After 16-Years Lee To Finally Make His Pro Debut In Home New Zealand Open.

8 months ago by Comments Off on After 16-Years Lee To Finally Make His Pro Debut In Home New Zealand Open.

It’s good news to read New Zealand born Danny Lee is to contest next week’s 104th hosting of the New Zealand Open and the stunning-looking Millbrook club.

Though disappointing is to learn that for the now 34-year-old Lee it will be his first appearance as a pro in his national open and a first since March 2009 and in what was a penultimate event competing as an amateur.

“It will be great to be playing back on home soil in front of my family, friends, and the New Zealand fans,” Lee said,

“New Zealand holds a special place in my heart, and I am proud to represent New Zealand. I am looking forward to reconnecting with so many people who have supported me over a number of years.”

Some seven months earlier in August 2008 and at age 18-years and one month, Lee became the youngest ever winner of the U.S. Amateur, six months younger than Tiger Woods when he won the title in 1994. (Lee’s age record was broken the following year by 17-year-old An Byeong-hun).

Lee had become the World No. 1 ranked amater on 20 August, 2008 and remained number one until he turned pro in April 2009. Some months later he was awarded the 2008 Mark H. McCormack Medal.

This author, who was working at the time as a free-lancer for the New Zealand Press Association, first met Lee in February 2009 when he brillinatly captured the tri-sanctioned Johnnie Walker Classic The Vines course in Perth, Australia.

Lee became the youngest ever winner on the European Tour, surpassing Dale Hayes, and only the second amateur winner after Pablo Martín.  Victory took Lee to 159th place in the Official World Golf Ranking.

I next met-up with Lee at the 2009 Masters Tournament, where his first round two-over 74 put him in a position to make the cut. In the second round he eagled the par-5 eighth and played the front nine in 34, but a six-putt led to quintuple bogey on the 10th, dropping him to five-over for the tournament. He was unable to recover, eventually finishing 11-over par.

Lee then turned professional he sadly won just twice, once each on the secondary Korn Ferry Tour and victory in the 2015 Greenbrier Classic.

The Texas-based Lee joined LIV Golf in February 2023 as a member of the Ironheads Team and a month later brilliantly captured the LIV Golf Tuscon.

  • Thank you to Wikipedia for much of this copy.

 



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