Each year around this time, rumors start swirling over which PGA Tour players may become the latest to say goodbye and hitch their futures to LIV Golf. And every year at least one rumored move turns out to be accurate.
Last year young phenom Tom Mckibbin turned down a PGA Tour card to join LIV. The year before, it was Jon Rahm who shocked the world by moving to LIV.
This year is no different. And one player in particular has been the focus of many rumors: Australian pro and recent PGA Tour winner Min Woo Lee.
But in recent comments to the Australian Associated Press, Lee put to rest any rumors that he was leaving the PGA Tour.
Min Woo Lee says he’s not joining LIV
Not many pros can lay claim to the distinction of beating world-beater Scottie Scheffler in the final holes of a tournament over the past two years. But Lee can.
And he did it in Scheffler’s home state no less.
At the 2025 Texas Children’s Houston Open, Lee made a clutch par at the final hole to hold off Gary Woodland and a hard-charging Scheffler and win his first PGA Tour event.
Min Woo Lee was fun. In his first PGA Tour win, he became a threat
The victory vastly improved Lee’s Official World Golf ranking position, seeing him rocket from 55th to 22nd.
At 27, Lee is the type of up-and-coming international star LIV Golf would love to see play on its circuit, so rumors that Lee might make the move at the end of this year were ever-present.
Which may have made his comments to the Australian Associated Press surprising to some.
In his interview with the AAP, Lee made it clear that he would not be joining LIV and instead would continue to pursue his burgeoning PGA Tour career.
“There’s been a lot of rumors. I’m not going [to LIV Golf] and am just going to play on the PGA Tour,” Lee said. “So, I’m happy with where I’m at and, yeah, I’m looking forward to next year.”
Lee also revealed that his focus for the rest of the year is to qualify for next year’s majors. He finished 49th at the 2025 Masters, but missed the cuts in the next three majors.
Unfortunately for Lee, his Texas Children’s Houston Open win came just two weeks before last year’s Masters, which he was already qualified for. As a result, it did not earn him an invite into the 2026 Masters.
For that, Lee is hoping to maintain his position in the top 50 of the OWGR; he’s currently ranked 46th. And he’s eyeing some big upcoming events in his home country — the Australian Open and Australian PGA Championship, which he won in 2023 — to make it happen.
“Yeah, I never want to miss a major, the Masters especially. It’s one of the biggest tournaments in the world so I’ll do whatever I can to get in,” Lee said. “I’ve just got to play good golf in the Aussie summer and hopefully I can lock it up.”
