'Very cool': Minjee inspires Min Woo at Rocket Classic
Min Woo Lee has tipped his hat to brilliant sister Minjee following her latest major-winning exploit - and it seemed like the inspiration behind his dazzling nine-under-ar 63 in the first round of the Rocket Classic in Detroit.
Lee equalled the course record at the Detroit Golf Club as he made a fantastic start in a bid to lift a second PGA Tour title this year.
He finished the day in a three-way tied for third, one shot off the pace, after American Kevin Roy and South African sensation Aldrich Potgieter both bettered Lee's new course record with 10-under 62s.
Lee knew where the thanks were due after he got a surprise pep talk from big sister Minjee following her third major championship success in the Women's PGA in Texas last weekend.
Lee revealed before teeing off that he had had a call from 29-year-old Minjee - and it evidently worked wonders for a man who hasn't been playing his best of late.
'Normally, she doesn't check up on me, but it was actually quite nice to get a call from her,' said little brother Min Woo.
'I was like, 'did you butt dial me? What's going on?' She's like, 'No, I just wanted to check in.' I was like, 'oh, okay'. She's awesome. Australian Min Woo Lee shot a brilliant first-round 63 at the Rocket Classic in Detroit. (AP PHOTO) Credit: AAP
'I think she had a bit of a night on Sunday with a few of her friends. I think they all had a week off this week, so it's good to see her in a nice mental space and happy on the course.
'She was going through a tough patch the last couple of years, so it's nice to see her have her swagger back.
'I don't think she learns that much off me. I try to learn off her. She's just a beast when she's playing good.
'She just doesn't do much wrong and you just see that step in her walk. You know she's comfortable with her game and you know she's got control. She's already a ball striker, so it's quite cool to see her walk the walk. It's a very cool thing. We're trying to play as good as we can.'
Something clearly rubbed off, though, as 26-year-old Min Woo, starting on the back nine, opened with birdie and then a bogey on Thursday (Friday AEST) before beginning a spectacular run that featured nine birdies over the next 16 holes.
His three straight birdies to finish the round left him tied for third with US pair Mark Hubbard and Max Greyserman, with another eight players within three strokes of the leading duo.
Lee is out to add to his one PGA Tour win, which came in March, but he's struggled since that victory in the Houston Open, missing the cut at both the PGA Championship and US Open.
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The 31-year-old Knapp, who won the Mexico Open last year as a rookie, started the second round 130th in the 156-player field after opening with a 72. He surged into contention with nine birdies and an eagle in a bogey-free round. "I was just probably upset all night and this morning, so I think that maybe helped a little bit," he said. Knapp, ranked No.99 in the world, is the only player on the tour to shoot 61 or better in two rounds this season. He shot a 59 - one off the tour scoring record of 58 set by Jim Furyk in 2016 - at the Cognizant Classic four months ago, when he broke the tournament scoring record before cooling off and tying for sixth. Knapp broke the 18-hole record at Detroit Golf Club that was set Thursday in the first round when Potgieter and Roy both shot a 62. "I feel like when I start making birdies, I want to make more," Knapp said. "I was even kind of thinking about 59 when I stuck it close on my third to last hole." The 28-year-old Knowles, shooting for his first PGA Tour win, made the cut for just the third time in 11 events after failing to make it to the weekend at five straight tournaments. "It's not been my best year thus far by any stretch of the imagination, but golf is funny," he said. "When you're playing bad, you never feel like you're going to play good again. And when you have days like today, you just don't understand how you could ever shoot a bad round of golf." Min Woo Lee, the first to break the course record with a 63 on Thursday, made 73 on Friday to tumble down the field to tied 36th. He made the six-under cut by two, but Aaron Baddeley (71,73), Cam Davis (74, 70) and Karl Vilips (71,74) will all miss the weekend action. Jake Knapp has pulled off a feat no one else has in PGA Tour history. Knapp shot an 11-under 61 on Friday to break a Rocket Classic record that stood for less than a day and became the first on the tour to break 60 and shoot a 61 or lower in the same season. But that still wasn't enough to put him in the top six, entering the weekend at Detroit Golf Club. Chris Kirk (65), Philip Knowles (64) and Andrew Putnam (66) share the second-round lead at 14 under. Jackson Suber (65) was another shot back. Aldrich Potgieter, who had a 70 after sharing the 18-hole lead with Kevin Roy after a record-setting 62, was two strokes back with Michael Thorbjornsen (67) and Mark Hubbard (69). Knapp was in a large pack of players, including Australian Harrison Endycott (66), Collin Morikawa (64), Hideki Matsuyama (66) and Roy (71), three shots off the lead going into the third round. Endycott followed his opening 67 with a bogey-free six-under 66. The 29-year-old Sydneysider made three birdies on each nine, including going back-to-back on 13 and 14. The 31-year-old Knapp, who won the Mexico Open last year as a rookie, started the second round 130th in the 156-player field after opening with a 72. He surged into contention with nine birdies and an eagle in a bogey-free round. "I was just probably upset all night and this morning, so I think that maybe helped a little bit," he said. Knapp, ranked No.99 in the world, is the only player on the tour to shoot 61 or better in two rounds this season. He shot a 59 - one off the tour scoring record of 58 set by Jim Furyk in 2016 - at the Cognizant Classic four months ago, when he broke the tournament scoring record before cooling off and tying for sixth. Knapp broke the 18-hole record at Detroit Golf Club that was set Thursday in the first round when Potgieter and Roy both shot a 62. "I feel like when I start making birdies, I want to make more," Knapp said. "I was even kind of thinking about 59 when I stuck it close on my third to last hole." The 28-year-old Knowles, shooting for his first PGA Tour win, made the cut for just the third time in 11 events after failing to make it to the weekend at five straight tournaments. "It's not been my best year thus far by any stretch of the imagination, but golf is funny," he said. "When you're playing bad, you never feel like you're going to play good again. And when you have days like today, you just don't understand how you could ever shoot a bad round of golf." Min Woo Lee, the first to break the course record with a 63 on Thursday, made 73 on Friday to tumble down the field to tied 36th. He made the six-under cut by two, but Aaron Baddeley (71,73), Cam Davis (74, 70) and Karl Vilips (71,74) will all miss the weekend action. Jake Knapp has pulled off a feat no one else has in PGA Tour history. Knapp shot an 11-under 61 on Friday to break a Rocket Classic record that stood for less than a day and became the first on the tour to break 60 and shoot a 61 or lower in the same season. But that still wasn't enough to put him in the top six, entering the weekend at Detroit Golf Club. Chris Kirk (65), Philip Knowles (64) and Andrew Putnam (66) share the second-round lead at 14 under. Jackson Suber (65) was another shot back. Aldrich Potgieter, who had a 70 after sharing the 18-hole lead with Kevin Roy after a record-setting 62, was two strokes back with Michael Thorbjornsen (67) and Mark Hubbard (69). Knapp was in a large pack of players, including Australian Harrison Endycott (66), Collin Morikawa (64), Hideki Matsuyama (66) and Roy (71), three shots off the lead going into the third round. Endycott followed his opening 67 with a bogey-free six-under 66. The 29-year-old Sydneysider made three birdies on each nine, including going back-to-back on 13 and 14. The 31-year-old Knapp, who won the Mexico Open last year as a rookie, started the second round 130th in the 156-player field after opening with a 72. He surged into contention with nine birdies and an eagle in a bogey-free round. "I was just probably upset all night and this morning, so I think that maybe helped a little bit," he said. Knapp, ranked No.99 in the world, is the only player on the tour to shoot 61 or better in two rounds this season. He shot a 59 - one off the tour scoring record of 58 set by Jim Furyk in 2016 - at the Cognizant Classic four months ago, when he broke the tournament scoring record before cooling off and tying for sixth. Knapp broke the 18-hole record at Detroit Golf Club that was set Thursday in the first round when Potgieter and Roy both shot a 62. "I feel like when I start making birdies, I want to make more," Knapp said. "I was even kind of thinking about 59 when I stuck it close on my third to last hole." The 28-year-old Knowles, shooting for his first PGA Tour win, made the cut for just the third time in 11 events after failing to make it to the weekend at five straight tournaments. "It's not been my best year thus far by any stretch of the imagination, but golf is funny," he said. "When you're playing bad, you never feel like you're going to play good again. And when you have days like today, you just don't understand how you could ever shoot a bad round of golf." Min Woo Lee, the first to break the course record with a 63 on Thursday, made 73 on Friday to tumble down the field to tied 36th. He made the six-under cut by two, but Aaron Baddeley (71,73), Cam Davis (74, 70) and Karl Vilips (71,74) will all miss the weekend action.
