Years in the making, the 26-year-old golfer Min Woo Lee, with an evident entertaining showmanship, had an aura of calm in the Texas Children’s Houston Open Finals, focused solely on the goal. And when the final round was down, we heard the announcer say, “Well, we just found out that Min Woo Lee’s got the right stuff.” Min Woo Lee is finally a PGA Tour Champion. But it wasn’t easy.

On Sunday, Min Woo was a target to beat for the reigning Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and the 4x PGA Tour winner Gary Woodland who made some mention-worthy charges in the game to get as much pressure on Mr. Chef as they could. And he knew as he spoke “That’s why Sundays are so tough. You know people are creeping. You know people are attacking.” But he cooked them alright!

With his 55-foot putt settling just inches from the 18th hole, Lee knew his promises were coming to fruition. He beat his chest after animatedly giving his caddie a high five, because his tap-in par for a 3-under 67 was a confirmation that this win is his to take. His 20-under 260 finish also brought him the tournament record that he broke by four shots. Yes, he was zoned-in on Sunday. But when he knew he had done it, he went back to his usual self, making Scottie laugh as he sent him a message after the win.

Scheffler spoke to the press after his brilliant last round, “Well, yeah, I think you always want to be aware of what’s going on, just trying to put as much pressure on Min Woo as I could have. I was hoping to be able to do that on the front nine, I wasn’t able to get off to a good enough start.”

Scheffler only got two birdies in the front nine, which Lee matched. Therefore, the real competition came on the second stretch, but by then it was too late for the American golfer. To his credit, Min Woo Lee did not let the pressure get to him.

Lee started the day with a comprehensive four-stroke lead and five ahead of Scottie Scheffler. But the World No.1 refused to give up, using every iota of his experience and guile to try and maneuver himself into a first victory this season. However, he fell short at the end, finishing an impressive T2, just one stroke behind Lee. He was lying in wait, like a gator in the swampland, waiting for one slip-up, but Min Woo Lee stuck to his bearings despite one error.

His unfortunate bogey at hole 16 made things interesting down the stretch, but he held off Woodland and Scheffler to claim the bragging rights in the Memorial Park Golf Course. And even if he was feeling the pressure, the Australian golfer evaporated that with his final act before he made the win-clinching putt.

He acted like he was doing the controversial AimPoint method for an 8-inch putt. Something, that many players and broadcasters have frowned upon. But at this moment, it made Scheffler laugh who was already done with his rounds, was watching the incident from the lounge.

Scottie Scheffler acknowledged the game displayed by Min Woo Lee, stating, “He [Min Woo Lee] played some really good golf. I think he made one mistake on 16, but I think he did some really good stuff out there and he just went out and beat us this week.”

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Bounce back? Lee beats the tournament record by 4 shots, and Scottie was 1 shot behind. That means...more

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Min Woo Lee also knew what he had accomplished and told after his win, “It’s hard – it’s really hard. Obviously, Scottie is a wonderful golfer and he keeps you on your toes. The first time being in front, I’m glad I got it done. I’m very exhausted. It was a lot of mental grind. I’m so proud of how I handled myself.”

Even Gary was all praises, “Everyone out here knows how talented the kid is. He’s an absolute stud. We all know, once you break through, for him sky’s the limit, so really happy for him.” The win in Houston could indeed be a breakthrough for Lee after finishing twice as a runner-up on the PGA Tour and four top-fives.

Despite the loss, the World No. 1 was pleased with the momentum he built especially considering that his next challenge is the Masters Tournament in Augusta at the end of April. He was asked about his thoughts before he traveled to Georgia to defend his title.

Scottie Scheffler needs to clean up a bit before Masters

Scheffler was ranked 6 in Strokes gained from putting, showing good signs ahead of the Masters. Where he could do with some changes would be off the tee. He was ranked 21 in Strokes gained off the tee and his driving accuracy was an impressive but improvable T7 at 67.31%.

“Yeah, definitely feel better. I feel like I can still clean up a few things in my swing. You know, my ball-striking wasn’t as sharp as I would have liked for it to have been this week, but overall I mean, yesterday and today I felt like we’re improving in the ball-striking,” he said.

Scheffler feels positive about how things looked at Houston and that will be something he wants to keep the same before the Masters. He expressed a bit of optimism, stating, “I liked the way my swing started to feel over the weekend. I felt like I holed a good amount of putts this week, especially under pressure on the back nine today. Felt like I hit my lines really well and did some good things out there. So definitely some positive momentum going into next week.”

The Scheffler will be sticking to his routine and possibly gain some good tips from his coach Randy Smith during the three weeks he has before the Masters Tournament. “I’ll just go home and practice like I normally would, just stick to my routine. Get some good days of practice in with Randy, have a couple play days as well, get out on the course and see how things feel. We’ll head over to Augusta on Sunday,” stated the two-time Masters winner.

Do you think Scottie Scheffler can defend his title at the Augusta National Golf Course? Or will his time off due to injury prove to be the undoing of his effort?