors – and had the Brisbane crowd in raptures final yr when he pulled off his go to trick to make eagle on the par-5 ninth through the closing spherical.
Lee desires to have a wedge in his hand much less typically nonetheless, as he has spent the previous 12 months working onerous to hit extra greens.
The world quantity 48’s efforts have paid off with him solely lacking the lower in three of his 23 begins throughout the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the majors this yr.
“I really feel like my sport may be very near being in rivalry once more. I simply haven’t actually transformed once I’ve wanted to,” Lee mentioned.
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“As soon as facet of the sport I wanted to get higher at was my method play and the previous couple of months have form of confirmed that the work my group has accomplished has acquired there. As a result of I’m hitting it higher, changing doesn’t appear as changing as a result of I used to overlook a number of greens and make a number of up and downs.
“However now I’m hitting greens, you’re clearly not going to gap each putt, however hopefully I can hit it nearer and gap some putts.
“A win would have been wonderful however I’ve had a really constant yr which is I believe the place I might have wished to be once I first turned professional.
“There was a number of fiery finishes but additionally a number of missed cuts once I first turned professional. The final couple of years I’ve performed a number of weekends however not acquired myself into rivalry as a lot as I wished to.”
Lee twice completed runner-up on the PGA Tour this yr – considered one of which was to fellow Australian Cam Davis, who can be enjoying in Brisbane this week – as a breakthrough victory has up to now eluded him in the USA.
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His triumph on the Australian PGA final yr adopted by a third-place end on the Australian Open per week later felt like an arrival social gathering.
He has beforehand been a little bit of a flash within the pan with gorgeous feats like taking pictures a record-equalling entrance 9 30 on Sunday at The Masters in 2022 however lacking the lower in his first eight PGA Tour occasions.
There was now a brand new, electrical Australian expertise able to win trophies, whereas it has not panned out that means within the twelve months since, it seems that fortnight has been the launching pad to incomes extra pay checks week in, week out.
Constantly being there for the weekend motion has additionally been pivotal to Lee’s campaign to clean up the golf scene.
He boasts 615,000 followers on Instagram and one other 322,600 on TikTok with movies exhibiting off his unimaginable abilities in addition to his light-hearted facet.
“I’m simply attempting to make the sport cooler and enjoyable. It may be form of boring at occasions and form of a gentleman’s sport. I’m attempting to make it as enjoyable as potential,” Lee mentioned,
“There are a number of youngsters who look as much as me and that’s one of many issues that drives me to play a number of good golf.
“I grew up in that age the place the cellphone is there on a regular basis. Rising up with it, it’s first nature. It’s not totally different, it’s not bizarre to me.
“To different folks, it’s form of compelled slightly bit however I believe I’m fairly actual, and real, and pure.”
One factor that organically emerged from Lee’s social posts ultimately yr’s Australian PGA was his followers sporting chef hats.
‘Let him prepare dinner’ turned a tagline of Lee’s channels, and he even turned swept up within the frenzy when attempting to shut out his victory.
On the par 3, seventeenth – the social gathering gap – through the closing spherical, he adorned a chef hat to wild celebrations from the group who showered their hero with love.
It was not the same old antics of a pacesetter of a golf match, and even American Harry Higgs – who’s enjoying in Brisbane this week and is greatest identified for whipping his shirt off on the Phoenix Open’s social gathering gap two years in the past – mentioned on Monday that Lee’s resolution to take action was “daring”.
“I wouldn’t have accomplished it if I had a one-shot lead, I had a couple of photographs lead so I assume I used to be fairly snug and fairly assured,” Lee mentioned with amusing.
“That was the primary week that the chef hats began popping out and I’ve seen it just about all yr almost at each match. It’s a cool motion and funky assist that I’ve had.”
The antics may go to a different stage with $1 million up for grabs for members of the group on the social gathering gap on the weekend if one of many participant’s could make a hole-in-one.
“Harry would most likely take his shirt off so I’d most likely be alongside the identical highway. I may need to take my shirt off for whoever wins,” Lee mentioned.
The West Australian’s constructive angle has obtained enhance this week with Jason Day coming again to play in Australia for the primary time since 2017.
The pair have grow to be shut this yr as they represented Australia collectively on the Paris Olympic Video games, and took half within the Presidents Cup in Canada – the place Lee made his debut for the Internationals.
Day snuck out for a observe spherical at Royal Queensland early on Monday morning whereas Lee was on a airplane again from the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai – the place he completed tied twenty fourth – and the previous is eyeing a Sunday showdown together with his mentor.
“Jason’s been an excellent pal and an excellent function mannequin in the previous couple of months since Olympics and Presidents Cup. I’ve discovered so much from him,” Lee mentioned.
“Simply issues that you’d be taught down the highway. He’s telling me what he’s accomplished over what number of years he’s performed with a number of knowledge.
“He’s form of a child too, lots of people wouldn’t know, however we wish to have enjoyable and revel in our time.
“I need to be taught golf and get my identify to a different stage, and he’s there for me. After we’re out having dinners we will speak about something. He’s an excellent pal to me and it’s nice to have him in Australia. Hopefully we get to play collectively. Hopefully he performs properly and I play higher.”
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Royal Queensland was engulfed by a torrential downpour on Tuesday and extra rain is anticipated on Wednesday.
Lee believes the moist circumstances will favour an extended bomber like him, however a facet story of the approaching week is that the course is the host venue for the golf competitors for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Video games.
Brisbane could possibly be Lee’s third Olympics if he continues on his present trajectory, however he has no clue whether or not or not a house Video games can be on his radar.
“Eight years is a very long time, I don’t know. It feels a good distance away. I’ll be 34 so I don’t know,” he mentioned.
“I may be like Jason and have like six youngsters operating round.”
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