Golf
Min Woo Lee Increases Career PGA Tour Earnings By 25% After Houston Open Win
Based in Canada, Gia is a Sports Casting contributor. She graduated from the University of Windsor with a Bachelor of Science, so she knows the make-up of a winning bet. Gia uses her analytical background to tell stories using the latest data and statistics. Her work has been sourced by Entrepreneur, Inquirer, and more. Gia is also interested in health, wellness, and yoga.
Get to know Gia Nguyen betterPublished31 Mar 2025
Min Woo Lee earned a $1.71 million payout for his first career victory at the Houston Open this weekend, increasing his PGA Tour career earnings by 25%.
Australian golfer Min Woo Lee secured his first career PGA Tour victory on Sunday, holding off odds-on favorite Scottie Scheffler to win the 2025 Houston Open.
For the 26-year-old Aussie, it was his first win in 56 appearances on the Tour since turning pro in 2024. The $1.71 million winner’s check was a big deal for Lee, who increased his career PGA Tour earnings by over 25% with the victory. The victory also catapulted him into the top 20 on the PGA Tour Money List in 2025.
Not only did Lee earn the biggest payout of his career, but he also secured exemptions to all remaining signature events, giving him a chance to further capitalize on his newfound success.
Min Woo Lee Earns First Career PGA Tour Victory
The 2025 Houston Open was a breakthrough moment for Lee, who has been one of the rising stars on the PGA Tour since turning pro last year.
Prior to last weekend, Lee had been playing some of the best golf of his career. He had four top-20 finishes in the first six events of the season, including a T20 at the PLAYERS Championship earlier this month.
Last season, Lee showed plenty of promise, making the cut 16 times in 19 events. He narrowly missed out on victories at the Cognizant Classic and Rocket Mortgage Classic, finishing in a tie for second-place on both occasions.
He’s earned $8,440,898 over 56 events during his short PGA Tour career. Before bringing home his $1.71 million check last weekend, his biggest payout was $800,000 from his T2 finish at the 2024 Cognizant Classic.
Here is how Lee has performed in 2025:
Date
Tournament
Pos
Rank
Winnings
2.2.2025
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
T17
78
$272,000
2.9.2025
WM Phoenix Open
T12
56
$195,500
2.16.2025
The Genesis Invitational
48
60
$56,000
3.2.2025
Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches
T11
55
$184,985.71
3.9.2025
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard
CUT
59
–
3.16.2025
THE PLAYERS Championship
T20
59
$240,250
3.30.2025
Texas Children’s Houston Open
1
16
$1,710,000
Lee Secured Exemptions To The Masters, PGA Championship, & More
With the win, Lee secured a big payday, to go along with 500 FedEx Cup points, and exemptions to all remaining signature events.
He was already eligible for the 2025 Masters and would have likely qualified for the PGA Championship as well. Now, he’ll gain access to at least four more events that feature purses for $20 million or more.
There are four signature events left on the schedule, including the RBC Heritage, Truist Championship, The Memorial Tournament, and the Travelers Championship.
