Min Woo Lee and Jason Day boost Aussie Masters contingent in world rankings bumps

As recently as month ago it was looking like the Masters would feature one of the smallest line-ups of Australians in recent memory.

But surges from Jason Day and now Min Woo Lee have ensured 2013 champ Adam Scott will have a bevy of countrymen on hand to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of his breakthrough triumph.

The silver lining for Lee, after his final day fade-out at The Players Championship, was a big bump in the world rankings, jumping from 50, which is the cut line to get an invitation to Augusta, to No.45 three weeks out from the year’s first major.

The 24-year-old, who shared the lead at TPC Sawgrass after an opening hole eagle in the final round before Scottie Scheffler ran away from all the chasers, will return to the Masters where Lee finished in a tie for 14th in 2022, his first visit to the tournament.

He’ll be joined by Day, who is now the second-highest ranked Australian in the world, surpassing Scott with a seven-place jump to No.36 after he finished in a tie for 19th at TPC Sawgrass.

Day, who slumped to 175 in the world in 2022, has now moved 78 places in his last six events and will return to Augusta having missed three of the four majors in 2022.

Despite moving to LIV Golf, Cameron Smith will also get to play the Masters, joining Lee, Day, Scott and amateur Harrison Crowe in a five-proinged attack, which could yet be bolstered by Lucas Herbert, who dropped to 55 on the rankings after a horror show at The Players Championship, should he turn his form around over the next fortnight.

Lee is confident his time will come having been in the mix for most of The Players Championship, and playing in the final group with Scheffler, before finishing in a tie for sixth.

“I’ve been in final groups quite a lot lately, and to be on the PGA Tour in one of the biggest PGA Tour tournaments, it’s awesome,” he said.

“If I just keep putting myself in those positions, hopefully I can get a Sunday done. But it’s another top-10 finish and I’m really proud. Sundays are just tough.”