Min Woo Lee, You Have Our Attention at the Texas Children's Houston Open

Min Woo Lee has the game to win anywhere, he just hasn’t got it done—yet.

A few weeks ago, he was tied for the lead alongside Akshay Bhatia through 36 holes of THE PLAYERS Championship, but a third-round 78 all but killed his chances. He made five bogeys and a double, and didn’t put a circle on the card until the final hole.

Sure, the conditions were tough, but he’s too good of a player to be doing that.

Min Woo Lee. THE PLAYERS Championship 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Luckily for him, it’s a new week, a new tournament. And Memorial Park Golf Course, the host venue for the Texas Children’s Houston Open, is built for Lee’s game. Let’s break down why.

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First and foremost, it’s a bomber’s paradise. The long Bermuda rough off the fairways has been cut down significantly in an effort to mirror what players can expect to see at Augusta National. Driving accuracy takes a back seat and it’s all about getting it down there as far as possible. To this point of the season, Lee is fifth in clubhead speed and third in driving distance. He’ll let the big dog eat all week long.

Secondly, short game and scrambling are massive separators at Memorial Park. The tight run-off areas can be tricky and players will have to use a variety of shots to get up and down. When it comes to short game, Lee has it all.

They don’t call him Dr. Chipinski for nothing.

On the stats front, he’s 22nd in scrambling and ninth in Strokes Gained: Around the Green. That’ll do. Plus, he’s 15th in SG: Putting, so that should help the scrambling numbers this week.

Lee provided some insight on how he stays so consistent with putting on this week's episode of Skratch's Vanity Index podcast, comparing his putting routine to shooting a free throw in basketball.

"There's a routine but there's also a shoot and go. You look at the rim and shoot. And that's how I try to putt and if I don't, I get a lot of thoughts in my head, a lot of tension," Lee told VIP co-host Wells Adams. "If you keep things simple and reactive, you'll shave some strokes off"

Lastly, Data Golf lists Pinehurst No. 2 as the closest course comparison for Memorial Park, and Accordia Golf Narashino CC, the host of the ZOZO Championship, as the fifth closest. At last year’s U.S. Open, Lee tied for 21st. At the ‘23 ZOZO, Lee grabbed a share of sixth.

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Everything is lining up for Lee, now he just has to get it done. He’ll have to fend off a loaded field that includes Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, the two best players in the world, so it won’t be easy. But this place is built for The Chef, all he has to do is bring his A-game.

We saw it for the first two days at TPC Sawgrass, now let’s see if he can put four days together in H-Town.