As Min Woo Lee tried to seize the first win of his PGA Tour profession in Houston, the Aussie additionally needed to stand up to some rigidity in his group.
Taking part in alongside Argentinian Alejandro Tosti and New Zealander Ryan Fox, Lee entered the ultimate spherical with a four-shot lead over the Argentine. However Tosti rinsed his second shot into the creek on the par-4 1st gap, which all however ended his possibilities of transferring up the leaderboard. He was understandably pissed off after that second, however then grew angrier on the par-5 eighth gap.
After pushing his drive effectively proper of the green and into the bushes, Lee wanted 12 minutes to finally decide that his ball was unplayable. He wanted to take a drop, and finally, he saved his par. But it surely took the ultimate group 31 minutes to complete this par-5, which left Tosti relatively testy.
As the ultimate group performed the outlet, the NBC Sports activities broadcast confirmed Tosti conversing with a guidelines official. No audio of their dialogue aired, however on-course reporter Jim “Bones” Mackay defined how Tosti was sad with how lengthy Lee’s ordeal with the bush took to play out.
4 holes later, on the par-4 twelfth, the place Lee nonetheless held the lead, cameras confirmed Tosti strolling greater than 100 yards behind his taking part in companions. Mackay then chimed once more, accusing Tosti of purposefully slowing down Lee and Fox.
“I don’t know what’s occurring, however Tosti is taking part in at his personal tempo,” Mackay mentioned.
“At instances, it’s regular. At instances, it’s glacially sluggish. However he’s selected this specific gap to actually take his time, and he’s holding up play on this final group.”
Kevin Kisner, the lead analyst for NBC Sports activities, added:
“If it have been me, I’d stroll over to Tosti and say, ‘What are you doing, bro?’”
Mackay didn’t cease there, nevertheless.
“The underside line is that is extremely unfair to a 26-year-old man attempting to recover from the end line for the primary time,” Mackay added.
Tosti, who finally tied for fifth and didn’t converse to the media after his spherical, then took to social media on Monday to clarify his aspect of the story.
He did so with brevity and obtained on to the purpose. His social media submit responded to the Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine, who added a couple of ideas on this ordeal.
“Bones speaking sh*t for the followers,” Tosti posted on X on Monday morning.
“Saying I’m strolling 50 yards behind and ‘attempting to sluggish my taking part in associate.’ The half you don’t see is that I used the restroom and ready myself a drink.”
The Argentine additionally spoke with Matías Miguel Torge of Handicap 54 on Monday.
“Fox was additionally upset about what occurred with Lee on the eighth gap,” Tosti mentioned.
Throughout the broadcast, as the ultimate group performed the par-5 eighth, Mackay referenced what occurred to Tosti on the opening gap.
“I believed he was a bit bit disrespectful to Fox on the primary gap at this time when Tosti was taking a drop,” Mackay mentioned.
However Tosti, whereas chatting with Handicap 54, added that nothing occurred between him and the New Zealander, who shot a 1-over 71 on Sunday and tied for fifteenth.
No matter what transpired, Tosti tied for fifth in Houston, which marked his second straight top-5 at Memorial Park. He tied for second final 12 months, which proved to be the very best results of his season. He would go on to overlook 12 cuts all through 2024 whereas recording just one extra top-10 end, which got here on the Shriners Youngsters’s Open in Las Vegas. Tosti completed the 12 months exterior the highest 125 within the FedEx Cup standings, however he regained his PGA Tour card for the 2025 season through Q-Faculty. He completed among the many high 5 there final December.
To date in 2025, Tosti has made solely 4 cuts in 9 begins, with this previous week being his finest end. He additionally recorded a top-10 on the Mexico Open, however got here nowhere near contending at The American Specific and the Cognizant Basic — the one different occasions the place he has earned a weekend tee time this 12 months.
And but, golf followers will bear in mind Tosti’s remaining spherical at this 12 months’s Texas Youngsters’s Houston Open greater than something.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By. Comply with him on X @jack_milko.