Erik Williams-Imagn Images
Min Woo Lee secured his first win on the PGA Tour with a victory at the Houston Open during an event where he became the latest golfer to ruffle some feathers over pace of play. His deliberate approach to the final round apparently got under the skin of one of his own playing partners, as Alejandro Tosti sparked some unconventional drama by seemingly staging a protest during the round.
Min Woo Lee joined the PGA Tour last year after earning his card via the FedEx Cup standings, and it seemed like it was only going to be a matter of time before he won his first tournament based on how he fared during a rookie campaign where he had eight Top 25 finishes and ended up tied for second in two events.
Last week, the 26-year-old Australian headed to the Houston Open sitting at 55th place in the Official World Golf Rankings and seeking his first-ever win in his 56th PGA Tour event.
He was in prime position to check that box when he headed into Sunday with a four-stroke lead over the rest of the field, and while he was far from perfect, he was able to fend off a surging Scottie Scheffler and Gary Woodland en route to getting his first victory and the $1.7 million check that accompanied it.
Lee overcame a setback that saw him put his ball in the water on the 16th hole before bouncing back to secure a bogey, which occurred after he took 30 minutes to finish the 8th hole after spending 12 minutes debating a shot that ended up in a bush before opting to declare an unplayable lie (he ultimately salvaged a par).
According to Golf Digest, that did not sit well with Alejandro Tosti, who was matched up with Lee and Ryan Fox for the final round.
That insight came courtesy of Jim “Bones” Mackay, the NBC Sports analyst who noted Tosti had been “disrespectful” toward Fox over a drop situation on the very first hole of the day and aired some pace of play grievances to a tour official after Lee took his sweet time on the eighth.
That dispute ultimately led to a strange scene unfolding a few holes later, as Tosti responded in kind by opting for what Mackay described as a “glacially slow” approach to the 12th hole where he was seemingly attempting to hold up Lee out of spite.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but Tosti is playing at his own pace. At times, it’s normal. At times, it’s glacially slow. But he’s decided on this particular hole to really take his time, and he’s holding up play in this last group.”
– Bones Mackay
Earlier in the round, Tosti… pic.twitter.com/Dp3dT2KBZx
— Brentley Romine (@BrentleyGC) March 30, 2025
Tosti was subsequently accused of attempting to undermine Lee’s quest for his first win, although it wasn’t enough to stop him from getting it.
It was also a fairly on-brand move by the 28-year-old Argentine who butted heads with Tony Finau at the same event last year and was suspended by the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023 due to a string of incidents where he lost his temper on the course.
He finished in a tie for fifth and (unlike Lee) is still looking for his first PGA Tour win.
