Min Woo Lee extends lead at Australian PGA Championship
Min Woo Lee gets his round underway today – image Australian Golf Media
Min Woo Lee began round three at the Australian PGA Championship seemingly locked in a battle against one of his golfing idols over the final 36 holes, Adam Scott, but, in golf, the obvious does not always work out the way they are meant to and while Scott is not altogether out of things, Lee’s nearest rival for tomorrow’s final round is now Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino.
Hoshino stormed into contention with a third round of 64 to be just three shots behind the leader with West Australian Curtis Luck another shot back and alone in third place.
While Hoshino is not a recognizable name in this country, he is a six-time winner and five times runner-up on on the Japan Golf Tour and his round of 64 today, including a homeward nine of 29, suggests he might yet offer Lee a battle for his first flagship title in Australia tomorrow.
Lee has won the Vic Open as a European Tour event previously but this is the time-honored Australian PGA Championship and will be a significant feather in the 25-year-old’s cap.
Lee built on his overnight lead early and by the turn he was two ahead of Scott and three ahead of Curtis Luck and Lucas Herbert but three birdies on the way home stretched his lead to three as Scott and Herbert dropped off the pace.
Lee was delighted ahead of tomorrow’s final round. “Again I played pretty solid. A couple of mistakes but that happens and overall pretty happy with the way I went today.
“I expected to play pretty well this week. I have been hitting the ball so well all year and the results have been there. I stuffed up on 8 today but other than that I think everything has been up to par in terms of how I have been going.
“Tomorrow hopefully I can keep going. I can only control what I can do and tomorrow hopefully I end up happy with the way I played.
“I’m here because I have played aggressively all week and played to my game plan and that will be the same tomorrow.”
Luck and Lee played a lot in junior golf in Perth although their careers have taken different directions since.
Luck added a seven birdie third round of 66 to move into contention albeit four behind Lee.
“We completely grew up together and played all the time, and played all the same events growing up,” said Luck of Lee. “So yeah, it’s going to be amazing. I haven’t played with Min Woo – I haven’t even played with Min Woo in probably 10 years, let alone in a tournament, so I’m super looking forward to it.”
“He was always a great player, there’s no doubt about it and like a prospect out of WA. I think we all knew that he was going to be good. He’s always been a bit of a stud.”
Lee, Luck and Hoshino will play in the final group together tomorrow.
