Min Woo Lee Aims to Defend Houston Open Title

The 27-year-old Australian golfer is off to a strong start this season and hopes to repeat his 2025 victory.

Mar. 25, 2026 at 7:14pm

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Min Woo Lee, the defending champion of the Texas Children's Houston Open, is back at the site of his PGA Tour breakthrough. The 27-year-old Australian has yet to miss a cut this season, highlighted by a T2 finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Lee hopes to pick up his second win this week at Memorial Park Golf Course, where he prevailed last year by bombing his drives and having little trouble on his approach shots.

Why it matters

Lee's strong start to the season and his success at last year's Houston Open make him a top contender this week. As one of the tour's longest hitters, his ability to overpower the course could give him an advantage, though he has also focused on improving his approach play after struggling in some of the tour's signature events in 2025.

The details

Lee had two rounds of 65 at Pebble Beach last month, one of the more famous courses on the PGA Tour. The Houston Open is played at the much different Memorial Park Golf Course, one of two municipal courses on the circuit. Last year, Lee prevailed by bombing his drives and having little trouble on his approach shots, even if he missed the fairway. He also reflected on how locked-in he was mentally during that tournament, staying "very head down and just focused on the process and hitting the next shot."

  • Lee is the defending champion of the Texas Children's Houston Open.
  • The 2026 Houston Open is taking place this week.

The players

Min Woo Lee

A 27-year-old Australian golfer who is the defending champion of the Texas Children's Houston Open.

Collin Morikawa

The winner of the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where Lee finished T2.

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What they’re saying

“Yeah, Pebble was a very nice week, felt like I put four good rounds together. That's all you have to do, you've got to put yourself in contention. I feel like I've been doing that, just getting a lot familiar with my game, putting well and doing everything pretty solid. You've got to do that to win and put yourself in that spot. Yeah, it's not rocket science, you've got to play very good.”

— Min Woo Lee

“Something about last time I was here, I was very head down and just focused on the process and hitting the next shot, which I think that's why it was very, I guess, exhausting because I didn't — normally I would look around, look at the crowd, but not last year. I was very head down and just kind of did my thing.”

— Min Woo Lee

What’s next

Lee will look to defend his title at the 2026 Texas Children's Houston Open this week.

The takeaway

Min Woo Lee's strong start to the 2026 PGA Tour season, including a runner-up finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, has him poised to potentially defend his title at the Houston Open. His ability to overpower courses with his driving distance and improved approach play make him a top contender this week as he seeks his second PGA Tour victory.