Min Woo Lee is relishing a return to his junior days as more spoils await the emerging star with a strong showing at the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play in Texas.
Fresh off a tie for sixth at the Players Championship, his best result yet on the PGA Tour, Lee is making his second appearance at the $US20 million event at Austin Country Club.
Teetering just inside the world's top 50 at 47th in the rankings, the West Australian probably only needs one win from his three group matches against Matt Fitzpatrick, JJ Spaun and Sahith Theegala to secure a ticket to next month's Masters.
But if he can top Group 11, or finish in a two-way tie for 17th or better, Lee will earn Special Temporary Membership for the remainder of the PGA Tour season.
A two-time winner on the DP World Tour, the 24-year-old is splitting his time between Europe and America but eyeing a permanent spot on the lucrative US tour.
"I would love to play over here in America against the best in the world," Lee said ahead of his Match Player opener on Wednesday against Theegala.
"Here's the place I want to be. Temporary membership, yes, it's close but I've got a few tournaments to make up for that and hopefully I can get to that."
A former winner of the US Junior Amateur title, Lee loves match play and reckons he has an advantage over many in the format rarely played in professional golf.
"In Australia, we have a state-versus-state type of tournament every year," he said.
"As a team, there's seven players and you verse other states. Every year.
"I played in the junior team and the amateur team. So I feel like up until I was pro, I played all those team events every year, which is probably more than usual.
"I just like being in that team environment and playing match play. I feel like it suits my game because it's a pretty aggressive type of play and you can play defensive when you want.
"But I would make a lot of birdies on the course and this is a course where you can make a lot of birdies. So I just like how match play works."
Lee is among five Australians in this week's 64-man field, led by resurgent former world No.1 and dual WGC Technologies Match Play champion Jason Day.
Day, in Group 9 with Collin Morikawa, Adam Svensson and Victor Perez, boasts four top 10s and a tie for 19th at the Players from his past five starts.
"Jason, he's swinging it so pure right now," Lee said.
"I can see how he was No.1 in the world. It could be scary what he can do."
Former Masters champion Adam Scott is in Group 13 with Sam Burns, Seamus Power and Adam Hadwin.
World No.56 Lucas Herbert probably needs to advance out of Group 14, featuring Tyrrell Hatton, Russell Henley and Ben Griffin, to make it to Augusta National for the season's first major starting on April 6.
And Cam Davis is in Group 6 with Xander Schauffele, Tom Hoge and Aaron Wise.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler is the top seed and defending champion.
