I just want to put the spotlight on the World Number 1 Ranked Amateur.....Danny Lee of New Zealand!
Danny got a sponsors exemption into the Wyndham for his first PGA event......68, 66....6 under and currently inside the top 20. A good start for a rookie!!

Go hard in the weekend Danny!

He won the Western Amateur in the US a couple of weeks ago as well, and has already qualified for the US Amateur.

Good luck to him.

I had the pleasure of watching Wallace Booth play recently. He's just moved up 22 places to #48. I swear he's at least 20 yards longer than Tiger. Un-freakinbelievable. Turning pro soon - definitely one to watch out for

Almost as hot a prospect as his little sister

68, 66, 67 and in the top 20 so far. I would say that is pretty impressive for a young am playing his first PGA tour event. I still have not seen the kid play yet.

I caddied for a mate of mine who was playing in a pro-am here in New Zealand and was paired with Danny and he is just like a robot....and that was 2 years ago so he must be even better now.
I hope he kicks on from this!

Yep I watched him down here at the Invitational last year I think it was. Didn't see him even hit a half bad shot

http://www.daylife.com/topic/Danny_Lee

If I read this right he is only18

Hmm, maybe he'll be another Kiwi the Aussies can claim as their own...

Hope it all goes well!
Josh

Dominated today.....easy wins.

Go Danny Go!

Danny Lee was 9 under par for the 29 holes he did play today 5&4 and 7&6 for the two matches! Compare this with Fathauer who also won two matches, including defeating Tway. Derrick played 42 holes at a couple over par. It took Fathauer 68 more strokes than Lee to finish his two matches! What little they showed of Lee in the TV coverage today looked awful solid.

i saw him win 4&3 i think it was today. if anyone is curious he was using
Tour Burner with matrix ozik
some TM fairways
cally x-proto irons
vokey wedges
couldnt be sure on putter looked like some scotty

Carley is hot

How does one get an amateur ranking?

Does anyone know if he is planning on attending college? And if so, which ones hes looking at? Ive been trying to find some info about it, but I am coming up empty handed. Thanks

I think I heard that he was either going to USC or turning pro.

Thanks Chris! If he does go to USC, then they found a great replacement for Hie. Him and Lovemark will be a force.

Is t me or does the guy lack a personality? First time I've seen him today and I'm not a fan(of him)...I like his aggressive golf game but he is boring.

Apparently he does have a personality, it just does not come across while he is crushing other players. When was the last time a male golfer, barely 18 years old, had just a dominating season?



Attached is from the USGA website...





"Village of Pinehurst, N.C. – At 18, Danny Lee is a performer.

Ever hear a Korean who lives in New Zealand imitate a Texan? The punchline is that this space can’t do the comedic effect justice. But Lee pulls it off with aplomb.

Ask him how many languages he speaks and he deadpans, "English, Korean, Spanish and Japanese." Long pause. "No, no, I’m kidding. Just English and Korean."

What bothers him most after his U.S. Amateur experience ends? "I have to go back to New Zealand, go back to high school, sadly. It’s not a good time," said Lee with a pouty expression, again, for effect.

A little explanation needed here: Lee, who has been in the U.S. since May, has played in so many tournaments that he missed his graduation at Rotorua Boys High School in Rotorua, New Zealand.

Favorite thing about the American culture since he’s only been to the States a few times? "Cheeseburgers! I loooove cheeseburgers."

Forget Jimmy Buffet’s ‘Cheeseburger in Paradise.’ This is turning into ‘Lee’s Amateur in Paradise.’

Lee has taken his act to the largest stage of all this week – namely Pinehurst No. 2 as he’s blindsided his opponents the way a locomotive plows through a crossing gate.

In other words, his opponents have had no idea what hit them. Take Morgan Hoffmann, who dropped a 4-and-3 decision on the 15th hole Friday in his quarterfinal duel to Lee. That, incidentally, is the farthest anyone, besides David Bartman, has taken Lee in any round of match play. Lee has lost just seven holes thus far and also beat Hoffmann at the Western Amateur.

"He’s just a solid player," said fellow 18-year-old Hoffmann of Saddlebrook, N.J. "You have to hit every fairway, which I didn’t do.

"He’s not going to shoot over par."

If it makes any difference, Lee shot the equivalent of one under par Friday. It should be noted, too, that he did it after injuring his left shoulder on the range while warming up. During his backswing on a shot, the shoulder clicked and caused immense pain. "I couldn’t move my shoulder," said Lee.

A conference ensued. Lee’s uncle, Rambert Sim, recommended that he withdraw. Lee looked at him bemused as if to say, "Not on your life." So the powers that be wrapped Lee’s shoulder in ice and everyone involved held their collective breath until he got to the first tee.

"The first five holes it hurt to swing," said Lee, who is coming off a brutal three weeks of golf that saw him win the Western Amateur, tie for 20th at the PGA Tour Wyndham Championship and essentially play the last six days. He admitted after his victory over Hoffmann that he was exhausted. The U.S. Amateur, as has been said many times before, is perhaps the most gut-wrenching amateur event because it is a test of endurance and mental fortitude.

Lee hasn’t shown the effects of fatigue. He hasn’t taken many tired swings and continues to apply more pressure on opponents than a tourniquet.

His caddie, Bob Scheirer, has been at Pinehurst for 10 years. He was assigned Lee and is amazed at his resilience.

"The mental part of his game," said Scheirer when asked what has impressed him the most. "He’s so mentally strong. There’s a ball in the rough? To him it’s just a ball to hit. When he’s over a putt, he thinks he can make every putt."

Scheirer’s guidance has assumed the role of a figurehead lugging his bags around, although he will share his thoughts on putts. Scheirer said he’s also dumfounded how Lee can be so serious over the ball and then resort to jester the next moment.

Lee inherited his pedigree from his mother, Sujin Sea, a retired golf instructor. When he was 9, while splitting time between New Zealand and Korea, his mom took him under her wing at the driving range she worked at. He hit a couple of balls and loved it. All the while, Lee kept a loose nature as he improved. In the past 10 weeks, he has ascended the ranks of amateur golf faster than anyone expected. He flew from New Zealand to California in May to stay with Rambert, an uncle only in name but more of a family friend, in his home outside of San Diego.

Lee has aspirations to play on the PGA Tour one day. In fact, later this year he intends to go to Qualifying School as an amateur.

First things first.

If he should win the U.S. Amateur, he’d become the youngest winner in history, overshadowing Tiger Woods by six months. It would be ironic because he said Woods was the one who served as inspiration to him. As a spectator, Lee took in the first round at this year’s U.S. Open. He wanted to feel the ambiance and watch from afar as the world’s best players went about their business after he failed to qualify.

To that, another reporter sauntered up and made Lee revisit what he had already regurgitated to everyone moments before. The topic returned to his bum shoulder. How’d he do it?

"I whipped myself," mused Lee. "No, I’m kidding."

Always the jokester."

Great win for Danny congratulations, never thought a kiwi would win the US Am

The kid is 18 his personality is fine this kid has major game hits the crap out of the ball.

I think he is ther real deal, he seems to have the ability to hole putts and hit shots under pressure just like you know who.......

I followed him during his semi-final match against Patrick Reed on Saturday and it was amazing to see him in person. Such a great golfer.

Would be ironic if he ends up being the one to break Jack's record. lol

Saw the 2nd half of the final today. Hats off to Kittleson for playing so well to bounce back (30 on front 9). Lee is just out of this world. I thought he got a little bored after getting to 6 up...toying with Kittleson by going for green in 2 with driver on a par 5 and started swinging out of his shoes on a few front nine tee shots. Once Kittleson got the match to 2 down (from 6 down no less), Lee put put down the hammer and birdied 4 straight. Impressive iron shots and putting display. It'll be interesting to see him maturing physically.

I liked when Kittleson played a great iron shot onto the par 3, and the commentator was raving about how nicely he strikes the iron with an abbreviated finish - he put it in a great spot and it rolled down toward the hole to leave a 10-foot putt.

Then Lee stepped up and hit what the commentators later called "a nuked 8-iron" that landed 3 feet from the hole and stayed there. After the way they were talking up the previous shot from his opponent that was a great shot! I watched the rest of the match and the kid has serious game! Never takes too long, he knows what he wants to do and does it... his putting is awesome.... the putt to win was unbelievable.

His pace of play is great, I was grinding my teeth watching Kittleson putt. I wanted to shout at the TV with how long he was taking. My god, just hit the putt! Every time you step away from the ball is a confidence-buster.

Lee is ridiculous. T-20th on the PGA tour. Wins Western and US Am. Oh and he's only 18, He's going to be a star. Wait he is a star. I was really pulling for Drew. Lee was just too good.

What a show today. He can really hit some shots out there. Can't wait to watch him in the coming years and see if he can get out there and win some tournaments.

danny lee is going to be awesome on the pga tour, quite a talent!

Anyone know the putter he used? I thought I saw an Odyssey logo on the heel of the putter but the face had no insert. Any ideas?

I did hollow at the TV, Oh no, not another manic ball line adjuster.
Maybe the USGA and R&A and PGA ned to ban lines on the ball, before it
gets futher out of hand.
It was a great match, both played extremely well,
A friend said to me, whats Lee's first name, to which I replied,
MR. LEE to us mere mortals.

Looked like a Tour Authenic model 1, but for sure an Odysey.

Anybody know what driver/shaft combo Danny Lee was using? I only caught a few minutes of the match and saw one shot of the driver but could not make out what it was. With a Titleist hat, Addidas/TM clothing and glove, and Odyssey putter...who knows?

Def. Tour Burner Ozik combo.

Anyone who did not see the Final Match, should take a look at it if you have TIVO or if the Golf Channel rebroadcasts.

It was a truly exceptional golf performance, amatuer or professional


"Mr. Lee's" performance was exceptional on many levels, even if you ignore the announcer's hyperbole.
Putting, short game creativity, iron play and performance under pressure were all the most exceptional I have seen on an 18 year old since you know who.

As a fellow Korean-born, the one and only thing I hope for Mr. Lee is that his parents do not put him into LPGA (or champions tour) so that his parents can collect some cash from Nike.

Both were great to watch. Someone needs to teach young Lee how to do an interview though, lol. Listening to him answer questions was as painful as watching Drew putt!

Yeah I felt kind of embarrassed for him, of course he is only 18. Is English his 2nd language, if so then maybe he did a tremendous job, I for one couldn't do an interview in Korean that's for sure. Does anyone know when he moved to New Zealand?

Without a doubt one of the best displays of iron play and putting I have ever seen at any level. Especially considering he was playing Pinhurst #2 with some of the smallest greens in the world when you consider how they run off, with all the false fronts backs and sides.

They said he moved when he was 8.

All I want to know is how is the #1 ranked Amatuer the 23 seed. I realize it prolly had to do with the stoke play before, but still #1 means #1. Could that be considered sand bagging to a certain extint? I'm not sure how the bracket is set up but if he knows about what to shoot in stroke play to make it to match play he could lay back and get an easier draw in the match play. Not that it mattered because his play was amazing. Just food for thought and conversation.

i'm pretty sure it had everything to do w/ the stroke play before. i doubt he was sandbagging. just b/c you are the best amateur, it doesn't mean your gonna have the best score after 36 or so holes of stroke play. even tiger doesn't win every single tournament he enters.

Huh? Stroke play consisted of 315 players playing for 64 spots, he must've finished 23rd in that. Sandbagging makes no sense, why wouldn't he want to be #1 and get the "easiest" matches? He'll have a tougher draw the further down the list he is.

It was a great match to watch, Lee played extremely well. As far as his clubs, it was definitelty a tour burner with some kind of Matrix shaft and the putter was some kind of Odyssey milled face that looks similar to what Ernie Els uses. As far as his interviews, it was clear that English was not his first language and I give him credit for doing his best. This guy is a major talent and I expect big things from him in the future.

The one thing I couldn't stand the whole week was the constant questioning of the way the young guys played certain shots. I was so sick of hearing Gary Koch question every little thing and then when they hit a good shot he was all surprised that they could even hit a good shot playing it that way. They all need to get over the fact that the game is changing.

I just wished they played some of it on NZ TV!!!!!
I was in Australia at the time and only heard via txt he had won.

WELL DONE DANNY!

Excellent win for Danny, but how about some props for Drew. IMO, he swings it much better than Danny and was 20-40 yards longer off the tee many times. As a former US junior #1, Junior Ryder Cup player and influential member of the Seminoles team, he obviously has huge game. In time, he will undoubtedly become a major force in the professional ranks

There's one amazing aspect to Danny Lee's dominating performance that no one has mentionned yet....

As at the day of the final, Danny Lee had already played 18 (yes 18!) rounds of golf in the month of August!!!! That included the Western, the US Ameateur Qualifying, The PGA Wyndham event, the US Amateur stroke play rounds plus the 5 matches to get to the final!

Now, as far as I'm concerned that is legendary. He must of been mentally exhausted. I lose concentration after 12 holes and get on the bogey train! This guy must be robotic....to play that much golf and play under the card that consistently is insane. I can't even fathom it.

As for only qualifying 23rd (out of 312) after the two stroke rounds of the US Amateur.....we must bear in mind that Lee had driven from the Wyndham Championship the day before and had NEVER played Pinehurst before....so was going in cold....even more impressive.

Part of me (the sensible part) wants him to stay amateur and compete in the 3 majors next year 'as a boy'.....but deep down I'd love him to pumble everyone at Q School, turn pro, and do his best to be an awesome rookie on Tour next year - and to play those Majors as a pro!

Well done Danny. New Zealand is proud.

Go hard.