'Golf World Woo Young-woo' Lee Seung-min "Runner-up by 1 Stroke"

2nd US Adaptive Open Final 3R 2 Over Par
Poppert Wins, Stone Ties for 2nd, Brown 4th Place

‘Golf World’s Woo Young-woo’ Lee Seung-min finished as the runner-up.

Defending champion Lee Seung-min shot a 2-over-par 74 in the final third round of the 2nd US Adaptive Open (Disabled US Open) held on the 12th (local time) at Pinehurst Resort (Par 72) in North Carolina, USA, finishing tied for 2nd place (1-under-par 215). Kip Pophert (England) lost 3 strokes but still won by 1 stroke (2-under-par 214). Conor Stone (Ireland) tied for 2nd place, and Mike Brown (England) finished 4th (even par 216).

Lee Seung-min is making a bunker shot on the 3rd hole of the final 3rd round at the 2nd US Adaptive Open.
[Photo by USGA]

Starting from 3rd place, 2 strokes behind, Lee Seung-min recorded 2 birdies and 4 bogeys. In the first 4 holes, he made 2 birdies and 1 bogey for 1-under-par. He maintained par for the next 7 holes but missed the championship trophy after 3 bogeys on holes 12, 16, and 18.

Lee Seung-min is the protagonist who is active as a professional golfer despite having autism spectrum disorder. He was diagnosed with congenital autism spectrum disorder around the age of two, with an intelligence quotient (IQ) of 66, equivalent to the level of a 6-7 year old. He was introduced to golf while living in the United States following his father, a diplomat. In 2014, as a sophomore at Sinseong High School, Lee earned the Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) semi-pro qualification, and in 2017, after five attempts, he became a full member of the Korean Tour. This was the first time for a player with developmental disabilities.

In July last year, Lee Seung-min made history by overcoming his disability to win the inaugural US Adaptive Open. He has also showcased his skills as an invited player on the domestic professional stage. In 2018, he advanced to the main round for the first time at the DB Insurance Promy Open. This year, he participated in nine Korean Tour events and performed well, finishing tied for 37th at the KB Financial Live Championship in May. Lee Seung-min will compete in the SKT Adaptive Open held domestically next month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.