Social media sensation and Australian golfer Min Woo Lee held his nerves to beat Scottie Scheffler an win the Houston open. Lee had to overcome a large wobble after he found water with an errant drive and made a bogey on the par-five 16th, which left the door open for World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
Lee carded a final round 67 for a 20-under total of 260 to par the last two holes and earn his fifth professional win across tours. This was Australia’s first win on the PGA Tour this season, and he admitted afterwards that he was freaking out inside after it appeared his wobble could cost him.
“To be honest, I played unbelievable up until that bogey, but it’s hard. It’s really hard,” Lee said.
Scheffler’s Missed Opportunities
Scottie Scheffler had two chances to birdie the last two holes and potentially force a playoff, but he came up short both times. He left a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 17 short, and his second shot on No. 18 missed the green.
“I saw Scottie make par on 17, and 18’s a very tough hole so I thought two pars would do it,” he added. “But I was freaking out inside if you wanted to know. It looked like I was cool but I didn’t want him to make birdie.”
The 26-year-old who began the day with a four-shot lead on his closest competitor became famous on social media after his “Let him cook” phrase went viral.
“Scottie is a wonderful golfer, and he keeps you on your toes,” Lee continued. “This was my first time being in front and trying to hold a lead, and I’m glad I got it done. I’m very exhausted. It was a lot of mental grind, and I’m so proud of the way I handled myself.”
How Lee Became A Social Media Sensation
Lee is famous on social media and has close to 700,000 followers on Instagram alone. The 26-year-old started using the phrase “Let him cook” on Instagram in 2024. Lee revealed that the phrase came from gaming culture.
“’Let him cook’ is usually said when you’re playing COD (Call of Duty) in a five-vs-five-person game and one person is left. If someone’s in the background telling him what to do, someone else says, ‘No, just let him cook. Let him do his thing.”
Lee’s fans were out in full force to cheer him on at the WM Phoenix Open in February 2024. The fans wore red chef hats with “Let him cook” written on them. The hats were supplied by Lee’s clothing sponsors, Lululemon.
It’s not just “Let him cook” that has become widely popular on social media. Lee is also widely known as “The Chef,” which is related to his famous phrase. The 26-year-old is also known as Dr. Chipinski in relation to his extraordinary chipping ability around the greens.
Main Photo Credit: © Erik Williams-Imagn Images
