Aussie PGA Pro shifts focus from gold to $60m
Goals Shift as Min Woo Lee Eyes PGA Tour Playoffs at Wyndham Championship Professional golfers often experience rapid shifts in their goals, and Min Woo Lee is no exception. Although he’s currently sporting his Australian Olympic golf bag at the Wyndham Championship, his primary focus isn’t on an Olympic gold medal—it’s on securing his first-ever…
Goals Shift as Min Woo Lee Eyes PGA Tour Playoffs at Wyndham Championship
Professional golfers often experience rapid shifts in their goals, and Min Woo Lee is no exception. Although he’s currently sporting his Australian Olympic golf bag at the Wyndham Championship, his primary focus isn’t on an Olympic gold medal—it’s on securing his first-ever spot in the PGA Tour playoffs.
Lee, who recently finished 22nd in the Paris Olympics, is back on course in North Carolina for the final event of the regular season. A strong performance at the Wyndham Championship is crucial for Lee to keep his rookie season alive and join the elite group of players vying for over $60 million in prize money over the next month.
In his first full season on the PGA Tour, Lee, currently ranked No. 36 in the world, finds himself in a precarious position. He’s ranked 62nd on the FedEx Cup standings, teetering dangerously close to the top-70 cutoff required to qualify for the first playoff event in Memphis.
Only the top 30 players from the playoffs will make it to the season-ending Tour Championship.
Among the Australians, only Lee’s Olympic teammates Jason Day and Cam Davis are ranked higher. Notably, Adam Scott is also outside the top 70 and will not be competing this week.
Despite a challenging start, Lee is motivated by his Olympic experience and is fully focused on the season’s climax.
“It’s special. Representing your country comes with some pressure. The first day was tough—I felt like I let the country down—but I made sure to bounce back, and I think I did a pretty good job the next three days,” Lee said. “I’m looking forward to the next couple of tournaments.”
Ireland’s Shane Lowry is another golfer who made a swift return from Paris to compete at Sedgefield Country Club. Like Lee, Lowry is eager to secure his first-ever spot in the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta.
Reflecting on his Olympic experience, where he carried the Irish flag during the opening ceremony, Lowry described it as “an amazing week for golf” and emphasized the importance of the sport’s inclusion in the Games.
“It was an amazing week for golf in the Olympics, and I think it will continue to grow,” Lowry said. “We had a great podium, which helps, and great people to promote the game. I believe golf in the Olympics should be here to stay.
“For me personally, those were some of the best 10 days of my career—from carrying the flag for Ireland to playing for my country.”