K.H. Lee has withdrawn from the Texas Children’s Houston Open due to a back injury. The South Korean’s bid to win the title came to an abrupt end at the Memorial Park Golf Course. Lee’s Withdrawal was made known prior to the second round on Friday
Lee finished 31st at 4-under at the 2024 Houston Open. The 33-year-old has posted an average finish of 31st place and an average score of 4-under in his last two appearances at the Houston Open. His hopes of improving on that finish were dealt a major blow after a tough start to the tournament on Friday. Lee carded a 5-over 75 and recorded four birdies, five bogeys, and two double bogeys. However, any hope of bouncing back in the second round has now been extinguished after he picked up a back injury.
The 33-year-old has enjoyed some success on the PGA Tour, winning the AT&T Byron Nelson in 2021 and 2022. Lee won the first of his AT&T Bryon Nelson title after beating runner-up Sam Burns with a score of 25-under par. He followed it up by successfully defending his title by shooting 26-under-par to beat Jordan Spieth by a single shot in 2022. This earned him a selection to the International Team for the 2022 Presidents Cup, where he won two matches and lost one of the three matches he played in.
Lee Set Sights On Recovery After Disappointing Injury
Lee’s withdrawal from the Houston Open is a major disappointment for him, but the South Korean has immediately turned his attention to recovering. Lee will look to put the disappointment behind him and return to action as soon as possible. However the extent of the injury has not been revealed yet and it is currently unclear when he will return to action.
Recent Form and Struggles on the PGA Tour
The South Korean currently ranks 135th in the FedExCup standings with 71 points. He has appeared in nine tournaments so far this season without a win.. Lee has made the cut just twice in the nine events, and has only one top-10 finish to show for his efforts.
In addition, the 33-year-old has failed to make the cut in his last five appearances and hasn’t posted a better score than the tournament’s average. Lee has also not finished within five shots of the leader in any of his last five appearances but has averaged 293.4 yards in driving distance in the same timeframe.
Lee wasn’t considered as one of the favorites to win the Houston Open.He will now hope to improve his form and consistency as he begins his recovery from the back injury that ended his participation at the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
Main photo credit © Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
