Australian golfer Min Woo Lee was handed a one-stroke penalty by Masters officials during the third round, capping off a challenging day for the PGA Tour star. The event boasts a substantial prize purse, with Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson set to earn significant amounts despite missing the cut. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy dominated the leaderboard on Day 3, building on his impressive performance from Friday.
However, Lee’s day was marred by a penalty, which occurred when he requested officials to review whether he had inadvertently moved the ball on the fairway of the par-five 13th hole. After assessing the situation, officials determined that Lee’s actions had indeed caused the ball to move, resulting in a one-stroke penalty and ultimately leading to a bogey six on the hole.
According to a statement from Augusta National’s Tournament Headquarters: “On hole No. 13, Min Woo Lee asked for assistance after his ball moved on the fairway.”It was determined his actions near the ball did cause it to move and one penalty stroke was added to his score under Rule 9.4b.”
This setback added to Lee’s forgettable third round, coming just two weeks after his maiden PGA Tour victory at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. The 26-year-old is teeing off for his fourth time at the prestigious Augusta National, having graced the Masters thrice since his 2022 debut.
However, ‘moving day’ saw him slip in the wrong direction. Despite a bright start, being one-under after three holes, a bogey at the fifth hinted at a challenging stretch ahead.He racked up five more setbacks, including a costly penalty at the 14th.