Nailing a crucial birdie putt on the final hole, the 18th, Min Woo Lee secured a joint lead heading into the Australian Open’s concluding round.
Lee’s performance on Saturday marked a significant improvement from his earlier struggles, where he lost strokes due to penalties and missed putts.
With a score of one-under 70, he now stands tied at the top with Rikuya Hoshino at 13-under, after having been paired with Hoshino during the initial two rounds.
Lee commented on the day’s challenges, saying, “It was tough, not as smooth as my last few rounds, but that’s the nature of golf.”
Celebrating his birdie on the 18th, Min Woo Lee (Image: Getty) Lee began the day on a high note with a rare birdie on the challenging par-4 first hole, but quickly faced setbacks with a double bogey on the third.
His second shot on the third hole ended up in the water, and despite a strong fourth shot, he missed the subsequent putt.
Lee managed consecutive birdies on the fifth and sixth holes but had to wait until the 18th hole for his next birdie. He experienced near-misses with birdie putts on the eighth and 17th holes and a bunker shot on the 15th.
On the 18th, Lee’s tee shot landed in a similar position to Friday’s, but his second shot ended up in a bunker.
The 2023 Australian Open golf tournament can be watched live from November 30 on Nine and 9Now.
Video Highlight: Min-Woo Lee’s Water Hazard Challenge Facing a tricky shot with water hazards around, Lee successfully kept his ball on the green and completed the putt.
Lee reflected on the difficulty of the shot, saying, “It looked daunting. A mediocre shot would have ended in the water.”
He added, “I had to rely on my bunker skills and be careful with the shot’s landing, or it would roll into the water.”
Lee acknowledged the challenge, with Connor Syme’s caddy humorously commenting on the difficulty of the shot.
Lee expressed pride in maintaining contention despite not playing his best, attributing his improved resilience to lessons learned from top players.
“Even when their game is off, they manage to stay in the hunt,” he noted.
While Lee maintained his position, Rikuya Hoshino made significant strides, shooting a bogey-free six-under 65, including an eagle on the 14th, propelling him into contention.
Alex Fitzpatrick also surged late in his round, turning a one-over day into a series of birdies and an eagle, placing him in Sunday’s final group.
Other notable performances included Cameron Smith’s two-under 69, bringing him to six-under overall, and Adam Scott’s four-under 67, tying him for 12th at eight-under.
Earlier, Calum Hill achieved the tournament’s second hole-in-one on the par-3 11th.
Lee, Fitzpatrick, and Hoshino are set to start the final round together at 12.45 on Sunday.
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