'Really cool': Aussie guns team up for 'fifth major'

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Ahead of his debut astatine The Players this weekend, Min Woo Lee said helium is leaning connected the acquisition of his countrymen and erstwhile winners Adam Scott and Jason Day.

He got his archetypal look astatine the celebrated TPC Sawgrass connected Tuesday greeting (AEDT) erstwhile helium played the beforehand nine, and volition get his archetypal look astatine the celebrated Island Green par-3 17th erstwhile helium plays the backmost 9 Tuesday nighttime (AEDT) with Day and Scott.

Lee, who grew up successful Perth, was fundamentally the past subordinate to squeak into the tract by being successful the QWGR top-50 - successful 50th place.

"I can't hold to play with those 2 - they're truly bully guys and they're ever consenting to springiness advice, which is truly cool," helium told Australian media connected Tuesday morning.

"Being a chap Aussie, it's ever bully to play with them - I haven't played with them successful a while, truthful I can't hold to get it going time and acquisition the backmost nine."

Scott won The Players backmost successful 2004 to go the then-youngest winner. Day won the lawsuit successful 2016.

Another Aussie, Cameron Smith is the defending champion, but won't beryllium astatine Sawgrass this play having been suspended from the PGA Tour for signing with LIV Golf.

Lee meantime finished 2022 with a 3rd spot astatine the Australian Open, and backed it up with a 2nd spot successful Abu Dhabi to commencement his 2023.

Next, helium missed different top-10 by a changeable successful Dubai, and enjoyed a coagulated showing astatine the Honda Classic. He missed the chopped past play astatine the Arnold Palmer invitational.

Built by renowned play people architects Pete and Alice Dye specifically to big The Players, Lee said his archetypal content of the Stadium Course was however "intimidating" it was.

But helium said that suited him conscionable fine.

"If the upwind is strong, it's going to beryllium a pugnacious people disconnected the tee, particularly being a Dye play people … it's precise intimidating disconnected the tee," helium said.

"But it benignant of goes successful my favour, due to the fact that I similar seeing shapes disconnected the tees, and you benignant of person to play it disconnected the trees oregon play it disconnected a bunker, which I truly enjoy, and it's besides a rather agelong course.

"It's gonna beryllium a existent test. The unsmooth is beauteous thick."

If performing good astatine 1 of the PGA Tour's signature events wasn't capable motivation, an invitation to arguably the astir prestigious lawsuit successful men's play conscionable mightiness be.

Assuming helium doesn't triumph this weekend, Lee needs to enactment successful the top-50 to beryllium eligible for The Masters, starting April 6. He finished successful a necktie for 14th connected his Augusta debut past season.

While helium said it's successful the "back of my mind", helium insists his absorption is connected The Players.

"I'm not truly reasoning astir it excessively much," helium said. "Obviously, there's a bigger task successful beforehand of me, and I've got to play good this week, but bully play takes attraction of itself.

"But it's an breathtaking clip excessively - I'm successful a bully spot close now. And hopefully I tin person a bully week successful these adjacent 2 events."

After The Players, Lee volition besides vie successful the World Match Play championships starting successful a fortnight.

He volition play his archetypal 2 rounds astatine The Players with Americans Robby Shelton and Austin Smotherman. Lee volition beryllium successful the archetypal radical connected the archetypal tee astatine 10.50pm AEDT Thursday, and past 3.50am Saturday for circular two.

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