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How Minjee Lee found a slice of home via her brother's message after winning her third golf major

How Minjee Lee found a slice of home via her brother's message after winning her third golf major

The tyranny of distance is something golfers know well.
As they stand on that tee and look out towards the flag — if they can see it at all — it is only distance that stands between them and their goal.
It's a stupidly simple game, really.
In the words of the great and fictional golfer Chubbs Peterson, the charmingly sincere nature of golf is to simply "send the ball home".
Minjee Lee knows how to overcome distance, both figuratively and literally. The concept of home, though? That's a little more complicated.
In rubber-stamping herself as one of Australia's greatest golfers by claiming her third major at the Women's PGA Championship, one comment stood out as Lee paid tribute to her over-achieving family.
"Wherever Min is, he's supporting me out there," Lee said of little brother and rising golfing star Min Woo Lee.
Such is the complicated and stacked nature of the men's and women's golfing calendar, these kind of achievements — so epic and history-making that it feels they should be played out surrounded by family — are instead completed not knowing exactly where in the world your only sibling is as you achieve them.
For what it's worth, Min Woo was in the final round of the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut, 2,300km away.
The same country. But a world away from the champagne showers and unbridled joy of his big sister's big moment.
Having just crawled towards a 63rd-placed finish, and with a microphone in his face and a sponsorship banner behind him, Min Woo sent the most sincere and warm message he possibly could from the most corporate and staged of settings.
"I'm so proud of you," he said, having been prompted by the broadcasters to send the message.
"The last couple of years have been tough and I'm glad to see you back in the winner's circle.
"I'm proud of you and … ah … love you."
On the final two words, Min Woo's face beamed.
No doubt the private calls and texts and group chats had lit up with the more candid and fervent messages of inside jokes and gentle ribbing that can only come through that love language that we all have with our closest families and friends.
But in those two words, Min Woo's warmth towards his sister broke through the corporate barriers, a glimpse of home on a golf tour that so often lacks a true understanding of the concept, with an endless schedule and the constant battle to stay high enough in the rankings to make it all worth it.
"That's so sweet," Minjee said when shown the video.
"We don't get to see each other too much, I feel like I see him more on social media than anything.
"I do miss him on the road. Just seeing that makes me a little bit emotional.
"It's just really nice to know that you have your family supporting you no matter where you are in the world, even if you're miles apart."
This is a tour of close calls, of heartbreak, and of missed opportunities, all of which Minjee has gone through since her previous major victory in 2022, with a capitulation in last year's US Open appearing to dent her growing confidence.
And through it all, Min Woo has been there for her, even if via that tyranny of distance.
"This will be Minjee's year," Min Woo told the ABC'S Australian Story in March last year.
"She'll get there, she'll get there."
He turned to his sister during the interview.
"Not you think you can," he said.
"You will."
With putter in hand, home is a tangible thing. Home is in the hole, then off to the next tee to find home again.
Off the course, though, it's a concept that is much harder to pinpoint for those on the tour, one that differs from that which you and I understand, of our own bed at night, our place on the couch, a hot meal surrounded by our loved ones.
Home is the next hotel at the next event. Home is in the clubhouse weighing up if all of this is worth it.
But home is also a message from your brother 2,300km away. Home is those final two words of that message and the beaming smile that comes with it.
And home is living in the knowledge that even if you don't "get there", you'll always have a sibling who believes that you can.

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