What Min Woo Lee has learned from his two-time major championship sister

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It’s not often that a golfer will make his way onto the PGA Tour and find himself somewhat overshadowed by his sibling, but such is the case with the immensely talented Lee family. Minjee captured her second career major championship at the U.S. Women’s Open last week, and when she did, it was her brother — a fast-rising star on the PGA Tour who had spent his week playing the Memorial — who reached her by phone first.

“He said congratulations, I love you and a I can’t wait to see you tomorrow,” Minjee said in her winning press conference. Not long after, Min Woo took to social media.

“You work so hard & inspire me and so many people around the world,” Min Woo wrote on Instagram.

What started as a budding sibling rivalry that Min Woo has admitted, at times, left him feeling in the “shadow” of his older sister, has blossomed into a one of mutual love and respect. Speaking to the PGA Tour last year, Min Woo opened up on this relationship, saying he’s learns a lot from from his sister. Specifically: Her ability to stay focused during long practice sessions, which can often become tedious and boring.

According to Min Woo:

“Her work ethics are tough and she works so hard. She goes through all the drills and that’s one thing I’m trying to improve. When I feel tired, I would stop. Her perseverance is amazing as she sticks with something that she needs to do and finishes it off. I really love that about my sister which is her normal character and her golf character.”

It’s her perseverance and determination that has helped Min Woo improve his own game, he goes on to say, and leaves him feeling more prepared every time he gets to the golf course. It’s a good reminder for the rest of us: Stay focused on the range, and it’ll pay dividends when you get to the course.

Luke Kerr-Dineen

Golf.com Contributor

Luke Kerr-Dineen is the Game Improvement Editor at GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com. In his role he oversees the brand’s game improvement content spanning instruction, equipment, health and fitness, across all of GOLF’s multimedia platforms.

An alumni of the International Junior Golf Academy and the University of South Carolina–Beaufort golf team, where he helped them to No. 1 in the national NAIA rankings, Luke moved to New York in 2012 to pursue his Masters degree in Journalism from Columbia University. His work has also appeared in USA Today, Golf Digest, Newsweek and The Daily Beast.