Family Matters
Minjee Lee returned this 'favor' to brother Min Woo at last week's PGA Tour event
Daniel Pockett
CLIFTON, N.J. — PGA Tour rookie Min Woo Lee has gained a lot of fans in the past year, but his biggest supporter remains his big sister, Minjee. Of course, it goes both ways.
Despite each having their own crazy schedules, the two try to watch each other play when they can. In April, Min Woo was in the crowd at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas following Minjee at the T-Mobile Match Play. And less than a month later, Minjee was in Dallas to see Min Woo at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Aww.
Although Minjee, 27, had watched Min Woo, 25, play in the Masters and Open Championship previously, it was her first regular PGA Tour event seeing her brother.
"Yeah, it was really nice for him to come out and watch. I actually watched him in Dallas last week, so already returned the favor," Minjee said with a laugh on Tuesday at the Cognizant Founders Cup. "No, it was fun. It's just a little bit different at a PGA TOUR event to an LPGA Tour event. Just different vibe, different atmosphere. . . . I really enjoyed it."
But people might be surprised to know that when they are in each other's company, there's not a lot of golf talk.
Q. What's the post-round interaction like between you two? Do you discuss the shots or are you just more there like, hey, good job?
MINJEE LEE: Yeah, like between us it's a bit more like that, just encouragement, well done. Things like that, just normal brother/sister stuff. He might go into a little bit more detail about golf but I'm not as much.
Q. Pick each other's brains at all?
MINJEE LEE: Not really because we don't play the same courses. Maybe if he has a question he asks me now and again. Yeah. (Smiling.)
Other players in the field at this week's LPGA event would be wise to ask Minjee about playing Upper Montclair CC. She won here in 2022 and lost in a playoff to Jin Young Ko last year.
"I have a lot have good memories here, and last two years have been good to me," Minjee said. "Hopefully have a good week this week, too."
If she does—and with Min Woo not playing on the PGA Tour this week—maybe little bro will be in her gallery over the weekend.