Min Woo Lee survived a difficult middle stretch at Aronimink to sign for a one-over 73 in the second round of the 2026 PGA Championship, staying tied for third and firmly in the major hunt as the Western Australian looks to break through on the biggest stage.
Lee, who had shared the opening-round lead with a five-under 67, admitted he never quite recaptured the same rhythm on Friday but was proud of the way he refused to let the round drift away when the course turned on him.
"Not as in control as yesterday, I would say, but happy with the grind," Lee said in his post-round press conference. "I did lose it a little bit out there just in the middle part. There are some tough holes out there, but it's very easy to get your mind spiraling, and you can't do that at a major championship. So me and Shane, my caddy, had to regroup, and I thought I played the last seven, eight holes pretty good. The scores are showing that it's a very tough course."
The 27-year-old Australian was asked what a major title would mean to him and offered a glimpse of the family rivalry that has long shaped his and sister Minjee's career.
"You would elevate as a player," Lee said. "It would be nice for the family as a whole, wouldn't it. It is tough. You win one, but you've got to win three more to overtake the sister, so there's still a long way to go."
Lee stopped short of calling Aronimink the toughest test he had faced, but did not soften the assessment of a setup that has drawn pointed criticism from both Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy.
"I wouldn't say the toughest, but it is very tough," Lee said. "I think the fairways are wide enough to not make it the hardest course, but the scores are showing that it is very tough. It feels like a US Open course with the rough pretty thick, especially around the greens. It's windy. That doesn't help, and then obviously the undulating greens, it's tough. I saw plenty of putts missed from short range, even myself. It's just one of those where you can't let your mind spiral, but it is tough. I'm not going to say it isn't tough because it is bloody tough."
"The one on eight going from a hybrid to an eight iron is a very big difference," he said. "I went from like the toughest to the easiest hole, so I don't think that was expected yesterday. Even me and Shane, my caddy, were out there and we hit four-iron into there on the practice round. It could be hybrid and that's a 20-yard difference between four-iron and hybrid, so it kind of took us by surprise."
Lee's record in majors had been a sore spot earlier in his career, with four missed cuts in his last four major starts coming into the week. He was asked what had clicked at Aronimink to flip the script.
"I just like the way this course shapes up to me," Lee said. "You've got to drive it really well, and I have been driving it really well. Approach play is a lot better, and the chipping and putting is not too bad, too. I think just becoming a lot better player over the last year. Definitely matured, but the game has matured as well. And that's where we want to be. Hopefully we can keep going when the circumstances become tougher, especially at a major."
With heat and firm fairways forecast for Saturday and Sunday, Lee believes the test will only intensify. "The fairways are running pretty fast already. So, if it does become firmer, some of those holes camber to the rough, which is obviously going to play tougher. You'll definitely have to play from the fairway if you want to make some birdies."