Min Woo Lee loves Augusta, but Augusta doesn’t love him. In 2022, the Australian made history in his Masters debut, tying the record for the lowest front-nine score in Masters history with a 6-under 30. It was a sign of greater things to come. However, over the years, he struggled at the same tournament. Speaking recently on the DP World Tour podcast with host George Harper Jr., Lee was candid about his relationship with the Masters.

“I really like the masters. I don’t know why, maybe because it’s always at Augusta. There is something about the place where, when everything clicks, I feel like I could, well, do some damage. Lately, it has done some damage to me. We’ll try to get better at that.”

In 2025, Lee walked into Augusta fresh off his maiden PGA Tour win at Houston. What followed wasn’t what the Australian had in mind. Officials handed him a one-stroke penalty on the par-5 13th of round 3 after determining his movements caused his ball to shift. The ruling turned a par into a bogey, changing his round score to 5-over 77. The two years before that at Augusta weren’t better either: a missed cut in 2023 and a T22 finish in 2024.

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When asked what makes Augusta difficult, Lee said golf’s fine margins.

“You just have to hit it well. If you miss it in the wrong spots, you make the stupidest bogeys. Everyone knows where you can’t hit it, but under the pressure, one bad swing and you’re stuffed. So it’s just small margins.”

Lee arrived at Augusta this year riding on the momentum of 3 top-10 finishes in signature events, making him a strong contender for the win. However, his first two rounds at the Masters told a different story: 5 bogeys and 1 double bogey in the first round and 4 bogeys and 1 double bogey in the second. When asked about his performance, he said he was nervous and, despite unbelievable preparation, kept hitting the same errant shot without knowing why. Lee missed the cut at the Masters by a long margin; still, his love for Augusta remains.

Like Lee, Rory McIlroy has spent over a decade calling the Masters the most mentally demanding week in golf. He even admitted the build-up would turn him into someone he barely recognized.

Justin Rose has come within a single swing of the green jacket more than once, and he called those losses “tough” ones he had to go home and “absorb.”

Lee’s 2026 season has been strong—fifth in SG, two runner-ups, four top-10s—yet the Masters has eluded him. For him, the mental side of the game, grit, and patience are key to victory.