PGA Tour rookie Lee Seung-taek eager to learn from best
Lee Seung-taek of Korea looks on during a practice round ahead of the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii, Tuesday (local time). Yonhap
Having arrived in Hawaii this week to make his PGA Tour debut, rookie Lee Seung-taek has already had some "welcome to the big show" moments.
"I've wanted to play on the PGA Tour for a long time. And once I checked out the course before the tournament, I saw how difficult the setup was and how much more I had to prepare," Lee told Korean reporters Thursday in a Zoom interview from Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii, the site of the season-opening Sony Open.
Lee earned his PGA Tour card by finishing 13th in the points rankings on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour last year, with those in the top 20 moving up the ladder.
"I felt like I've run into another wall here after clearing one on the Korn Ferry Tour last year," Lee added. "The course is much more difficult than I imagined, and I need to hit shots with high trajectory because greens are really firm. The rough is so deep that you might hurt your wrist trying to play out of it. I will have to learn how to play those shots as the season progresses."
Off the course, Lee said he has been pleasantly surprised by how well PGA Tour players are treated, especially when it comes to dining options.
"It was just so tough on the Korn Ferry Tour. All I could eat was potatoes. Here, we can get whatever vegetables or meat you want," Lee said. "And everything is all set up in the lockers, and transportation is all taken care of to help all the players feel comfortable. I could really sense that the PGA Tour is indeed the greatest tour in the world."
Lee's PGA Tour debut comes in the same week as three Korean players, including longtime PGA Tour member An Byeong-hun, defected to LIV Golf, the Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway circuit that has thrown bags of money at stars since its launch in 2022.
"I haven't given any thought to other tours. I've only wanted to play on the PGA Tour since I was a kid," Lee said. "I have this sense of pride that if I can survive here, I can become among the best golfers in the world."
Lee said he would love to play in a round with two of the very best, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, plus former No. 1 and three-time major champion Jordan Spieth.
Lee did have a practice round with Spieth earlier this week.
"He gets along well with other Korean players and so he was pretty friendly," Lee said. "He gave me a few tips on hitting approach shots on some holes. It was amazing. And seeing the way he prepared for the tournament, I could see why he is such a great player."
Lee said he hopes to pick McIlroy's brains one day and added, "I want to ask him how he gets ready for each tournament because it can get pretty lonely out here on the PGA Tour."
Eventually, Lee wants to be good enough to hang with the best players, not just to be in awe of them.
"My primary goal is to retain my tour card," he said. "Ultimately, I want to improve to a point where I won't be a pushover anywhere in the world. I don't have the experience or the physical strengths of other players, and I need to be precise with my ball striking here."