Min Woo Lee now has Augusta National in sights
Min Woo Lee – file photo
Min Woo Lee has fallen just one short of a third DP World Tour victory when finishing one shot behind the winner, Victor Perez of France, at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in Abu Dhabi overnight.
Lee, who shared the 54 hole lead into the final round at the Yas Links Abu Dhabi, recovered from a slow start to his final round with five birdies in eight holes through the middle of his round but a bogey at the 17th was made even worse as it came just ten minutes after Perez had holed a bunker shot for birdie at the same hole to take a two shot lead to the final hole.
Perez would bogey the last but with Lee and Perez’s playing partner and joint runner-up finisher, Sebastian Soderberg, unable to eagle (Lee) or birdie (Soderberg) the last, they fell one short.
The finish will however move Lee just inside the top 50 in the world and open up the opportunity, should he stay there, to play The Masters Augusta in early April.
The leading 50 players in the world in the week prior to the Masters and not otherwise exempt earn the right to play at Augusta National.
Lee finished 16th on debut at the Masters in 2022, just outside those automatically invited back.
Lee’s fellow West Australian, Jason Scrivener, also recorded a fine finish when he played the final nine in 32 today to finish tied for 7th, which along with his runner-up finish at the Australian PGA Championship leaves him in 5th place in the current DP World Tour rankings.
New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier finished 46th and Ryan Fox 65th after Fox had worked his way into contention with a second round of 66.
The winner, Perez, it was his third DP World Tour victory.
“It feels fantastic,” said Perez. “I thought you always need a bit of fortune and there’s always the deciding shots coming down the stretch that can make or break. To hole that bunker shot on 17 is probably going to be a highlight for a little bit I hope. I’m not expecting the guys not to do incredible shots but yeah, I was delighted with that, and six was enough on 18.
“I was actually able to have a nice break. I decided not to play in December to focus on the season ahead with all the objectives that are coming up with the ten cards for the PGA TOUR. There is the Ryder Cup; there is so much going on.
“Last week was a nice glimpse of where my game was at but again, it’s match play. You have a partner that’s going to help you out. Guido (Migliozzi) bailed me out many of times last week where it made me look good and all of a sudden you’re playing your own.
“To come out and put it together for 72 holes on a tough golf course with the wind, having played only one round with cool weather on Friday morning, yeah, I was delighted with the victory.”
