Minwoo Lee 'Runner-up by 1 Stroke'... Perez 'Comeback Victory'

DP World Tour Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship FR

Australian-Korean golfer Lee Min-woo (photo) failed to secure his first victory of the 2023 season.

Lee Min-woo is making a wedge shot on the 10th hole on the final day of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Abu Dhabi=AP·Yonhap News

On the 22nd (local time), Lee Min-woo shot 4-under par on the final day of the DP World Tour Rolex Series Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (total prize money $9 million) held at Yas Links Abu Dhabi (par 72) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, but settled for a one-stroke tie for second place (17-under 271). Lee Min-woo is ranked 58th in the world and has two DP World Tour wins. He is well known as the younger brother of Lee Min-ji, who competes on the LPGA Tour.

Starting as a co-leader by one stroke, Lee Min-woo recorded seven birdies and three bogeys. Although he lost one stroke with one birdie and two bogeys in the first four holes, he changed the momentum with three consecutive birdies from holes 5 to 7, and engaged in a fierce battle for the title with back-to-back birdies on holes 11 and 12. However, he parred the next four holes, made a bogey on the 17th hole (par 3), and only managed to recover with a birdie on the 18th hole (par 5). He struggled with a fairway hit rate of just 50%.

Victor Perez (France) surged with a 6-under par round to clinch a one-stroke come-from-behind victory (18-under 270). This marked his third DP World Tour win, eight months after winning the Dutch Open last May, with a winner's prize of $1.53 million (approximately 1.9 billion KRW). Perez said, "The bunker shot on the 17th hole (par 3) that led to a birdie was the key to my victory," adding, "With this luck, I think it will be a great year."

Sebastian Soderberg (Sweden) tied for second place, Padraig Harrington (Ireland) finished fourth (16-under 272), Francesco Molinari (Italy) and Alex Noren (Sweden) tied for fifth (14-under 274), and Tyrrell Hatton (England) tied for seventh (13-under 275).