Jason Day knew it would resonate better coming from Karrie Webb.
So he ensured Min Woo Lee was listening when the Australian golfing great delivered a Paris Olympics pep talk Day hopes spurred on a talent he expects will be the country’s next world number one.
Lee arrived at Augusta National ahead of the Masters from Thursday (Friday AEST) among the headline acts, hand-picked with tournament fancies Collin Morikawa and Joaquin Niemann in one of two feature first-round morning groups.
It comes after his PGA Tour breakthrough at the Houston Open last month, a victory that prompted congratulations from the likes of Justin Bieber and Steph Curry.
Australia’s Min Woo Lee comes into the Masters on the back of winning the Houston Open. (Getty Images: Jonathan Bachman)
Former world number one and major champion Day has known Lee for almost a decade and played alongside him for Australia at last year’s Olympics.
Blessed with incredible golfing gifts, Day said Lee needed a “lifestyle change” to fully exploit them.
“Min is definitely one of those guys … he does all the sexy stuff, all the stuff that people love to see, he does that really, really well,” he said.
“It’s all up to him if he wants to get to number one … there is work ethic and that desire.
“It’s a lifestyle change he has to understand.
“I know that he has the tools and the mental side to do it because he loves the moment, and that’s something you cannot teach golfers in general, to love being in that moment and under the most stress.”
Webb, a seven-time major winner and golf hall-of-famer, captained Australia’s golfers in Paris.
“In my mind I’m like, OK, if I can chat to Karrie — an all-time great — about this stuff,” Day said.
“Just hearing how she went about things, her mentality, and it rubbing off.
“Even though it wasn’t directed towards him, I wanted to let him hear, ‘Hey, this is what she did, this is what I did’.
“Knowing that is a lifestyle change … everything has to be in order. Certain sacrifices need to happen.
“Just feeding it to him a little bit … (because) he’s got the world at his feet right now.”
Lee last year shifted his US headquarters to Las Vegas, where he plays regularly with Morikawa.
The 26-year-old, now Australia’s top-ranked male at number 23 in the world, admitted it was hard to switch off after his Houston triumph.
“It actually was very hard to keep sleeping; I just wanted to be up and checking my phone and was buzzing for the whole week,” Lee said after playing nine holes with Cameron Smith and Day on Tuesday.
“I’m getting more comfortable here — my fourth (Masters) now and they (Smith, Day) have put me under their wing and we have some Aussie banter.”
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He and Morikawa share a physiotherapist, Lee joking they’d have to jostle for priority on Thursday morning.
The American is a two-time major winner and in his past three Masters starts has finished third, 10th and fifth.
Chilean Niemann is also among the favourites after his hot form on the LIV Golf tour netted two victories.
World number one Scottie Scheffler will launch his Masters title defence on Thursday alongside Justin Thomas and Spanish amateur Jose Luis Ballester in the other morning feature group.
Day will partner three-time champion Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley in the group immediately following Lee’s.
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Australia’s 2013 winner Adam Scott will be the last of the country’s five-man contingent to begin in an afternoon group with world number three Xander Schauffele — a two-time major winner last year — and Norway’s Viktor Hovland.
Irish world number two Rory McIlroy, seeking to become the sixth player to complete the career grand slam and first since Tiger Woods in 2000, will tee off alongside 2024 runner-up Ludvig Aberg and Akshay Bhatia.
Masters debutant Davis Riley will hit the first competitive shot of the week at 7.40am local time after honorary starters Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson hit shots off the first tee.
What are the Masters groupings and tee times?
8.52am (10.52pm, Thursday AEST) — Cameron Smith, JT Poston, Aaron Rai
9.47am (11.47pm, Thursday) — Collin Morikawa, Joaquin Niemann, Min Woo Lee
9.58am (11.58pm, Thursday) — Phil Mickelsen, Jason Day, Keegan Bradley
10.48am (12.48am, Friday) — Cameron Davis, Rafael Campos, Austin Eckroat
1.01pm (3.01am, Friday) — Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland.
How can fans watch the Masters in Australia?
This year, the Masters will be broadcast exclusively on Fox Sports, available on both Kayo Sports and Foxtel.
AAP
