Australian golfer Min Woo Lee was handed a one-stroke penalty by Masters officials during the third round, capping off a challenging day for the PGA Tour star. The event boasts a substantial prize purse, with Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson set to earn significant amounts despite missing the cut. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy dominated the leaderboard on Day 3, building on his impressive performance from Friday.
However, Lee’s day was marred by a penalty, which occurred when he requested officials to review whether he had inadvertently moved the ball on the fairway of the par-five 13th hole. After assessing the situation, officials determined that Lee’s actions had indeed caused the ball to move, resulting in a one-stroke penalty and ultimately leading to a bogey six on the hole.
According to a statement from Augusta National’s Tournament Headquarters: “On hole No. 13, Min Woo Lee asked for assistance after his ball moved on the fairway.
“It was determined his actions near the ball did cause it to move and one penalty stroke was added to his score under Rule 9.4b.”
This setback added to Lee’s forgettable third round, coming just two weeks after his maiden PGA Tour victory at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. The 26-year-old is teeing off for his fourth time at the prestigious Augusta National, having graced the Masters thrice since his 2022 debut.
His first outing remains his best showing on the Georgia course, tying for 14th place while Scottie Scheffler clinched the title.
A missed cut in 2023 and a tie for 22nd last year didn’t deter him; he kicked off this tournament with a promising one-under-par 71, followed by a steady level-par 72, positioning him comfortably mid-field as the weekend looms.
However, ‘moving day’ saw him slip in the wrong direction. Despite a bright start, being one-under after three holes, a bogey at the fifth hinted at a challenging stretch ahead.
He racked up five more setbacks, including a costly penalty at the 14th.
Signing off with a five-over 77, he stands six-over overall. Yet, Lee entered the week buoyed by his recent PGA Tour triumph in Houston, exuding confidence and positivity: “Yeah, I had a nice relaxing week after Houston. Yeah, it’s been great. Obviously, the confidence is high. Hopefully, I can keep that form going. Yeah, it’s been very positive.”
He’ll be looking to turn things around in Sunday’s fourth round.
This article originally appeared on Mirror US
