Southern California's No. 1 Golf Source
SITE
SEARCH
GOLF RESOURCE GUIDE:
Inside the Ropes
|
||||
 Danny Lee trailed for only nine holes in six U.S. Amateur matches. (Photo courtesy USGA) If you said professional golf, give yourself a weak pat on the back and think a bit harder. They’re the only two U.S. Amateur champions since Tiger Woods to win on the PGA Tour, albeit once each, with Kuchar winning the 2002 Honda Classic and Gossett earning the top check at the 2001 John Deere Classic. While those two, along with Hank Kuehne, Ricky Barnes and Ryan Moore, have been seen as potential professional superstars, they’ve reinforced the notion that winning the U.S. Amateur offers no premonition of success at the next level. The pool of wealth in American golf is as big as it’s ever been, and the precedent set by Woods has provided more incentive for U.S. Amateur winners to dive in. PGA Tour purses have collectively increased from $81 million in 1997 (the Cypress native’s first full professional season) to $279 million in 2008, and corporate sponsorships also have become more lucrative. But Danny Lee isn’t ready to take the leap — yet. A native of South Korea and a New Zealand resident, the 18-year-old passed Woods by a few months as the youngest U.S. Amateur champion in August, capping a summer that also included a triumph at the Western Amateur and a tie for 20th at the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship. “A lot of things have happened in a pretty short time,” Lee said. “But I don’t think there’s any pressure to turn pro.” In the past three years, Lee’s golf itinerary has included extended stays with Rambert Sim, an Encinitas resident who owns the JR South Bay Golf driving range near Chula Vista. Sim, affectionately regarded as an uncle, travels with Lee and often serves as his caddie, like he did at Wyndham. “He’s there in terms of talent,” Sim said. “He needs to learn more, that’s why he’s waiting. His mental side is not good enough.” Whether it’s because of the attention garnered from breaking one of Woods’ records or the example set by Colt Knost, the 2007 U.S. Amateur champion who made the career jump prior to 2008 and gave up chances to play in this year’s Masters, U.S. Open and British Open, the question of immediately turning pro seems more prominent for Lee than other recent Amateur winners. “The thing that separates Danny is his age. He’s been able to get to this level so quickly,” said Brian Newton of Gaylord Sports Management, whose clientele includes Phil Mickelson, Mark Calcavecchia and David Toms. “Everybody’s looking to see who’s going to be the next Tiger. What Danny’s done is definitely intriguing.” While it’s easy for Newton and those at other firms to envision dollar signs when thinking about Lee’s professional prospects, the teenager isn’t letting the record-breaking victory go to his head. “It’s not a big deal being the youngest to win the U.S. Amateur,” he said. “I was just really happy about winning.” Lee doesn’t intend to relinquish his spots in next year’s majors — especially the prospect of playing with Woods in the first two rounds of the U.S. Open. “It’s really hard to get that chance, so that’s what I want to do,” Lee said. While his talent was evident during the U.S. Amateur (Lee trailed on just nine holes in six matches), he gained notoriety for swinging out of his shoes. “I’m trying to work on hitting it softer, like 70 or 80 percent,” said Lee, who recently enlisted the services of New Zealand teaching pros Steve Jessup and Michael Strong — the first time he’s relied on the tutelage of coaches. “I can’t change it right away; it’s going to take a while.” Lee also wants to gain sponsor’s exemptions into as many PGA Tour events as possible, and he’ll play at this month’s Turning Stone Resort Championship before going back overseas for the World Amateur Team Championship in Australia. Playing the waiting game does present uncertainties, but as long as Lee turns professional when he thinks the time is right, more power to him. He may be young, but he’s keeping his achievement in perspective and relying on motivation. “I don’t really care about money,” he said. “I just want to be a good golfer.” Eli Miller also writes a weekly blog at southlandgolfmagazine.com. Reach him at emiller@churmmedia.com. |
||||
RSS Subscribe
