Women’s world No.4 Minjee Lee arrived in Augusta, Georgia on Tuesday night in order to watch younger brother Min Woo play an early Wednesday morning practice before his debut Masters.
But when LPGA Tour star Minjee – Australian golf’s most recent Major champion – arrived at Augusta National, the crowd was so enormous she couldn’t see her sibling.
Her brother was playing by himself in the group ahead of Tiger Woods.
“The crowd, I’ve never seen anything like that for a practice round,” Minjee, who won last year’s Evian Championship for her first Major title, told New Zealand Golf Digest on Wednesday. “This is my first time to Augusta National. It’s pretty surreal to be here, to be watching my brother practising for the Masters. But I didn’t expect Min Woo to be the group in front of Tiger. It was incredible.”
Officials estimated a 25,000-strong crowd was following the group of 15-time Major winner Woods, 1992 Masters winner Fred Couples and PGA Champion Justin Thomas on Wednesday morning.
Crowds on Wednesday were enormous for Woods and practice partners Couples and Thomas.
Many of those fans walked up ahead to Lee to secure a vantage point for when five-time Masters winner Woods came through.
World No.59 Lee, whose victory at the Scottish Open last year was his second title on the European Tour, was almost stunned by the crowd.
“I nearly had to talk to the crowd just to relieve the nerves,” 23-year-old Lee told NZ Golf Digest. “It’s okay when you have playing partners, but when you’re playing a practice round alone and every eye is on you, it’s a different feeling.
“Every hole was complete chaos. But it’s good to get that early in the week; get used to it before the tournament begins on Thursday.”
Perth native Lee feels he has otherwise handled his first Masters week well so far. The gifted shotmaker says Alister MacKenzie’s hilly and thoughtful Augusta National brings out his creative side.
“Yeah for sure, it’s one of my favourite courses I’ve ever played,” he said. “You have to hit every type of golf shot, there are almost no straight balls here. It brings out all your half shots, and you have to be able to hit half shots with a lot of loft.”
Lee took part in the custom of skipping a ball across the pond on the par-3 16th.
Despite Augusta National adding 20 yards to the par-4 11th, 15 yards to the par-5 15th and 13 yards to the par-4 18th, big-hitting Lee said he was still licking his chops at having a short club into a number of holes.
“My length for sure,” Lee said when asked what was his biggest weapon. “A few par 4s out there, such as No.1, No.10, and No.14, I bombed it down and had a shorter iron than I thought I would. Also, another advantage I feel I have is being creative around the greens. I grew up in Perth needing different types of short game shots.”
Lee was due to finish the final day of practice before Thursday’s first round by playing the par-3 contest with Minjee as his caddie in the annual Wednesday tradition, weather permitting.
More to come…
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