PGA Tour golf: Min Woo Lee holds off Scottie Scheffler, Gary Woodland, Rory McIlroy to claim maiden title at Houston Open

Min Woo Lee held off a back-nine cost from Scottie Scheffler and a formidable end from Rory McIlroy to assert a breakthrough PGA Tour title on the Texas Youngsters’s Houston Open.

Lee took a four-shot lead into the ultimate day and briefly noticed his lead enhance to 5 strokes at Memorial Park Golf Course, with three birdies in a five-hole stretch across the flip preserving him accountable for the match.

The Australian remained three forward till a bogey par-five sixteenth reduce his result in one, as Scheffler and Gary Woodland set the clubhouse goal at 19 underneath, just for Lee to par his closing two holes to card a three-under 67 and maintain onto a one-shot victory.

Scheffler stays winless in 2025 however heads into his Masters title defence with a runner-up end in Houston for the second successive yr, whereas Woodland posted his finest PGA Tour end in six years after equalling the course report with a final-round 62.

Finland’s Sami Valimaki ended three strokes again in fourth after matching Woodland’s 62, whereas McIlroy ended his closing begin earlier than Augusta Nationwide with a final-round 64 and tied-fifth end.

How Lee held on for breakthrough victory

Lee took a four-shot lead into the ultimate day and retained his in a single day benefit regardless of failing to transform birdie appears over his first two holes, then picked up a shot on the par-five third to go 5 clear.

Woodland closed inside three after following three birdies in 4 holes from the second by including one other on the par-five eighth, the place Lee scrambled an unlikely par regardless of hitting his tee shot right into a bush and having to take a penalty drop.

Lee responded by rolling in a five-foot birdie on the par-three ninth to achieve the flip three forward, with successive birdies from the twelfth preserving him in command of the match regardless of low-scoring from the chasing pack.

Scheffler was seemingly out of rivalry after a front-nine 33 however then birdied 5 of his subsequent seven holes – together with 4 in a row from the thirteenth, whereas Woodland posted a birdie-eagle run from the fifteenth to additionally shut on Lee.

Lee was three clear with three to play earlier than spraying his drive into the water on the par-five sixteenth, the place he two-putted from 40 ft to depart with only a bogey, then made par on the subsequent to remain one forward.

His tee shot on the par-four final completed within the tough and his method landed within the again fringe, the place Lee putted to inside six inches and celebrated earlier than tapping within the par putt for an emotional victory.

“To be trustworthy, I performed unbelievable up till that bogey [16th],” Lee informed Golf Channel. “It is actually laborious. Clearly Scottie is a superb golfer and he retains you in your toes. That is my first time type of being in entrance and making an attempt to carry a lead.

“I am glad I clearly obtained it accomplished, however man, I am very exhausted. It was loads of psychological grind and I am so pleased with how I dealt with myself.”

Woodland had produced a shocking final-hole birdie to share second with Scheffler, as Valimaki posted an eagle and 6 birdies to leap in to fourth, whereas McIlroy ended tied-fifth with Wyndham Clark, Taylor Pendrith and Alejandro Tosti.

McIlroy heads to Augusta with top-five end

McIlroy’s slim title hopes appeared successfully over when he made a three-putt bogey on the first and scrambled a par on the subsequent, just for to reap the benefits of the par-five third after which gap 20-foot putts to put up back-to-back features from the fifth.

The world No 2 fired an enormous method into the par-five eighth and holed a putt from the same distance for eagle, seeing him flip in 31, earlier than following a 15-foot birdie on the tenth by including one other on the twelfth to go six underneath for the day.

McIlroy holed from eight ft to avoid wasting par on the 14th and posted a two-putt birdie on the par-five sixteenth, however ended the week on 15 underneath after lacking from inside 5 ft to avoid wasting par on the final.

“The final three days had been actually good,” McIlroy informed Golf Channel. “I really made a slight adjustment to my driver yesterday, I went to the vary and took the loft off a little bit bit and undoubtedly drove the ball higher at the moment. That was a optimistic, as was seeing some putts go in.

“As I went on in the course of the week I went higher and higher, because the rating suggests. It was week, I nonetheless really feel like I’ve some stuff to work on however, general, a strong week which is sweet to fine-tune my sport heading to Augusta.”

What’s subsequent?

The PGA Tour stays in Texas for the Valero Texas Open, held at TPC San Antonio, the place the winner – if not already exempt – will safe the ultimate invite to The Masters. Early protection begins on Thursday from 1.15pm on Sky Sports activities Golf forward of full protection from 9pm.

The Masters then takes at Augusta Nationwide from April 10-13, the place Scheffler is defending champion and McIlroy searches for a fifth main title. Watch stay on Thursday April 10 from 2pm on Sky Sports activities Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.