"Hopefully he doesn't beat me" - Min Woo Lee on the lookout for 15 year-old Miles Russell at the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic
Min Woo Lee is at the Detroit Golf Club in Michigan to play in the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic. The Australian is the fifth highest-ranked player in the field, a list led by Tom Kim, ranked 16th in the world.
Also in the Rocket Mortgage Classic field is teenage sensation Miles Russell, who is just 15 years old. Min Woo Lee spoke about Russell during his pre-event press conference, saying he expects him to have fun and "not beat" him.
This was part of what Min Woo Lee had to say (via TenGolf):
"He's gotten a lot of attention over the past few months so hopefully he can take it well. He's got a good following and I think people are nice out here to support him and only cheer him on."
He added,
"Again he's only 15 so I don't think there's going to be too much expectation. Obviously, he's a great golfer and he's got plenty of time to turn pro and still years ahead of him so, hopefully, he has fun and doesn't beat me, but does well (laughs)." [3:20 - 3:53]
Last April, Miles Russell was granted a sponsor's exemption to play in the LECOM Suncoast Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour. There, he scored two opening rounds of 68 and 66 to become the youngest player in history to make the cut on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Not content with this result, Russell continued on an upward progression and finished T20 to become the youngest player to finish in the Top 25 of any PGA Tour-related event.
His finish at the LECOM Suncoast Classic earned him an exemption into the next Korn Ferry Tour event. He was also instrumental in securing an invitation to the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
What's next for Min Woo Lee?
During his press conference prior to the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Min Woo Lee stated that one of his goals for the remainder of the season is to break into the Top 50 of the FedEx Cup rankings. This would give him a chance to play in all Signature Events in the 2025 season.
Lee is currently ranked 63rd in the FedEx Cup rankings, less than 200 points behind Peter Malnati, who currently closes out the Top 50. The Australian needs to close the season with strong finishes in his remaining events.
To that end, Lee is likely to play most of the five events remaining in the regular season (excluding opposite events). This is in addition to the first event of the playoffs (FedEx St. Jude Championship), for which he currently qualifies as a member of the Top 70.
Not to be overlooked is the golf event at the Paris Olympics, to be held in August. Lee has qualified to represent Australia, an honor he will share with his sister Minjee Lee.