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Maybe now, Steph Curry will respond more frequently to Min Woo Lee’s Instagram DMs. Surely, the NBA legend would have seen his fellow Callaway ambassador Lee romping to a three-shot victory at the Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane. It was a win full of chip ins, highlights and cries of “Let him cook!” from the crowds.
Before the DP World Tour travelled Down Under for its Australia swing, Callaway staffer and social media whiz, Lee, had been persistent in making contact with the Golden State Warriors star and four-time NBA champion.
“Well I followed him on Instagram and I commented on one of his things, because he’s Team Callaway and he followed me back and then I messaged him,” Lee said after his three-shot Australian PGA win. “But it was funny, because I tagged him in so many stories, that when I messaged him, there was like 10 stories. I gave him a message on Instagram and he said, whenever you’re in San Fran or in the Bay area, just [sing out]. So, that was really cool.”
Lee, a former U.S. Junior champion, went one step further and pitched himself to be a member of Curry’s TGL simulator golf league team, TGL San Francisco, in 2025.
“He didn’t reply to my last [message]; I’m in the TGL and he’s an investor [in the TGL San Francisco franchise] and I messaged him and I said, ‘Get me on your team.’ He hasn’t messaged me back. We’ll wait.”
Winning the Australian PGA Championship for a third career DP World Tour title can’t have hurt his chances of joining Curry’s TGL team. Lee entered the final round with a three-shot lead at Royal Queensland and a 68 earned the Perth native a 20-under par (264) total. Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino was runner up at 17 under and Marc Leishman was third at 16 under.
Lee’s overnight lead was gone after two holes when he started the round bogey-par. But two holes later, a near-ace at the par-3 fourth, which was the first of three birdies in four holes, restored his advantage. At the 350-metre par-4 sixth, Lee used his Paradym Triple Diamond Driver (10.5°) to blast a 300-metre tee shot just short of the green for a simple up-and-down for birdie.
Lee then hit the shot of the tournament at the ninth, a 50-metre hole-out for eagle that will long live on in Australian PGA highlights.
The 25-year-old from Perth was in the rough short of the green at the 545-metre par 5 when he pitched his Chrome Soft X golf ball up the green and ran it 30 feet into the hole for a timely 3. From there, the back nine was really a formality.
“I think that was probably the best atmosphere shot I’ve ever hit,” Lee said of the hole-out. “I’ve had a few chip-ins, but at that point [the leaderboard] was getting close and I was in a pretty average position after the tee shot, so to chip that in was amazing. I want to see it straight away. I would like to see it. It was one of the best shots I’ve probably hit.”
Lee’s victory will elevate him to a career-high 38th on the Official World Golf Ranking. While he’s down in Australia, Lee has an upcoming team fitting for Australia’s 2024 golf squad (which all potential team members are invited to). Lee is also PGA Tour-bound in 2024 having secured enough non-member points to join the US circuit.
“It’s unbelievable,” Lee said of the victory. “I’ve always thought I could win, but it took a while to get over the hump. Two wins in the last month or so, I’m really proud of my team and myself. There are no limits. I want to be the No.1 player in the world.”
After it was all over, Lee delighted the Brisbane crowds by wearing a chef’s hat that paid homage to his social media catchphrase, “Let him cook!”
The clubs Min Woo Lee used to win the 2023 Australian PGA Championship
Driver: Paradym Triple Diamond (10.5°) with Fujikura Ventus Blue 6X Shaft
Fairway Wood: Paradym Triple Diamond (16.5°) with Fujikura Ventus Blue 10X Shaft
Utility iron: X Forged UT (2-iron) with True Temper AMT Tour White Shaft
Irons: Apex MB (4-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 Shafts
Wedge: Jaws MD 5 (50°) with Nippon NS Pro Modus Shaft
Putter: Odyssey Tri Hot 5K Double Wide
Ball: Chrome Soft X
