Min Woo Lee deserves huge credit for recovering from a couple of setbacks on Sunday at the Texas Children’s Houston Open to secure his first ever PGA Tour victory.
Heading into the final round, Min Woo Lee boasted a commanding lead. However, by the time he tapped in for par on the last hole, the Australian’s advantage was down to one shot, with Scottie Scheffler and Gary Woodland waiting to see if they would be involved in a playoff.
Lee bounced back from having to take an unplayable drop on the eighth hole and then finding the water on 16. But it also seemed that one of his playing partners was determined to cause a fuss as the round went on.
Alejandro Tosti was unhappy with how long Lee took on the eighth, with half an hour separating the tee shots from the moment the leader secured his par.
What Alejandro Tosti said to Min Woo after the Texas Children’s Houston Open
It actually appeared to throw the Argentinian off his game more than Lee, with Tosti making a bogey on the following hole. Meanwhile, there was a moment later on where Tosti appeared to be determined to slow the group down as he found himself some way back both of Lee and Ryan Fox.
Thankfully, it did not cost Lee the tournament. In fact, it appears that Lee was completely unaware of the controversy until he spoke with Tosti after the round – as he explained to Pardon My Take.
He said: “That is the funny thing. I had no clue what he was talking about with the rules official on eight. I did not know anything about that. I did not know if it took 30 minutes or if he talked to the rules official, because after I hit my shot I walked to the fairway and he was talking to a rules official. I heard Bones say ‘why is he talking to a rules official after all this time while he was waiting for me and why couldn’t he do it while he was hitting the shot?’
“There was a bit of confusion there. He was obviously talking about how slow I was. But in my defence there is 100 people right next to me and I can’t look over to the other side of the fairway. To get a number, especially on 18 as well, from the sprinkler. If there was no crowd it’s easy. My caddie can step it out, but when there are people around you it’s hard to get a yardage and I think that’s a reason why range finders may come back in and that would have made it easier. I would have hit the shot within my time limit.
“There was no beef. He stayed towards the end after media, after my trophy presentation. So he stayed like an hour and a half to say this is what happened on social media. I took a glimpse at it, I opened my Instagram and saw something about it, and I was like I don’t care. I have just won the tournament and whatever. It looked bad on Tosti because he was obviously walking back there but he said went to the bathroom which fair enough, you are going to be 100 to 150 yards behind anyway. So, I mean, for the guys that want drama I’m sorry it’s not as beefy as it looked like. But I mean I am fine, we are fine, I think we’re both fine!”
When Keegan Bradley got involved in one of the PGA Tour’s most heated spats with Miguel Angel Jimenez
Obviously, it would have been a huge shame had the incident cost Lee the tournament. But the PGA Tour probably does benefit when tempers flare every so often.
It is 10 years since Miguel Angel Jimenez and Keegan Bradley got involved in an argument at the WGC-Cadillac Match Play at TPC Harding Park.
Jimenez upset Bradley and his caddie after getting involved with a drop the 2025 US Ryder Cup captain was taking on the 18th hole. And the clash continued once the match had concluded.
It would be a huge surprise if someone like Lee lost his head in such a manner. He appears to be one of the coolest customers on the PGA Tour.
But Tosti is definitely gaining a reputation for being a combustible character. With that, it is difficult not to wonder what he could do next when he is out on the course.
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