KH Lee Energised for Phoenix Open Challenge

Scottsdale, Arizona, United States: KH Lee warmed up for a title assault at this week’s star-studded WM Phoenix Open by being in the illustrious company of American baseball legend Alex Rodriguez, on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old Lee is returning to TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course with plenty of fond memories following a tied second finish here in 2021. And the Korean’s preparation for the US$20 million showpiece was significantly boosted when he played alongside Rodriguez – better known as ‘A-Rod’ – in the Pro-Am.

“It was amazing. He’s an amazing guy, super nice and people love him. Every hole, there are a lot of people with him. I’m a fan. It was really exciting. He’s super athletic, has power … so much power, which I like to see,” said Lee, who appeared in the first two editions of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, sharing 18th place in China in 2009 and placing joint fourth in Japan in 2010.

In Scottsdale, Lee is hoping to harness his own power to challenge for a third PGA Tour title. Two years ago, he was in the thick of battle at TPC Scottsdale before settling for a joint runner-up finish. It provided the launch-pad for a career breakthrough as he won the AT&T Byron Nelson a few months later. The amiable Korean was also the first-round leader in Phoenix last year following an opening 65 before finishing tied for 38th.

As the second designated event on Tour, the top-10 players on the current FedEx Cup standings and 22 of the top-25 players in the world, led by world number one Rory McIlroy and defending champion Scottie Scheffler, will highlight a stellar field at TPC Scottsdale.

Lee feels ready to step up and shine. “I like playing against strong fields, like seeing a lot of great guys,” said Lee, who has two top-10s this season, including a tied seventh at last month’s Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.

“I love this tournament, a lot of fans, and hole numbers 16, 17 and 18 are amazing. It’s like a super big stadium, especially on 16. You get nervous but if you have a great shot, it’s an amazing feeling.

“I played well here two years ago. A lot of good memories, for sure. I remember putting good that week. My main focus will be to get the putter to work,” said Lee, currently ranked 42nd on the FedEx Cup standings.

As the oldest player among a Korean quartet who have enjoyed multiple success on the PGA Tour and featured together in last year’s Presidents Cup, Lee said he now feels totally at ease playing alongside the game’s biggest names. Compatriots Tom Kim Joo-hyung and Kim Si-woo have already won this season, and Lee is hoping to join them soon.

“Playing with JT (Justin Thomas), Scottie (Scheffler) … previously two years ago, I did not have much experience. But I’m getting more confidence playing with these guys,” he said.

“We now have a lot of great Korean guys and every week we are playing well. We’ve got Sung-jae (Im), Tom and Si-woo, and there’s very good competition amongst us and we are cheering each other. It’s very good for us.”

The WM Phoenix Open, which this week marks its 88th playing, is the fifth oldest on Tour and is renowned as the world’s largest zero-waste sporting event through efforts including recycling, composting, donating, reusing and creating energy.