27 Nov 2024 | Australian Open | Tournaments | Professional golf |
#AusOpen: Can the Lees improve their report cards this week?
by Patrick Taylor
When asked today at Kingston Heath Golf Club to grade his year as a professional golfer, Min Woo Lee gave himself a B, and after one of her only winless years as a professional on LPGA Tour, sister Minjee's grade for 2024 wouldn’t be as high as she would like.
To some a B is just fine, completely acceptable, for others B could even be cause for celebration, but for a golfer who's steady rise to the top has been relatively linear since he was a teenager, Min Woo seemed slightly disappointed with the grading.
In the 12 months since his stunning win at last year's Australian PGA Championship, Lee has not recorded a win, his tied-third finish at the 2023 ISPS HANDA Australian Open a week later the latest of his close calls.
He also had two runner-up finishes in his first fulltime year on the PGA TOUR.
What Lee was also able to accomplish included qualifying for the PGA TOUR Playoffs, and remain in the top-50 on the Official World Golf Rankings, which are no small feats.
"At the end of the day, it wasn't too bad of a year," Lee said. "Had some good finishes but had a very consistent year, which I'm not really known for.
"I am trying to get to that stage. I feel like you kind of have a taste of the consistency and you're kind of like, ‘oh top 20, top 30 again and again’."
Making a name for himself with bursts of brilliance, and fireworks on the golf course, maybe it's not disappointment and just the fact he is still getting used to his newfound steadiness.
Minjee meanwhile, fresh off a flight from the US, while clearly not thrilled with her year on the LPGA Tour, but seemed happy to be back in her home country with the pressure slightly off.
Whenever Australian great Karrie Webb returned to the Australian Open, winning was the expectation, anything else a failure.
It's an expectation Minjee took on, but this year the expectation has probably been handed over to fellow West Australian star Hannah Green, a three-time LPGA Tour winner in 2024.
With the pressure off, it might finally be time for Minjee to breakthrough in her home open.
"Because it's my national title, I think I've put a little bit more added pressure just on myself to perform and have a good result," said Minjee at Kingston Heath today.
"Sometimes it does work in my favour and sometimes it doesn't, and I think more often than not, it has not worked in my favour."
The pressure was on Min Woo last year at The Australian too, hot off his big win in Brisbane and leading after three rounds, it wasn't to be.
Both Minjee and Min Woo will have to overcome other hurdles this week. Min Woo has an ongoing knee issue, while Minjee has to tee it up on Thusday without seeing the course.
The only chance she had for a practice round was Wednesday afternoon, and with both courses closed due to weather, the first look she will get will be her 7:11am tee time at Victoria tomorrow.
This year the Lees have less expectation, publicly at least, and that might be exactly what they need. Such is the nature of the Open, and how highly they regard it, a win for both here may turn their grades for 2024 into a least an A.
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