PGA Tour sensation Min Woo Lee was slapped with a one-shot penalty during the third round of the Masters, adding to his challenges on what was already a difficult day. The stakes were high with massive prize money on the line, even for golfing legends Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson who will pocket a tidy sum despite not making the cut.
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy dazzled fans as he surged to the top of the leaderboard on Day 3, continuing his fine form from Friday’s round which unfolded just as his ex Caroline Wozniacki threw a sly jibe his way during an ESPN interview at Augusta. However, not all players enjoyed success on the pivotal moving day, with Lee facing a setback.
The drama unfolded after he called in officials to check whether he had caused the ball to move whilst on the fairway at the par-five 13th. The ruling went against him, resulting in a bogey six for the hole.
Augusta National Tournament Headquarters issued a statement saying: “On hole No. 13, Min Woo Lee asked for assistance after his ball moved on the fairway”, reports the Mirror US.
The statement continued, “It was determined his actions near the ball did cause it to move and one penalty stroke was added to his score under Rule 9.4b.”
This penalty marked another unfortunate turn in a round that Lee would rather forget, especially following his recent triumph at the Texas Children’s Houston Open just two weeks prior.
The 26-year-old Australian is competing in his fourth Masters at Augusta National, having made his debut in 2022. That year, he achieved his best finish to date, tying for 14th place, while Scottie Scheffler took the title.
However, in 2023, he failed to make the cut, and 12 months ago, he finished tied for 22nd.
This time, Lee started strong, shooting a one-under-par 71 on Thursday and a level-par 72 on Friday, placing him mid-pack going into the weekend. Unfortunately, his performance declined on moving day.
Despite starting well, with a one-under score through the first three holes, his first bogey at the par-four fifth hole marked the beginning of a downturn. He went on to incur five more bogies, including a penalty at the 14th hole, resulting in a challenging finish.
Ultimately, Lee signed off with a five-over 77, leaving him six-over for the tournament. Prior to the event, Lee was feeling optimistic about his game, having recently secured his first PGA Tour victory in Houston.
In his characteristic relaxed tone, he stated before the tournament, “Yeah, I had a nice relaxing week after Houston. Yeah, it’s been great. Obviously, the confidence is high. Hopefully, I can keep that form going. Yeah, it’s been very positive.”
Lee will have the opportunity to rebound on Sunday during the fourth round.
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