Newsmakers of the Month: Minjee and Min Woo Lee
They remain focused on winning golf’s biggest tournaments, but the superstar siblings have now put their name to a tournament of their own.
The Webex Players Series Perth hosted by Minjee and Min Woo Lee will be played in January 2025 at Royal Fremantle Golf Club, the club where Minjee first began her golf journey as an 8-year-old and where Min Woo also played his junior golf.
Although their respective international schedules may prevent the pair from teeing it up on their home track, they want to make themselves available to the next wave of Australian golfers with aspirations to follow their lead.
“If they have any questions, we’re going to answer them,” said Minjee, a two-time major champion. “We’re very easy to approach, I’d hope. It will be good for us to be around them and get to know them and if they have any questions, we’re there to help.
“They can get the feel for what it’s like to play on a bigger stage with crowds and get that experience under their belt before heading to the professional scene.”
“We’re all about being great golfers but also having juniors and anyone of any age ask us questions,” Min Woo added. “We’re always open. We’ve got social media too, so that definitely helps and we always like to help.”
The addition of an event in Perth will take the total number of Webex Players Series events to six for the 2024-2025 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season.
Headliners
Gabi Ruffels: After her three-win season, Ruffels was officially anointed as the 2023 Epson Tour Order of Merit winner, the first Australian to top that circuit’s moneylist.
Simon Hawkes: Produced a brilliant up-and-down from the sand on the 72nd hole to win the Nexus Advisernet/Bowra & O’Dea WA Open at Joondalup Resort.
John Kinghorn: Along with wife Jill, Kinghorn established the Kinghorn Foundation that has funded numerous initiatives designed to foster development opportunities for young Australian golfers. John passed away aged 81.
Peter Margin: The experienced director and businessman was appointed chair of Golf Australia, succeeding Andrew Newbold who stood down after four years in the role.
Scott Hend: In his first tournament in the senior ranks, Hend birdied six holes on the trot on the back nine to claim the WINSTONgolf Senior Open on the Legends Tour in Europe.
Daniel Gale: Claimed his first win on the PGA Tour of Australasia since the 2017 PNG Open, taking out the Tailor-made Building Services NT PGA.
Riley Millers and Sarah Hammett: Millers, from Avondale Golf Club, and Hammett, of Emerald Lakes on the Gold Coast, made it an all-Aussie affair by winning the Jack Newton International Junior Classic.
Lachlan Wood: The third-year PGA associate at Hervey Bay continued his outstanding year, taking out the 36-hole final of the Pampling Plate, 3&2, over Indooroopilly associate Dylan Knox at Caboolture Golf Club.
Harrison Crowe: Playing in his first event since turning professional, Crowe made a hole-in-one on his eighth hole during the first round of the WA Open at Joondalup. Crowe holed a 7-iron from 169 metres at the par-3 17th.
Four Nations Cup: The Australian team of Scott Laycock, TJ King, Jayden Cripps and Brad McLellan completed an undefeated final day at Moonah Links to edge New Zealand and South Africa at the annual tournament between members of the national PGA bodies.
Jye Pickin and Justice Bosio: Two of Australia’s top amateurs claimed their respective titles at the South Australian Amateur Championship at Kooyonga Golf Club.
They Did What?
Hole-in-one bragging rights don’t last long in the Lowden family. Playing the ‘King/Queen of the Hills’ event at Cardinia Beaconhills Golf Club in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges, Sharon made an ace at the par-3 15th soon after the shotgun start. Just two hours later, Sharon’s husband, Ralph, also had a hole-in-one on the same hole.
Getty images: Daniel pockett
