Perth’s Min Woo Lee stalks leaders at Houston PGA event as Masters nears

Min Woo Lee has put himself in the PGA Tour title mix again, the Australian one back from the Houston Open pace-setters in his final pre-Masters test.

The 26-year-old shot a four-under 68 at Memorial Park Golf Course on Thursday (Friday AEDT) to sit one behind a four-man leading pack.

Playing his final event before the Masters from April 10, Lee’s putting helped him to seven birdies as he continued his impressive 2025 campaign.

Australia’s PGA Tour rookie Karl Vilips was two shots further back in a tie for 18th.

Jason Day encouragingly returned to action after his 11th-hour withdrawal from The Players Championship due to illness, recovering from two early bogeys to card an even-par 70 and match compatriot Aaron Baddeley.

The event represents the last chance for Baddeley and Vilips to join Lee, Day, Cameron Davis, Adam Scott and Cameron Smith at the Masters.

Victory in Houston will secure a berth, while anyone inside the world’s top 50 after this event not already invited will join them at Augusta National for the season’s first major.

Lee was co-leader at the halfway point of The Players before stumbling in windy, treacherous conditions to finish in a tie for 20th.

That was his fourth top-20 finish in six Tour events this season, the Perth talent looking positively on his progression as he eyes another shot at a maiden Tour title.

“The consistency and the overall solidness is getting better,” he said.

“It’s something I kind of struggled with for pretty much my whole golfing pro career, so it’s quite nice to the ball kind of going where you’re looking.

“(The goal is to) try and put four rounds together and yeah, it was a learning curve Sunday and Saturday at The Players.”

Lee said a chat to major champion and former world No.1 Day had helped quell any frustrations.

“I haven’t been in contention too much and when you’re there you just want to win, or obviously play well,” he said.

“But that happens, you go backwards, and a lot of people have gone backwards ... great players.

“Don’t beat yourself up ... learn from it.

“I talked to Jason Day at the beginning of the week and just the hard part is to get yourself in contention, that’s what people don’t realise, and I don’t do it that often.

“As long as you keep putting yourself in those positions, hopefully one week you can keep it up and hold the trophy.”

Ryan Gerard, Keith Mitchell, Canada’s Taylor Pendrith and Argentina’s Alejandro Tosti shared the lead when play was suspended, with 16 players still on course due to bad light.

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler shot a bogey-free 67 and is tied for 13th at three under thanks to long birdie putts on consecutive par threes.

“I felt like I started to play a little bit better on the back nine,” Scheffler said.

“The first nine I was kind of getting it around a little bit, but still post a score today.

“Conditions were pretty tough out there today with the rain and the wind, so overall nice to keep a clean card.”

Rory McIlroy, the world No.2, was even par and level with Day and defending champion Stephan Jaeger.