Houston (AFP) – Australia’s Min Woo Lee held off a final day charge from world number one Scottie Scheffler to clinch his first PGA Tour title on Sunday with a one-shot victory at the Houston Open. Lee, who had opened up a four-stroke lead with a dazzling 63 in Saturday’s third round, carded a closing three-under-par 67 to finish on 20-under at Memorial Park.
The 26-year-old from Perth withstood ferocious pressure down the stretch from Scheffler, who posted a 63 to finish tied for second alongside Gary Woodland. “It’s hard, really hard,” a relieved Lee said after his triumph. “Scottie is a wonderful golfer and he keeps you on your toes. This is my first time being in front and trying to hold a lead. I’m glad I got it done, but man, I’m just very exhausted. It was a lot of mental grind. I’m so proud of the way I handled myself.”
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Lee, who has won four times on the European and Asian tours, had looked to be cruising to victory after going bogey-free through 15 holes to lead by three shots with three to play. But after a flawless round to that point, Lee wobbled on the par-five 16th, slashing his tee shot into the water before salvaging a bogey. Scheffler, playing in the group immediately ahead of Lee, had meanwhile missed an eagle putt on the 16th that would have given him a share of the lead. Instead, the two-time major champion settled for a birdie to move within one of the Australian with two holes remaining.
Woodland, meanwhile, had entered the equation with a scintillating eight-under-par 62, equalling the course record which Scheffler had matched in Friday’s second round. Former US Open champion Woodland had moved to within one of Lee with a brilliant birdie on the par-four 18th, drilling a 199-yard second shot to two feet of the hole to tap in for three.
Scheffler still had a chance to force his way into the reckoning on the 18th. But desperately needing a birdie to put the pressure on Lee, Scheffler under-hit his second shot to leave himself just off the green and 77 feet from the pin. He recovered to make par, but it left Lee heading to the 18th with a one-shot lead and knowing that a par would be enough for victory.
Lee had to work hard to seal his win though. Lee’s tee shot on 18 went wide of the fairway before he went through the back of the green with his second, which left him 53 feet from the hole. But with the tension building, Lee produced a brilliant putt to within inches of the hole, allowing him to tap in for par and victory.
Finland’s Sami Valimaki finished alone in fourth place on 17 under, three off the lead, after a course-record 62, while Rory McIlroy, Wyndham Clark, and Taylor Pendrith were tied for fifth on 15 under. McIlroy closed with a six-under-par 64 which included six birdies and an eagle.
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