A week in the company of two of the greats of Australian golf has lit the fire within Min Woo Lee ahead of his Presidents Cup debut at Royal Montreal Golf Club.
Lee will tee it up in this week’s Procore Championship in California, his first PGA TOUR appearance in a month and what will be his final hit-out prior to joining the International team in Canada from September 26-29.
A thrill-a-minute crowd favourite wherever he plays in the world, the 26-year-old shapes as a lightning rod for an International team craving home course advantage so close to the United States.
But rather than looking for ways to ignite a parochial Canadian crowd, Lee will have the words of wisdom from two icons of Australian golf ringing in his ears.
Selected to represent Australia at the Paris Olympic Games, Lee was urged by teammate and former world No.1 Jason Day and Captain and seven-time major champion Karrie Webb to do what’s required to realise his promise of becoming one of the best players in world golf.
“Obviously we did the Olympics together and Jason has been such a big help over the last couple of months and put my mindset in a different spot,” Lee revealed.
“He’s my opponent most weeks but he is a good friend. He has put a good mindset in me, saying that I have the potential to be a really good golfer and to just work hard and not waste my potential.
“Same as Karrie, she said the same thing. Just a little bit of a mindset switch, I guess.
“I’m not saying I don’t work hard – I do work hard – but just doing that extra little bit that I should be doing because I’m still young and I can still do it and my body’s healthy.”
Lee was one of six Captain’s picks named by Mike Weir last week, joining fellow Australians Day and Adam Scott in an International team chasing its first win since the Peter Thomson-led team of 1998.
The additional Aussie influence comes courtesy of Assistant Captain Geoff Ogilvy, who is also excited at the prospect of the energy Lee will bring to the team.
“It really is a tournament where you can, not show off as such, but just go full enthusiasm more than you can in a 72-hole strokeplay tournament,” said Ogilvy, a veteran of three Presidents Cup campaigns.
“The format I think will really suit Min. He’s clearly one of the best players in the world, hits hit miles and will really bring his enthusiasm and excitement to it.
“That has an effect not just on the course, but that has an effect in the team room, too.”
But while a social media profile now boasting 598,000 followers on Instagram alone brings an audience all his own, Lee insists he won’t go to extra lengths to whip the Canadian crowd into a frenzy.
“I know it’s going to be very exciting. The crowd’s going to bring it,” added Lee, currently ranked No.40 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
“I know the Canadians love their hockey, love their sport, and there’s a few Canadians on the team so it’s going to be a massive deal.
“I’m just going to do my thing. Nothing planned, but at the end of the day we’re trying to play as good as we can.
“Nothing to hinder my golf, but a lot of excitement and a lot of support, which would be great.”
