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It's not every day that Min Woo Lee gets a ride on a private jet, but that's exactly what happened after the US Open last season. The invitation came from his compatriot, friend and idol Adam Scott, and it served as an incentive for one of the most important results of his career.
The curious story was told by Min Woo Lee himself when he recently participated as a guest on Golf Digest's The Loop podcast. The event occurred in June 2023, when both Lee and Scott were participating in the U.S. Open.
This is how Min Woo Lee said it to The Loop's host, Golf Digest's Christopher Powers:
"We were having dinner literally like, 10 meters away, but he texted me. I didn't know he was there, he didn't know I was there... he texted me and he was like 'do you want to come on the plane [to The Travelers Championship next week],' and I said 'I'm not in, I got to top 10 at the US Open to get into The Travelers', and he is like 'Okay, just go do it.' So, I was like 'thanks for the pressure, but I'll try.'"
By the time this conversation happened, Min Woo Lee was placed T12 after the first 54 holes. Lee fired a fourth-round 67 to climb to T5 at the 2023 U.S. Open with a final score of 5-under 275, for his best career finish in Majors so far. To top it off, he also clinched his qualification to The Travelers and a trip on his friend's private jet.
What Min Woo Lee said about Adam Scott's gesture
Min Woo Lee described Adam Scott's private jet as "amazing" for The Loop. This is what Lee said:
"His jet is unbelievable. It's on my vision board now. He has it decked out with a couple of Augusta National blankets and stuff. I had a nice little snooze on the couch, there´s a couch in there, there's plenty of seats. It was very cool. He doesn't like me to talk about it too much, he's a pretty private and quiet guy, so, all I can say is, it's amazing."
However, Lee also talked about what Scott's gesture meant to him. Here is part of what he had to say (via Golf Digest):
"It was a really cool feeling for Adam to do that for me; he’s been a good mentor in my career. I grew up watching him win the Masters and now he’s become a friend. It’s special."
There is no doubt that the private jet trip to the TPC River Highlands worked great for Min Woo Lee. In The Travelers Championship, he reached his third Top 10 of the season on the PGA Tour (T9), beating even his idol Adam Scott, who finished T19.
