Min Woo Lee Wins the 2025 Texas Children's Houston Open

Lee earns his first PGA TOUR win as he tops a deep and elite field of competitors.

HOUSTON, Texas – Min Woo Lee rode a record-setting performance to his first PGA TOUR title as he won the 2025 Texas Children's Houston Open on Sunday afternoon at Memorial Park Golf Course in the heart of Houston.

Lee, a member of the 2024 Presidents Cup International Team, earned the win in his debut at the event, becoming the first player since Paul Casey in 2009 to win at their first start in Houston.

The Perth, Australia, native, held off a surging group on Sunday, including World No. 1 Scottie Sheffler and Gary Woodland, who pulled within one stroke at 19-under and forced Lee to have to at least par hole 18 to not force a playoff. After a tee shot that went wide left, Lee was able to save par to seal his first career PGA TOUR victory.  

Lee also becomes the third first-time winner since the event moved to Memorial Park Golf Course, joining 2020 winner Carlos Ortiz and 2024 winner Stephan Jaeger.

Woo moved his way up the leaderboard over the weekend, separating himself from the field with a 64 in round three, taking a four-stroke lead at 17-under into Championship Sunday. This was the first time in his PGA TOUR career that he led after 54 holes. He finished at 20-under 260 (66-64-63-67) for a new tournament course record.  

Lee entered the third round trailing Scheffer by one stroke but held a four-stroke lead entering Sunday after a career-low 7-under 63 on Saturday. That score bested his previous-low round of 64 that came during round two this week.

Lee, who resides in Las Vegas, Nev., was presented with the Texas Children’s Houston Open trophy on the 18th green by Astros Owner and Chairman Jim Crane, his wife, Whitney Crane, and son James Crane.  Dr. Debra Sukin, President & CEO of the title sponsor, Texas Children's, and her husband, Dr. Steven Sukin and Texas Children’s patients were alongside to present Lee with his first trophy.  

"First, I’d like to congratulate Min Woo Lee on his victory today," said Jim Crane. This was four incredible days of golf from an incredibly strong field. Min Woo separated himself with a record-setting performance while holding off some of the most elite golfers down the stretch today. Secondly, I want to thank all the golfers who came to compete this week. Our goal is always to make this a premier tournament that all Tour golfers choose to compete in.

"Finally, I want to thank the Houston community and our great fans who came out to support the Astros Golf Foundation, Texas Children's, and this tournament. Our ability to continue to give back to this community is due to the continued support of our fans and our partners."

"Congratulations to Min Woo Lee, our 2025 Texas Children’s Houston Open Champion." Giles Kibbe, President of the Astros Golf Foundation said. "Thank you to the PGA TOUR, Houston Mayor John Whitmire, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, our Astros staff and all the volunteers for making this year’s tournament such an incredible success. This tournament is an important tradition in Houston. We are thrilled to continue to showcase our great city through the game of golf."

"Texas Children’s is incredibly honored to serve as title sponsor of the Texas Children’s Houston, a premier event that’s made a profound impact on the Houston community," said Debra F. Sukin, Ph.D., President and CEO of Texas Children’s. "Congratulations to Jim Crane and the entire Astros Golf Foundation on not only bringing a world class event to our city - but demonstrating the power of sports in rallying an entire community around a greater cause."

"At Texas Children’s our team rallies around the greatest cause of solving the unsolvable each and every day. On behalf of our dedicated clinicians, researchers and team members - thank you for the opportunity to highlight our stories of hope to children, women and families across the globe this week. To the fans, the City of Houston and the world-class golfers who made this week so special — thank you. And a huge congratulations to Min Woo Lee on an outstanding victory!"

A 2024 Olympian for his home country of Australia, Lee becomes the eighth Australian-born to win the Texas Children’s Houston Open, and the first since Matt Jones in 2014. Overall, Australians have won the event 10 different times.

For the second-straight year, world No. 1 Sheffler finished second at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. Sheffler and Gary Woodland both finished tied for second at 19-under 261.

The course round record low of 62 was tied three times this week. First, Sheffler tied the record in round two, the third time in his career he has shot a 62 at Memorial Park Golf Course. Woodland and Sami Valimaki both shot 62 in Sunday’s fourth round to make it close down the stretch.  

The reigning 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open champion, Stephan Jaeger finished tied for 11th at 12-under 268. The champion in 2022, Tony Finau, finished tied for 32nd at 8-under 272.

2025 represents the sixth year the Astros Golf Foundation has hosted this premier PGA TOUR event and fifth at its permanent home, Memorial Park Golf Course in the heart of Houston.

About Texas Children's
Texas Children's, a nonprofit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children’s hospital in Texas and among the top in the nation, Texas Children's has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women's health. The system includes the Texas Children’s Duncan NRI; the Feigin Tower for pediatric research; Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children's Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; Texas Children's Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital devoted to children’s care for communities north of Houston and Texas Children's Hospital North Austin, the new state-of-the-art facility providing world-class pediatric and maternal care to Austin families. The organization also created Texas Children's Health Plan, the nation’s first HMO focused on children; Texas Children's Pediatrics, the largest pediatric primary care network in the country; Texas Children's Urgent Care clinics that specialize in after-hours care tailored specifically for children; and a global health program that is channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children's Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, visit www.texaschildrens.org.
 

ABOUT THE ASTROS GOLF FOUNDATION
The Astros Golf Foundation was formed in 2018 after Houston Astros Owner and Chairman Jim Crane agreed to take control of the long-standing Houston Open tournament. The Astros Golf Foundation was established with three key objectives: to ensure that the PGA TOUR event remained in Houston; to bring the tournament back to its glory and into the heart of the city; to provide much-needed resources and funds to the citizens and community of Houston through park improvements, charitable fundraising, and investment in youth programs.

The Astros Golf Foundation’s goal is to make the Houston Open a premier tournament on tour by engaging more fans, creating memorable experiences beyond the game of golf, enticing a competitive field of elite golfers to compete annually, and delivering up to $90 million annually in a positive economic impact to the city of Houston.

To bring the course up to PGA TOUR standards and provide the improvements for the general public to enjoy, in January of 2019, the Astros Golf Foundation began work on a $34 million renovation of the Memorial Park Golf Course and related facilities. World renowned golf course architect Tom Doak oversaw the renovation with consultation from golf superstar Brooks Koepka. In 2020, for the first time in 57 years, the Houston Open was held in the heart of Houston at Memorial Park Golf Course.

In addition to completely rebuilding the golf course, the renovation included the creation of an environmentally sustainable water re-use and irrigation system that utilizes captured storm water for golf course irrigation, a re-designed and expanded driving range with a two-tiered hitting structure, a new maintenance facility, construction of a short course for First Tee participants, a new STEM education center for kids, and a new tennis complex.

As stewards of the Houston Open, Jim Crane and the Astros Golf Foundation are committed to growing the Houston Open, celebrating the game of golf, and serving the community and the people of Houston.