Article Written by Aaron Kirby | The West Australia
Superstar golf siblings Minjee and Min Woo Lee have made history, becoming the first-ever brother-sister duo to be nominated for one of the most prestigious honours in WA sport.
The West Australian can reveal the pair are both finalists for the SportsWest WA Sports Star of the Year award, which recognises the outstanding and highest achievement of an individual from Western Australia.
Previous winners include champion cyclist Jai Hindley (2022, 2020), Paralympic star Madison de Rozario (2021), Nat Fyfe (2019, 2015) and Sam Kerr (2017, 2018).
The last golfer to win the award was Hannah Green in 2019, while a male golfer has not taken out the top honours since Curtis Luck in 2016.
The 12 finalists for the WA Sports Star are revealed ahead of the awards night on February 29, 2024, with Minjee and Min Woo the first to be unveiled.
Minjee Lee
A two-time winner of the junior sports star of the year award, Minjee Lee had a sensational 2023 on the hallowed turf of golf clubs around the world.
The young star has shown promise from the start but reached new heights as she cracked into the top five players in the world, winning two women’s major events and finishing as the runner-up in two more.
She also had six top-10 finishes across the year. Her first triumph came in September at the Kroger Queen City Championship, knocking off 142 competitors from 16 countries.
She continued her incredible form into October, blitzing the field early in the BMW Ladies Championship before hanging on through the final rounds to claim victory in South Korea as well as a $330,000 purse.
However, she suffered two heart-breaking defeats after being forced into a playoff at the Hana Financial Group Championships and Cognizant Founders Cup, forced to settle for second place despite qualifying highest for the playoff.
Her success continues to push the profile of Women’s golf in her home state as well as throughout the country.
Min Woo Lee
Min Woo Lee became a fan favourite across 2023, inspiring a devoted core of fans with his flamboyant celebrations and unique sense of the moment.
Just like his sister, he has always shown promise and proved his abilities in style with a major victory at the exotic Macoa Open. Coming into the backend of the season ranked 44 in the world, Lee was still hunting his first crown of the calendar.
The West Aussie made a great start at nine under before a seven under 64 handed him a three-stroke advantage on the second day. His form fell just a touch on the third day, but he maintained his lead.
A stunning eight under par in the final round of action was enough to secure the title and $1 million into the kitty. Macoa was his only title in 2023, but he did finish second among 100 players at the Abu Dhabi Championship.
He also collected seven top-10 finishes across the season, highlighted by an incredible fifth at the prestigious US Open and a tie for sixth place in the The Players Championship.
The 2023 WA Sport Awards will be presented on Thursday, 29 February 2024 at HBF Stadium. Tickets are on sale now, purchase your ticket HERE.
For more information
Please contact SportWest Events Manager, Hannah Lawton at events@sportwest.com.au or Communications Manager Bronte Vause at brontevause@sportwest.com.au
