Parents’ sacrifice keeps K.H. Lee hungry for three-peat at AT&T Byron Nelson

As an only child, K.H. Lee did not own the latest golf clubs or branded apparel, unlike many other Korean youths who grew up idolizing Tiger Woods or K.J. Choi.

His parents, who operated a restaurant in Seoul, kept aside money they earned largely to fund Lee’s dreams in golf. It has kept him humble and appreciative of the sacrifices made by his father, Sang Moo, and his mother, Hea Won Hong.

With Korea celebrating Parents’ Day earlier this week, and Mother’s Day being observed in the U.S. on Sunday, Lee said he cannot thank his mother enough for running the family business while his father took on the role of driver and chaperone during his formative golf years. The only way that Lee knows to repay their acts of parental love is to keep shining on the PGA TOUR.

This week, the 31-year-old has another chance to make his parents proud as he will attempt to become only the fourth player in the last 40 years to secure a three-peat as he defends his AT&T Byron Nelson title at TPC Craig Ranch outside Dallas. Fittingly, his parents, his wife, Joo Yeon, and baby daughter, Celine Yuna, are in town to cheer on Lee.

“Without my mother, we would not have been able to come this far,” said Lee, who defeated Sam Burns by three shots in 2021 for his first PGA TOUR victory, and edged Jordan Spieth by a stroke at TPC Craig Ranch last season.

“She took care of all things. The hardest work was done by my mother alone. Dad and I were better off because we lived together. I thought a lot about how lonely and difficult it must have been for her. So thinking of her hard work makes my heart ache sometimes.”

It was only when Lee was much older that he learned of the hardship his mother had endured. There were nights she slept alone in the restaurant, as it was too late to make the long commute home after business hours. He also appreciates the fact his parents carried their financial burden without his knowledge.

“Back then, they didn't talk about difficulties at all,” Lee said. “I just did what I wanted to do. I mean, players buy new clothes when you play golf. So, I said, ‘I'd like to buy, too.’ It hurts a little I had done that immaturely. There were times when my mother and father had such a hard time. They just encouraged me to do what I wanted to do.”

His mother, Hea Won, said she and her husband simply wanted to provide the opportunity for their son to excel in golf after he got hooked on the game at age 13. “There were times when I wished someone was by my side running the restaurant,” she said. “The restaurant was for Kyoung-Hoon (K.H.) to do well, so I was able to persevere and get through it.”

Sang Moo, who spent countless days and weeks with his son in training camps and tournaments both at home and abroad, added that his son readily accepted what they could provide to him. “We were a little short (of money) at the time. Even if we didn't say it, he knew it,” said Sang Moo. “If all his friends wore Nike, I had to buy him non-branded clothes. Kyoung-Hoon (K.H.) was not shy at all and trained hard. Why is there no shame in a young boy’s heart?”

Initially, the parents did not envision Lee becoming a professional golfer. In school, their son was good in his studies and participated in shot put as he was sturdy. Golf eventually caught Lee’s attention. His grandfather had played the sport, and a driving range opened near the family’s restaurant. Lee took lessons with the local teaching pro, Hyung Sang Chun, who noticed something different about the boy.

“He showed he was reliable and didn't act frivolously like other children,” Chun said. “He always asked questions. So, I suggested to his father to consider letting him grow up as a player because he had capabilities. When he came to practice, he rarely backed down from his hitting spot. I would say, ‘Hey, Kyoung-Hoon, if you're done with practice, go home.’ He’d say yes, but he would never leave the range.”

K.H. regrets the times he would argue with his father during their travels together, but now understands the many pearls of wisdom the elder Lee was trying to share. K.H. is now a parent himself, a father to a daughter, Celine Yuna, born in July of 2021.

“We were just going through hardships together,” Lee said. “We fought many times, it was really hard back then. Thinking about it now, I feel sorry. My father accompanied me in every round, every day. He didn't have to. Following my schedule must have been tough for him physically.

“My father gave me a lot of advice. He reads a lot of books and whenever he found a good article, he’d pass it on. But above all, he said to not give up until the very end as it’s the path I’ve chosen.”

Fatherhood has changed Lee’s views on life, as well. “My daughter is so beautiful. Before, if I didn't play well, I would be down and sad, but now, when I go home after a tournament, I'm so happy because I have her, and I don’t think of the result,” Lee said. “I think my style has changed because I'm happier with life than with results. I think my parents must have taught me this when they were raising me.”

With his son’s PGA TOUR career earnings eclipsing $10.5 million (U.S.), Lee Sr. knows K.H. will remain hungry for more success thanks to his upbringing.

“Money was the bottom line,” the father said. “It wasn't enough … that's when I learned the spirit of staying hungry and why athletes need a spirit of staying hungry. We showed Kyoung-Hoon our situation openly, but we didn't explicitly tell him our finances were difficult. He could learn something with that. We did our best, we sacrificed for him. Because we are parents, that's what we did.”

Lee has now played his way into golf’s history books by joining greats such as Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson as the only players to win back-to-back at the AT&T Byron Nelson. Starting Thursday, he has another shot at rewriting the history pages, as securing a three-peat is a rare occurrence. Only three golfers in the last 40 years have achieved the feat. The last was Steve Stricker, who won his third consecutive John Deere Classic in 2011.

Lee likes his chances, as he has dominated TPC Craig Ranch over the past two seasons. He is 51-under-par, which is eight shots lower than the next-best golfer over the same duration. A recent decision to work with swing coach Grant Waite, who is a PGA TOUR winner, seems to have injected new impetus, too. Lee tied for eighth at last week’s Wells Fargo Championship, his first top-10 finish since January.

“I always have great memories here, and so lucky for the win last year ... 9-under par (63) on the last day, and then a really cool experience for me,” said Lee, who is ranked 44th in the Official World Golf Ranking. “Honestly, very good pressure for me. I'm very thankful for that opportunity … (try to be) three times in a row champion. I’ll try my best. If that happens, it's really cool.”

As part of his defending champion’s perks this week, Lee enjoyed a trip to McKinney Hat Company, which has a partnership with the tournament to produce a customized cowboy hat for the AT&T Byron Nelson champion. He walked out of the store looking very much like a Texas cowboy, and with his aim firmly fixed at more golf history.

Lee hopes to be the last man standing again in what is poised to be another exciting showdown against the likes of world No. 2 Scottie Scheffler. His dream would be to see his daughter, Celine Yuna, running up to him on the 18th green, and the rest of his family watching proudly by the greenside.

“Yuna walks and runs well now, so if I make the winning putt, I hope she runs and hugs me,” he said. “I’ll be so happy.”