Min Woo Lee survived a wobble on Sunday to hold off Rikuya Hoshino and win his home Australian PGA Championship for the first time.
Lee headed into the final round with a three shot-lead, but that had vanished within three holes as he bogeyed the first while Hoshino collected birdies at the second and third.
Lee responded, though, making three birdies and an eagle on the rest of the front nine to restore his commanding lead at the top of the standings as Hoshino bogeyed the ninth and 10th.
Lee would bogey on three separate holes on the back nine, but Hoshino could not capitalise, finishing with a run of seven straight pars as Lee took the trophy with a 20-under finish, winning by three shots.
.@MINWOO27LEE wins the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship 🏆🇦🇺#AUSPGA PIC.TWITTER.COM/I4Y4UI7E7F
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) NOVEMBER 26, 2023
Australian Marc Leishman made a course record-equalling 63 to clinch third, while countryman Curtis Luck finished fourth. Joaquin Niemann’s hole in one on the par-three fourth helped him to end in fifth.
Lee was delighted with the victory and delighted to have held on after the early wobble, saying: “I made it interesting early on and through the middle but I ended up hanging on and I’m really proud.
“Rikuya is a really good player and he kept knocking on the door, but it was exactly the same as my last win. My playing partner just kept coming, so I knew I needed to keep playing well and do my thing.
“I’m really proud how I made some up-and-downs and some putts.”
