Min Woo Lee has added more than 10 kilograms to his wiry frame as one of golf's rising stars looks to muscle in on the Australian Open crown.

The Australian fan favourite is back in Melbourne, bigger, if not better, than in last year's Open, when he struggled with a knee injury that he bizarrely suffered rolling over in bed.

Ahead of this year's national title showdown at Royal Melbourne, Lee said he realised he needed to put on some weight after watching video of his 2024 performance.

"My knee just sub-luxed, just like a dislocation, when I rolled in bed, it popped out," said the 27-year-old, who finished third in the 2023 Australian Open.

"I couldn't bend down and read a putt last year at the Aussie PGA and the Aussie Open, so that was probably the start of the team thinking that we should be stronger.

"I don't know why I didn't eat that much during that time, on the golf course especially.

"At the end of the Aussie Open I was 71 kilos and now I'm 82, so there's a big difference between now and then.

"Even just seeing the replay of me on the big screen, it's amazing to see how skinny I was. "

Despite winning a breakthrough PGA Tour title in March in Houston, Texas, the West Australian world No.42 said he felt more stable in his golf swing after adding the bulk.

"All the signature events in America were thick rough and you had to be accurate,'' he said.

"I didn't do that, so the next step was to get stronger and change my swing a little bit for that, and yeah, good signs right now."

He has been included in a drawcard group alongside Australian great Adam Scott and world No.2 and grand slam winner Rory McIlroy, with the trio teeing off at 7.05am (AEDT).

After finishing tied for fifth at last week's PGA Championship, which he won in 2023, Lee said he was excited to play with the star pair, who are set to attract a huge gallery on the sandbelt course.

"I get to play with Rory, one of the best players of the generation, and Scotty, who I grew up looking up to," he said.

"I haven't actually played with Rory properly - I've played nine holes with him at the (British) Open, but this is the first time actually playing a round with him in my life, so it will be exciting with the Australian crowd supporting us."

As well as lifting the Stonehaven Cup, the winner will secure an invite to the 2026 Masters at Augusta, while the top three non-exempt players can book a trip to the British Open at Royal Birkdale.

TEE TIMES FOR FEATURE GROUPS FOR THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN FIRST ROUND ON THURSDAY (AEDT):

7.05am: Rory McIlroy (NIR), Adam Scott (AUS), Min Woo Lee (AUS)

7.15am: Cameron Smith (AUS), Elvis Smylie (AUS), Danny Willett (ENG)

7.25am: Marc Leishman (AUS), Joel Girrbach (SUI), Ugo Coussaud (FRA)

12.05pm: Ryan Fox (NZ), Si Woo Kim (KOR), Joaquin Niemann (CHL)