Min Woo Lee has a huge following as a ‘social golfer’. But is one of his characters holding him back?

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Min Woo Lee is fast making a name for himself in world golf, but he already has a handful of monikers and alter-egos that have fuelled his rise to being one of the game’s biggest social media personalities.

There’s the Chef, there’s Woozy and on Friday, Lee was given another name – the Replacer – which will only further entrench his online popularity.

The last one is a promotional role for the video game franchise, Call of Duty, for which Lee has been an unpaid devotee for years in his downtime. It was while playing the game with mates during COVID, in fact, that Lee’s famous catchcry of “let him cook” was born, which has become such a social media phenomenon, devoted fans now wear chefs hats and follow Lee at tournaments.

But while Lee has built global fame online - with almost 1.5 million followers - and counts celebs like Justin Bieber and Steph Curry as friends, the 27-year-old also has a burning ambition to marry up the likes with recognition as one of the world’s best golfers, and for winning majors.

Lee had his most successful year on the PGA Tour in 2025, claiming a maiden win in Houston and, along with multiple top-20 finishes, showed he is on the cusp. But the key to taking that next step may require Lee to kill off, or at least semi-retire, one of his most famous alter-egos: Dr Chipinski.

Australian golfer Min Woo Lee standing next to a large statue of himself in Pitt Street Mall at a publicity event for a Call of Duty video game.

That nickname spawned via Lee’s uncanny ability to chip in from off the green, to the delight of boisterous galleries. And the young Australian leaned right into it as social content, posting clips of chip-ins and “calling the Doctor”.

It’s great entertainment, but lined up against the best players, it also points to a flaw in Lee’s game.

“The nickname has come from chipping in, and I miss a lot of greens, so I have a lot of opportunities,” he said.

Since emerging as a world-class talent and going pro in 2019, Lee has been known for his long-driving and accurate putting. But his driving accuracy and approach game - the ability to hit the green with long irons and woods - have been far more inconsistent.

In the 2025 PGA Tour season, Lee was ranked 14th for driving distance (286m), 12th for strokes gained around the green, and a credible 55th for strokes gained in putting. But Lee was also ranked 150th for driving accuracy (55%), and 143rd in strokes gained (approach). His green-in-regulation percentage is 65%.

Hence the frequent doctor calls.

“For sure that’s one of those things I have to get better in,” Lee says. “There’s times where (if) the approach play is good I can compete, but if not, then you can’t compete with the best in the world.

“All the guys that are the greatest in the world ... the approach play numbers are really good. That’s something that I’ve had to work on and I’m not shy of talking about it.”

Min Woo Lee celebrates his first win on the US PGA Tour.

When it comes to ball-striking, the top-ranked player on the PGA Tour in strokes gained (approach) is Scottie Scheffler, the world No.1.

“It’s great having all that, all the other (strengths) and that helps me,” Lee said. “But that (approach accuracy) is something I’ve tried to work on over the last couple years, and it’s a big deal. But (it is) slowly, slowly going upwards.”

Success might mean fewer house calls, but Lee isn’t interested in shuttering Dr Chipinski’s clinic just yet. And nor is Lee keen on scaling back social media work to pour all waking hours into golf, as some pundits have suggested is necessary for Lee to go from world No.46 to being a top 10 player and a contender at majors.

“There’s a lot of pressures on doing social media and playing good golf,” Lee said.

“It does suck to not play good golf and you’re posting hype videos and stuff. But I don’t mind the pressure, I’ve dealt with it pretty good. It does have a toll on me sometimes when I don’t play good golf, but I think it’s a lot about the journey, and the company and I’ve made so many good friends.

“I wouldn’t change it really. Yes, I could play golf just seriously and move on. But I like to have a bit of fun and make the world a little bit better.”

He’d won big tournaments before, like the Australian PGA and the Scottish Open, but Lee’s breakthrough win at the Houston Open in March was his first on the PGA Tour. It ensured he had his biggest earning year to date, with $6.13m, and allowed the popular youngster to prove he could walk the talk.

Min Woo Lee wearing a chef’s hat during the Australian PGA Championship.

But disappointing showings in the majors and the PGA Tour’s big-money Signature Events, and missing the FedEx Cup playoffs by finishing outside the Top 50, left a sour taste. It prompted Lee to re-work his swing in the last few months ahead of the Australian summer.

“The win was huge. Overall the consistency was not amazing,” he said. “So A-plus for the win but I would say, a C or D (for the year).”

Despite rumours of being a target for LIV Golf, Lee has no plans to leave the PGA Tour. Hoisting more big trophies at home is the next big goal. The Australian PGA Championship is at the end of the month, and the Australian Open - with Rory McIlroy in the field - is early December in Melbourne.

Lee is hoping to re-capture his form in 2023, when he, the Chef and the Doctor joined forces to fire up galleries, win the PGA and then almost did the double at the Australian Open, before finishing third.

“It’s going to be exciting,” he said. “Obviously (McIlroy’s) game is wonderful, with not many weaknesses, and around Royal Melbourne, it’s gonna be very cool.”