Lee goes low to seize the glory
Sizzling 64 sets up play-off win for young Aussie in thrilling finale
THE greatest round of his life? Well, only Min Woo Lee will know the answer to that one. Yet, at 22 years of age, the young Australian’s fledgling career has never known success on this scale.
In the end, his triumph as the Scottish Open champion of 2021 was richly deserved on what was a thrilling final day at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick.
At one point, six players were tied for the lead on 15-under par. It was perhaps unsurprising, then, that such a logjam should be decided in a play-off, where Lee overcame Matt Fitzpatrick and Thomas Detry.
Firstly, though, some numbers. The biggest pay cheque of Lee’s career thus far saw him scoop just over £1.1million in prize money in this Rolex Series event, one of the crown jewels of the European Tour.
His world ranking of 240 is also now a thing of the past. He shot 64 on the final day to win this tournament. And he did win it, of that there can be no doubt.
Lee started the final round three shots adrift of the overnight leaders, England’s Fitzpatrick and Detry of Belgium.
It was those two players he then defeated in extra-time. Playing the 18th as the first play-off hole, Lee’s birdie three was enough to get the job done.
Yet, still, we must go back to the numbers to understand the extent of what he achieved.
An astonishing run of six straight birdies on his front nine set the course alight. On a day of low scoring and red-hot numbers, Lee was a man on fire.
He followed that with one further birdie on his inward nine, a flawless seven under round of 64 wiping out the overnight advantage held by Fitzpatrick and Detry.
Fitzpatrick, of course, had been hoping for an early finish in order to make a quick dash down to Wembley, but those plans were scuppered after a 90-minute weather delay late in the piece.
When play restarted just before 6pm, it was Lee who held his nerve after the players finished tied at the top. He won it in style by rolling in a brilliant putt for a birdie three.
It brought a second win in successive weeks for the Aussies, after Lucas Herbert triumphed in last week’s Irish Open.
But it was perhaps the words of Collin Morikawa which were most instructive. Given that Morikawa, the US PGA champion of 2020, hasn’t got much wrong since arriving on tour, we should perhaps have known to trust his judgment.
Morikawa spoke in an interview earlier this year of his admiration for Lee. They were regular sparring partners in their days together on the amateur circuit.
There is a clear mutual respect between both players and Morikawa, who finished in a tie for 71st yesterday, was tipping his friend to achieve big things in the game.
And so it came to fruition yesterday. This was the day when Lee became the new King of Scotland, courtesy of a final round fit to win any championship.
The young Aussie, whose sister Minjee Lee was runner-up in the Ladies Scottish Open at nearby Gullane in 2018, can reflect on a second European Tour win.
He has now secured a place in this week’s Open Championship at Royal St George’s, a nice little bonus after a victory which elevates his career into a whole new stratosphere.
Lee took advantage of the weather delay to watch the end of the men’s singles final at Wimbledon and said: ‘It was nice to see Djokovic come in and do his interview. I thought that was a good feeling and I might want to do that.
‘It was an awesome day. I was pretty proud of the way I played and six birdies in a row was pretty sweet.
‘It’s crazy. I dreamed of it last night and to the people back home staying up late watching me and sending me messages, this one’s for you too.
‘I could have made more putts in regulation but we regrouped and the tournament restarts in the play-off pretty much.’
Lee was also delighted with the added bonus of a slot at The Open, adding: ‘That’s crazy too. I was not really thinking about The Open because I needed to do well here first. It’s a bonus being in that but it’s awesome.’
The quality of Lee’s victory is perhaps best illustrated by some of the names below him on the leaderboard. He held off a stellar cast list.
Jon Rahm looked like he might be the man to beat. But the big-hitting Spaniard couldn’t quite overpower the course in the way that we’ve seen him do so often.
Too many loose shots and a cold putter saw him fail to generate any momentum in a final round which saw him eventually sign for a 68, two shots back from the leaders on 16 under.
US Open champion Rahm will actually now lose his World No1 spot to Dustin Johnson when the new rankings are put out this morning.
In the form of his life, though, Rahm will nevertheless head to Royal St George’s as the man to beat.
Ian Poulter also gave it a hell of a run yesterday, with a flawless round of 63 elevating him to 17-under in a thrilling final-day surge up the leaderboard.
For a while, that total looked like it might be enough to trouble the frontrunners, particularly with some wet weather setting in late in the afternoon.
Poulter was among the early starters and would no doubt have been doing a raindance. His chances were improving as the weather worsened.
In the end, it wasn’t to be. The veteran Englishman agonisingly lipped out for birdie on the 17th. Had that putt dropped, he would have made it into the play-off.
For Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, a closing 69 saw him card all four rounds in the 60s and finish in a tie for 18th place.
It represented a solid week for the 24-year-old on home soil. MacIntyre’s preparations had been disrupted after Covid issues forced him to withdraw from last week’s Irish Open at Mount Juliet in Kilkenny.
But he feels like he’s now in a much more positive frame of mind heading to The Open Championship at Royal St George’s this week.
Asked if he’s feeling optimistic about his chances as he makes the journey down south, MacIntyre replied: ‘Yeah, majorly.
‘It’s not often I go to golf tournaments feeling really comfortable and know what’s going on with certain shots. I feel really comfortable just now with my golf game and within myself.
‘I know what I need to work on. I know little things I need to sharpen up. My whole team have done a great job of putting in a good shift.
‘I just need so sharpen up shorter putts. Today was better. I started trusting my lines.
‘I don’t think there’s much reflection needed at all. It’s all there in front of me.’