Australia’s Min Woo Lee, ranked 240 in the world and easily the outsider on a starry leaderboard, was still the one to carry off the abrdn Scottish Open title on a rainy evening at The Renaissance Club.
The 22-year-old from Perth – Western Australian version – holed a clutch ten foot birdie putt in the first hole of a three-way play-off. He edged Matt Fitzpatrick of England and Belgium’s Thomas Detry in extra time after a surge of six successive birdies had catapulted him to a final round 64.
Rain and a delay of 90 minutes at the death rather ruined the finale of an excellent week in the first post-lockdown Scottish, chasing away spectators at a crucial point of the day.
Lee’s massive leap with victory
The winning moment 🙌#abrdnScottishOpen #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/rRwZv7VHAX
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But Lee, younger brother of LET player Minjee Lee, wasn’t complaining. He beat the best field ever assembled in the Scottish Open and one of the best in European Tour history. It’s clearly a career-changing moment for the youngster, with the near £1m first prize from the Rolex Series event leaping him 116 places on the Race to Dubai to 7th.
“I hit a lot of good shots today and that one in the play-off was just one,” said Lee of his approach in the play-off. “I could have holed a few more putts in regulation but I missed them by just a roll.
“Obviously in that situation it is a huge moment. It hit it straight off the bat and I knew it was going to be good.
“It was amazing to hole that last putt and it was an amazing feeling.”
‘My family are all still up’
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— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) July 11, 2021
“My family are all still up in Australia. My phone has been buzzing. I sort of dreamt about this all last night.”
It also won him one of the last three spots in next week’s Open at Royal St George’s.
“I hadn’t thought much about the Open,” he admitted. “I just needed to do well here first. It is a bonus being in the Open but it’s awesome.
“I’ve been playing really well for the past few weeks, but I’ll really enjoy this one.”
The tournament had bubbled nicely all day, with the course slightly softened by showers on Saturday night.
Jack Senior, the first round leader, set the tone with 66 to get to 14-under. He was coming from too far back, but the last of three final places in the Open was ample compensation.
Poulter’s final round charge falls just short
Ian Poulter and Justin Thomas made a bid, with the Englishman storming round for a 63, including four birdies in his last five holes. It should be been five, because he missed a makeable putt for birdie on 17 as well. Playing partner Thomas sparked as well, but eventually finished two behind.
“I got on a little bit of a run with a few holes to go,” said the Englishman, looking to save his friend Padraig Harrington a Ryder Cup wildcard. “I hit some really nice, timely shots and holed a couple of nice putts.
“But the one just wiggles a little left on me. It doesn’t drop on 17 after I had to hit my best 7-iron to get it there,” he said ruefully.
Those going out later were not exactly shabby either. Lee – only Senior was ranked lower of the contenders – birdied six on a row from the third to reach -17 as well just as Poulter was finishing.
Lee then birdied the long 16th and was the first to get in the clubhouse at 18-under with a brilliant 64. That erased joint clubhouse leaders Poulter, Ryan Palmer and his countryman, last week’s winner Lucas Herbert.
Detry rallies after rain-delay three-putt
Belgium’s Thomas Detry, in the final group, just edged ahead with a birdie at 13 to get to 18-under. And with typical timing, then the rains came.
Detry three-putted the 14th either side of the 90 minute rain delay. He got the stroke back at 16, then holed a brave eight-footer at the last to get in the play-off. It meant he secured the other spot in the Open.
Fitzpatrick was also at -18 playing eighteen, and on four-under for the day. He had a 25 foot putt to win it outright, but it just stayed on the high side of the hole.
The sad thing was that the rain delay chased away most of the fans. The play-off was conducted without the atmosphere the enthusiastic returning galleries would have provided.
All three players hit the fairway, but Detry and Fitzpatrick tugged their approaches right to the tight back left pin. Lee, last to hit, went for the shot and hit into ten feet. He was rewarded with the birdie for the career-changing near £1 million first prize.
World No 1 Jon Rahm finished alone in seventh on 16-under after a final round 68.