Min Woo Lee feels like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders after ending his string of missed cuts with a gutsy second round that put him well in PGA Championship weekend contention.
Lee finished two rounds at the brutal Oak Hill CC in New York with a 67 that brought his total back to even par and just five shots off the lead. With play nearing the end on day two, 2022 Masters champion Scottie Scheffler shot a fine 68 and he shared the clubhouse lead at five under par with Canadian Corey Conners (68) and Norwegian star Viktor Hovland (67). Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Suh were three under, and Brooks Koepka was two under.
Perth native Lee had missed three straight cuts that began at the Masters and was heading in that direction again at the second major of the year, given he started day two at a frosty Oak Hill sitting three over the card.
But Lee jumped out of the gates with four birdies in his first five holes. He then played the next 13 holes at one over to get back in the mix for the third round.
“It’s been a while since i was really proud of my myself and the way I handled [adversity],” Lee said after his round. “It was a grind out there; a lot of par saves to keep momentum I had and it was very fun. It was gritty and that’s something I feel I’ve been lacking, especially at a major championships.”
The two-time DP World Tour winner said he gave himself a talking to after the first round. The message was simple, it’s time to toughen up.
“I needed something to switch because I’ve been playing a little sluggish,” he said. “I didn’t like missing cuts. A lot of doubt has come into my game; I’ve been switching balls and switching clubs.
“[But it’s a major championship] and I like playing in front of big crowds. Something about making those par saves gets me going.”
Lee said the demanding Oak Hill course, which plays as a par 70 with just two par 5s, was one of the most difficult he had played in a while. “I putted amazing and shot three under,” he said.
Lee, who finished T6 at the recent Players Championship, his first career top-10 on the PGA Tour, is making his eighth start of the season and second at the PGA Championship (MC/2022); as a non-member, Lee needs a solo-27th or better (35.999 points) to earn Special Temporary Membership for the remainder of the season
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox (73) and Sydney native Cam Davis (70) trailed Lee by one shot, while former Masters winner Adam Scott went from two under to two over with a 74. Lucas Herbert crafted a nice 69 to improve to four over and sneak one shot inside the projected cut line of five over.
Herbert was joined by Cameron Smith (72) at four over, while Jason Day was eight over and missed the cut, which fell at five over. Rounding out the seven-strong Australian contingent was major debutant David Micheluzzi, who at nine over also missed the cut.
