Scheffler will be tough to beat, Min Woo Lee warns

Min Woo Lee has delivered a sobering reminder to Rory McIlroy and any others in the field lamenting the absence of star power at the PGA Tour’s $US25 million ($A38 million) Players Championship in Florida.

Australia’s 2022 champion Cameron Smith and reigning major champions Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka are among the growing group of LIV Golf defectors banned from competing at the PGA Tour’s flagship tournament.

“It’s the biggest tournament outside of a major championship and you don’t have all the best players in the world here. That’s a shame,” world No.2 McIlroy said ahead of Thursday night’s (AEDT) start.

“I hope that changes quickly because unfortunately I think fans are losing interest.”

But Lee, one of five Australians teeing up this week at TPC Sawgrass, disagrees and reckons, even without a dozen regular top-20 stars, winning the 50th staging of the Players Championship will be as challenging as ever.

“We’re still trying to beat Scottie Scheffler,” Lee said on a zoom call on Thursday.

“He’s one of the best players in the world and had a dominant result last week.

“I don’t really know who would beat Scotty right now. He’s at his peak right now and had a good putting result last week so if he keeps going, he’ll be hard to beat.”

After heeding McIlroy’s advice and switching from a blade to mallet putter, Scheffler romped to a five-shot victory at last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Having seemingly overcome his putting woes, now the world No.1 is a warm favourite to become the first man to defend his Players Championship title.

Lee played in the final group last year with Scheffler, but stumbled with a Sunday 76 to finish in a tie for sixth with compatriot Cam Davis, who is also back this week.

The 25-year-old has returned feeling excited, not haunted by his last-round collapse.

“I still remember what happened and every round you learn something and it was a good learning curve; playing in the final group on a Sunday,” Lee said.

“It was my first time, so it was nice to be out there and have the crowd with me, I guess, and have a bit of a underdog feel.

“A lot of good stuff has happened since then and I’m really excited for the week.”

Lee has emerged somewhat of a big-stage specialist in recent years, saving his best golf for the majors and the Players Championship.

He followed up a tie for 18th at last year’s PGA Championship with an equal fifth at the US Open before posting his maiden runner-up at a PGA Tour event last start in Florida two weeks ago.

“Obviously winning out here is one of the goals, but it’s not easy, especially playing with the top guys out here,” Lee said.

“I got a little impatient after the first three tournaments (of the year) and had a good result at the Cognizant Classic, came second there.

“I had a good two weeks of grinding and practising there but I did get a little impatient.

“I felt like I was better than the results that I created, so it was nice to get a really good result under the belt pretty early in the season and hopefully there’s some more coming up.”

Lee enjoyed a practice round on Wednesday with countrymen and former world No.1s Jason Day and Adam Scott, who, like Scheffler, are both trying to join an elite group including Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and fellow Australian Steve Elkington as a multi-time winner of the Players.

Aaron Baddeley is the other Australian in the 144-man field.