Lee Min Woo wins Australian PGA Championship for third DP World Tour title

BRISBANE – Min Woo Lee held his nerve after a shaky start to fire a three-under 68 and win the Australian PGA Championship by three strokes from Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino on Nov 26.

The 25-year-old Australian went into the final day at Royal Queensland Golf Club in Brisbane three clear of Hoshino and mixed five birdies and a spectacular chip-in eagle with four bogeys to seal his third DP World Tour title.

He carded a 20-under 264 for the tournament, building on a successful year in which he won the Macau Open on the Asian Tour in October and earned 2024 playing rights for the US PGA Tour.

But another victory on the DP World Tour had eluded him until now, having broken through for his first European win at the 2020 Vic Open, before claiming the 2021 Scottish Open title.

“It’s unbelievable. I’ve always thought I could win, it took a while to get over the hump,” said Lee, whose sister Minjee is the women’s world No. 5.

“But two wins in the last month or so, I’m really proud of my team and myself. I made it interesting for myself early on and through the middle, but I ended up hanging on,” added Lee, after his triumph in the DP World Tour’s 2024 season opener.

Six-time Japan Tour winner Hoshino put up a gutsy fight in his first tournament in Australia, hauling in Lee’s overnight three-shot advantage by the second hole.

But he could not maintain the momentum and ended with a 68 for outright second on a day that saw Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, who plays on the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series, sink a hole-in-one on the par-three fourth. It was the second ace of the tournament after Australian Curtis Luck did the same at the 17th two days earlier.

Niemann carded a 67 to finish fifth on 13 under, two shots behind Luck (69) in fourth. Fellow LIV Golf star Marc Leishman was third after a day’s best 64 left him four strokes behind Lee.

Defending champion and one of LIV Golf’s stars, Cameron Smith, missed the cut.

Lee suffered early nerves, over-hitting his approach at the first to open with a bogey then par, while confident playing partner Hoshino drilled consecutive birdies as the Australian’s overnight three-shot lead evaporated.

But Lee kept his cool to restore his three-shot advantage by the sixth after two well-taken birdies following aggressive drives, coupled with a bogey from Hoshino.

A long-range eagle at the par-five ninth gave Lee a four-stroke cushion as he pumped the air in celebration to a huge ovation before surviving a roller-coaster back nine featuring three bogeys and two birdies. AFP