Australian golf’s dynamic duo, Minjee and Min Woo Lee, are set to light up the ISPS HANDA Australian Open in December with their brother-sister act.
The siblings from Perth will tee it up in the historic first mixed-gender Open at Victoria Golf Club and Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne from December 1-4.
With men, women and All Abilities players all competing on the same stages at the same time, the Open will return after two years’ absence with its most inclusive format ever, as well as a cracking field.
The Lees will join the likes of Adam Scott, Hannah Green, Steph Kyriacou, Karrie Webb, Lucas Herbert, Cam Davis, Geoff Ogilvy, Kiwi Ryan Fox and AIG Women’s Open winner Ashleigh Buhai in the field as well as many DP World Tour players as part of the co-sanctioning agreement in place for the men’s tournament. The men’s and women’s tournaments will run concurrently with equal prizemoney of $1.7 million each.
Min Woo has two DP World Tour titles to his name having won the Vic Open and the Scottish Open in recent years. His performances in the Majors in 2022 have given a strong indication of what could lay ahead for the talented Perth player – he was tied-14th at the Masters tournament in April and tied-21st in the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews in July.
Both the Lees kickstarted their careers by winning US Junior Amateur titles (Minjee in 2012 and Min Woo in 2016); both have won Vic Open titles (Minjee in 2014-18 and Min Woo in 2019) and both are coached by Ritchie Smith at Royal Fremantle.
“I’m really pleased that I can have a crack at the Open which is high on my list of priorities and of course, to try and earn bragging rights over my sister who’s making it quite hard for me to keep up,” said Min Woo Lee. “She’s had phenomenal success, I’m very proud of her and I’ll be so happy to get out on course with her in December.”
Former Karrie Webb Scholarship holder Minjee is currently world number three having won Majors in both the past two years on the women’s circuit, highlighted by her victory at Pine Needles Golf Club in North Carolina in June this year at the US Women’s Open.
The 26-year-old has never won the Women’s Australian Open despite being in contention on numerous occasions in eight attempts, with a best finish of third at Royal Adelaide in 2017. As a 17-year-old amateur in 2014 at Victoria she was tied in the lead through 54 holes, but faded late to finish tied-11th leaving the way clear for the great Karrie Webb to win her fifth Open crown.
However she has won eight times on the LPGA Tour including two majors – one of just four Australian women to secure a major championship.
Minjee Lee said: “I’m always happy to play the Australian Open and it’s a championship that I’d be honoured to win. Everyone would love to win their national Open, and to have the chance to play alongside Min Woo just adds to the excitement for that week in Melbourne.”
