South Korea’s K.H. Lee longs for the days when his iron play was better behaved as he seeks a return to winning form on the PGA TOUR’s 2025 season.
The two-time TOUR winner has been a shadow of his former self in the past two seasons after missing out on the FedExCup Playoffs following a career best 27th place in 2022 where he qualified for his first ever TOUR Championship.
The 33-year-old knuckled down on his pre-season preparation after finishing a lowly 105th on the rankings, opting to remain in his Orlando base to focus on the new season. This week, he is teeing up in The American Express at La Quinta, California.
“Last year, I stayed in the U.S. without returning to Korea and focused on my preparation. I practiced a lot in Orlando as my iron shots were a bit lacking last year, so I focused on improving that aspect of my game. It’s gradually getting better,” said Lee.
A renowned driver of the ball, the amiable Korean has been hampered by his iron game, ranking 140th in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green and 116th in Proximity to Hole last year. He was ranked 94th and 128th respectively in those two stats categories in 2023.
When he won the CJ CUP Byron Nelson back-to-back in 2021 and 2022, and made his Presidents Cup debut for the International Team, Lee was a picture of consistency even though he felt his game had yet to peak.
“Back then, it wasn’t perfect either, but my putting and iron game were working better. Even now, I feel confident in my tee shots, but my iron game is relatively lacking. That’s an area that needs improvement,” he said.
“When I hit disappointing shots, it affected my mindset. That in turn, influenced my putting as well. Overall, it seems like there are a lot of issues, but if you look closely, it seems like the main problem lies with my irons, and the impact from that is significant.
“I’m not far off, and the biggest difference is the precision and distance control. Honestly, I don’t think I have the same sharpness as I did back then. However, I’m moving in a good direction. I just need to trust myself and keep going forward.”
After missing the cut in his first start of 2025 at the Sony Open in Hawaii last week, Lee remains optimistic ahead of The American Express, which sees players competing over three golf courses – PGA West Stadium, PGA West Nicklaus Course and La Quinta – before the cut is made after 54 holes. The final round will be play on PGA West Stadium.
“I think it’s fun because we are competing on three different courses,” said Lee, who finished T25 in the event on 19-under last year. “I’ve always thought this week is a special tournament.
“Although I missed the cut (last week), there are still many events ahead. I’m aiming to keep making opportunities. While it’s not a set plan, my goal is to play consistently and finish within the top 30 at the end of the season. I really want it (to win again), but rather than focus on winning, I feel more disappointed with my overall game.”
With changes made on TOUR this season where the top-100 players from the FedExCup points list will retain their TOUR cards for 2026 instead of top-125 previously, Lee knows the competition will heighten, let alone to try to return onto the winner’s enclosure.
“Now that the ranking has shifted from 125th to 100th, it’s an even more important year,” he said.
Countrymen Sungjae Im, Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim, winner of The American Express in 2021, are also in this week’s field.
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