Min Woo Lee was running away with the Texas Children’s Houston Open—until he wasn’t.

Looking for his maiden PGA Tour win, the 26-year-old Aussie had a three-stroke lead standing on the tee box of Memorial Park’s drivable par-5 16th hole. 

Then… splash. 

Slicing a tee shot that never had a chance of staying dry, Lee walked off the green with a bogey. However, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, playing in the group ahead, carded four straight birdies to get within one stroke of the lead. Simultaneously, Gary Woodland birdied the par-4 closing hole to match Scheffler after a final-round 62, which tied the course record. 

MORE: Final results, payouts from Memorial Park

Scheffler, though, parred his 72nd hole, and Lee, despite pulling his drive, was able to hold on for the victory with a par of his own on the final hole, chipping from the right rough to the back of the green and then two-putting from 54 feet, with his final putt only 8 inches. He finished at 20 under.

Lee held a four-stroke 54-hole lead, while Scheffler fell five back after a second-round 62 gave him a one-stroke advantage heading into the weekend. 

On Sunday, Lee shot a bogey-free 2 under on the front and saved par on the par-5 8th even though he took an unplayable after a wayward tee shot. Scheffler, meanwhile, stuck around and then kept inching closer to the lead during his late birdie barrage. 

Ultimately, Scheffler didn’t nab his first win of the season, but his form looks solid as he heads to Augusta in less than two weeks for his Masters title defense. 

It was a positive week for Woodland, too, as the 2019 U.S. Open champion posted his best result on Tour since being diagnosed with brain cancer in 2023. 

Lee is the younger brother of LPGA major champion Minjee Lee. They are now the first brother and sister duo to win on their respective tours. 

It didn’t come easy for Min Woo, though—and his performance in the tee box is to blame. He hit just 22 fairways (out of 52) all week, ranking T64 in the field for driving accuracy. 

But it doesn’t matter how it’s done, a win is a win—especially when holding off the world’s best player.


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Wayward Min Woo Lee Holds Off Scottie Scheffler, Gary Woodland for Houston Open Win.