One of world golf’s most exciting young talents, Min Woo Lee, will be returning to Sydney for the 2023 ISPS Handa Australian Open at The Australian Golf Club and The Lakes Golf Club.
The world No.47 has enjoyed a spectacular year, highlighted by securing PGA Tour status thanks to a string of high tournament finishes, including a top-five finish at the US Open and top 10s in the Players Championship and Travelers Championship.
On the DP World Tour, he finished second in the HSBC Championship and currently sits fifth in the Race to Dubai standings.
A past winner of the Vic Open, the 25-year-old is chasing his first victory in one of the Aussie ‘majors’. In last year’s Australian Open, he finished third behind Poland’s Adrian Meronk and fellow Australian Adam Scott, following up a tie for fourth at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship the week before.
Lee will join DP World Tour and PGA Tour winner Lucas Herbert and LPGA Tour star Steph Kyriacou at this year’s Australian Open, which will again feature the joint tournament format with the men’s and women’s Opens, as well as the Australian All Abilities Championship, being contested on the same golf courses at the same time.
The dual Australian Opens will carry a minimum of $3.4 million prizemoney.
Lee, who is an ISPS Handa ambassador, will play in both Australian ‘majors’ in the Summer of Golf, starting his campaign at home at the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland the week before the Australian Open.
Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland said Lee’s unique flare and outgoing personality would be a big hit when he comes back home this summer.
“Min Woo Lee is one of the most exciting golfers in the world, and we are thrilled to see him back,” Sutherland said.
“A fantastic ambassador for our game, Min Woo continues to take the game head-on and this approach resonates strongly with his growing number of fans here and overseas.”
The Australian Open, played from November 30 to December 3, is the marquee event on the PGA Tour of Australasia and WPGA Tour of Australasia’s schedules. The 2023 event will again feature a joint tournament format that will bring fans closer than ever to their favourite men and women golfers, playing for different titles on the same course, at the same time.
In addition to the Men’s Australian Open and Women’s Australian Open titles, the event will again prove that golf is a sport for all with the Australian All Abilities Championship (AAAC).
The men’s event will be co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia and DP World Tour, ensuring Australian golf is on the world stage for two consecutive weeks of the summer with the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship staged at Royal Queensland the week prior.
The WPGA Tour of Australasia will again sanction the women’s event with the Patricia Bridges Bowl going to the winner, while the men will play for the Stonehaven Cup.
This year’s Australian Open will also feature the fourth edition of the Australian All Abilities Championship, which assembles the top World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) players supported by global partners EDGA and G4D Tour.
The Australian Open will again be broadcast on Foxtel, Kayo, Nine and 9Now.
