For Min Woo Lee, qualifying for the PGA Tour's biggest events didn't bring excitement. The Australian golfer is now proving he belongs, but he recently revealed the intense pressure he faced just to keep his spot on the tour.

The 27-year-old Australian golfer has sat out two rounds on Friday, February 20, 2026. He was eight under par and talked about how hard it was to qualify for big tournaments like Pebble Beach and Genesis.

"I would like to be in every Signature Event, but it was a little stressful in the fall," Lee said during the press conference. "I had to play a couple of events to get enough points to play these two events."

He got in through something called the Aon Next 10. That system will reward players who play well again and again. But if someone has even a few bad games, they can quickly lose their chance. So he had to stay focused and play well almost every week to make it.

If he had one bad round, he could have lost his chance to play in those big tournaments. That is how close it was. But Lee stayed strong and made some significant changes.

Min Woo Lee’s Equipment Switch Gave Him a New Edge

He didn’t start playing well just by luck. The improvement came from a strategic equipment change. Last week at the WM Phoenix Open, he made a small but important decision while practicing on the driving range. That decision sparked his recent run of strong play.

Lee played in the same group as Chris Gotterup, who has won three PGA Tour tournaments since July. While they were playing, Lee noticed how well Gotterup hit the ball off the tee. His shots were controlled, didn’t spin too much, and stayed very straight, even though they had similar swing speed.

He decided to change his equipment. Lee started using a heavier and stiffer driver shaft to get more control. He also added a matching hybrid club. On top of that, he tried a brand-new Callaway putter at Pebble Beach that has not even been released yet.

"I went to a heavier shaft, stronger shaft with the driver," Lee said. "The misses have been smaller and less spin."

He kept both new clubs in his bag this week, and it worked. He finished tied for second at Pebble Beach behind Collin Morikawa. Now he is eight under par after two rounds at the 2026 Genesis Invitational.

Min Woo Lee just played two of his best rounds on the PGA Tour. Did his play surprise you? Share your thoughts below!

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi