Macao glory for Aussie star Lee

World No 46 Lee Min Woo combined power with precision to complete a wire-to-wire victory at the $1 million SJM Macao Open on Sunday.

The Australian closed with a superb eight-under-par 63, adding to rounds of 62, 64 and 65 to triumph by two strokes.

The tournament's marquee player hit crushing drives and holed putt after putt on Sunday for an astonishing four-round aggregate of 30-under — a new tournament record and two short of the Asian Tour record.

Thailand's Poom Saksansin also signed off with a 63, like Lee bogey-free, to finish second after a fascinating final-day duel between the big-hitting Australian and the tenacious Thai golfer.

Lee started the day with a two-shot lead over Poom, and the margin was the same at the turn as both players pulled away from the field with four birdies apiece.

The turning point proved to be the par-five 13th, where Lee opened up a four-stroke cushion after he made an eagle, for the second day in row, against Poom's par.

A wild drive a long way left on the short par-four 15th by Lee gave Poom a glimmer of hope, but his ball stayed away from trouble. He had a clear shot to the green and was able to avert disaster and make a comfortable par.

Predictably Poom refused to give up and made birdies on the next two holes to close the gap to two before they both made four on the par-five 18th.

"I love it," said 25-year-old Lee.

"As soon as the week started I had a couple of days' rest because of the typhoon, and the course was looking amazing from the beginning. Obviously, it was pretty bad for a couple of days there, so it was props to the green keepers for keeping the course in such good condition.

"And yeah, I played wonderful, really flawless golf for a lot of the holes, there were only a few holes that I could really look back on. But yeah, I'm really proud of the way I handled myself."

Lee's score smashed the event's previous lowest winning total of 20-under, set by Australian Scott Hend in 2015 and was just two short of the Asian Tour record, which Thailand's Chapchai Nirat set at the 2009 SAIL Open in India, when he finished 32-under.

After pocketing a check for $180,000, Lee said: "Poom played unbelievably today. He never left, he just stayed around. I tried my best and ended up on top, but he was giving it to me the whole time."

It is Lee's first victory since claiming the Scottish Open in July 2021 and while he was winning in Macao, his sister and two-time major winner Lee Minjee tied for 12th at the Buick LPGA Shanghai.

For Poom it was yet another fine performance coming off the back of his success at the Yeangder TPC last month and a tied-third place at last week's International Series Singapore.

"I don't know when I'll be able to putt like this again," said Poom, whose win at the Yeangder TPC was his first in five years and fourth Asian Tour title.

"I would say that I played very well today but needed a miracle to win. Like I said yesterday, I would have to hit at least 10-under to win today. Lee is a very good player. He hits it very far and had a very good game plan. His chipping and putting are awesome. He should have been better than 30-under."

China Daily