Min Woo Lee has rapidly become one of the most popular and influential figures in golf.
Having found a way to connect with predominantly younger fans in a way that goes beyond his results on the course, Lee has cultivated a social media following of a combined 1.4 million followers on Instagram and TikTok.
The 27-year-old’s personal brand is built on his fun, goofy and charmingly immature public persona, which complements his elite, electric performances on the course.
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Min Woo Lee is blurring the lines between elite golf and digital culture, using his relatable and fun brand to achieve global fame and championship success. Graphic: Polly Hanning
With meme-worthy alter-egos including the Chef, Woozy and Dr Chipinski, Lee insists that the jokester the public sees on his social media is one and the same as the boy from Perth offline.
Sharing a mix of both his life and golf content, Lee explains that his success in connecting with fans comes from bringing a relatable and entertaining personality to the world stage.
“I’m just being genuine,” he tells Wide World of Sports.
“I think a lot of people like me.”
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Finding himself with a lot of time to himself during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lee shifted focus to building his social media presence.
Years later and the extra effort has paid dividends, with his online fame transforming his personality into a highly bankable and globally recognised brand, which counts high-profile connections like Justin Bieber and Steph Curry.
With his growing success creating a virtuous cycle, Lee’s global fan base and gallery sizes at tournaments have increased, attracting major commercial partnerships, including deals with activewear brand Lululemon and golf equipment giant Callaway.
His total net worth is estimated to be well into the tens of millions of dollars.
“It’s great to have the support [of fans], and, hopefully, I can keep playing good golf and keep growing the fan base, but I’m just trying to be genuine and, make make the world a little bit of a better place,” Lee says.
Similarly, playing Call of Duty with friends during COVID led to the creation of Lee’s signature “Let him cook” catchphrase and “The Chef” brand.
What started randomly in a handful of his TikTok posts quickly went viral as fans began to embrace the motto.
Now, devotees are regularly seen donning chefs’ hats to support Lee at tournaments around the world.
“The Chef” persona is rooted in gaming culture, with “Let him cook” interpreted as allowing a skilled person to do their job without interference.
In a sporting context, the identity gained major traction when Lee started putting together strong performances. He wore a chefs’ hat after winning the 2023 Australian PGA Championship.
Min Woo Lee celebrates his 2023 Australian PGA Championship win on the 17th green, donning a chef’s hat and engaging with the roaring crowd. Andy Cheung via Getty Images
“You’re going to cook on the golf course means you’re going to play really well,” he says.
“If you’re not playing good, it’s kind of hard to be the Chef.”
“The Chef” brand is also reflected in Lee’s endorsements.
Earlier this month, a four-metre statue of Lee appeared in Sydney’s Pitt Street Mall to mark his latest partnership — a promotional role with the video game franchise, Call of Duty: Black Ops.
In a move aligning with his gaming persona, Lee was unveiled as The Replacer to promote the November 14 release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
The iconic character of The Replacer substitutes for everyday gamers to give them a day off from their jobs, chores and errands so that they can play the new release.
This campaign is part of a larger series where different celebrities in different countries take on the role to support the newest game’s launch.
This collaboration is certain to further cement Lee’s appeal and connect him with an even wider, non-traditional golf audience.
“I’ve kind of tapped into the gaming space,” he says.
“A lot of people who have been following me for a while know that I love playing. I enjoy it.
“It’s just a way of being with your friends, you know, playing the games that you love, so there’s a lot of communicating.”
Having such a huge following inevitably brings immense pressure for Lee to maintain both his brand and the high expectations for his performance.
“It’s just something that I’ve kind of dealt with over the last few years,” he says.
“It helps target the good golf that I need to play, and provides a little bit of a sense of urgency to go and play good golf.
“I wouldn’t change it for the world.
“It’s great support, and I love playing in front of the crowds. [The pressure] is better than not having it.”
Lee’s 2025 season was his most successful on the PGA Tour to date, claiming his maiden Tour victory at the Houston Open in March, alongside several other top-20 results throughout the year.
Australia’s Min Woo Lee celebrates with the trophy after claiming his maiden PGA Tour victory at the 2025 Houston Open. Getty
After spending so much time overseas, Lee is happy to be back on home soil and fully geared up for the Australian summer of golf.
“It’s great to be home,” he says.
“I was in Australia a couple of months ago, but, you know, to have an extended period of time here, playing in front of the Australian guys, it’s gonna be amazing, especially at Royal Melbourne and Royal Queensland.
“So, I’m very pumped for that, and it’ll be exciting.”
Lee is set for a busy home swing, first challenging for the Australian PGA title again before headlining December’s Australian Open — a prize he is openly determined to add to his trophy case after finishing third in 2023.
“It’s been something I dream about, and I wanted to do as a little kid, and I’ve played in it a few times over the years,” he says.
“I’ve kind of been close, you know, a couple of years ago, so it would be nice to have, to finish it off.”
Min Woo Lee tees off on day one of the 2024 Australian Open. Morgan Hancock via Getty Images
Following his breakthrough win in Houston, to go with his triumphs at the Australian PGA and Scottish Open, Lee is focused on applying his hard-earned lessons to achieve consistency and become a regular contender at the major championships.
“There’s a lot of confidence that goes into every tournament you play, and you just want to get yourself back into that situation,” he says.
“That’s the tough part, and then, hopefully, you can keep playing well.
“But there are a lot of good moments, and bad moments, during the year where you can improve and hopefully work on.”
The Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland begins on Thursday.
