Plenty of professionals need cash in their rookie year but right now West Australian phenom Min Woo Lee needs around €20,000 to secure his future on the European Tour.

A confirmed starter in this week’s Andalucia Masters hosted by the Sergio Foundation at Valderrama, Lee is on the cusp of securing status for the remainder of 2019 but he can’t ask anyone else for the money; he’s got to earn it himself.

Two top-five finishes and two further top-20 results has seen the 20-year-old Lee accumulate €247,405 in his rookie season in Europe, coming into the Andalucia Masters on the back of missed cuts at the Betfred British Masters and also the BMW Charity Pro-Am on the Korn Ferry Tour in the US.

Following the Andalucia Masters Lee will attend final qualifying for The Open Championship at Royal Portrush which would also provide an additional opportunity to add to his prize money tally that sees him sit 76th in the Race to Dubai standings.

Paired with Englishman Andy Sullivan and ISPS HANDA Vic Open winner David Law for the opening two rounds, Lee is one of 10 Australians in the field along with Scott Hend, Wade Ormsby, Sam Brazel, Jason Scrivener, Jake McLeod, Deyen Lawson, Nick Cullen, Dimi Papadatos and Adam Bland.

Of the Aussies teeing it up this week Scrivener was the best-placed finisher last year in a tie for 22nd in a rain-shortened event that saw Sergio Garcia claim the title for a third straight year.

The European Challenge Tour meanwhile is in Italy for the Italian Challenge Open at Terre Dei Consoli Golf Club where Jordan Zunic will be hoping to build on his strong performance of a week ago.

Leading after the opening round of the Costa del Sol Match Play 9 in Spain, Zunic advanced to the match play section in sixth position after 36 holes and accounted for England’s Mark Young in the first round and then defeated Spaniard Manuel Elvira in the round of 32.

Despite leading early in his match with Norway’s Eirik Tage Johansen Zunic’s run came to an end in the round of 16, his tie for 10th moving him up to 79th in the Order of Merit.

Ben Eccles also qualified for the match play section in Spain and is in the field for the Italian Challenge Open along with Kiwi Josh Geary.