Golf: Danny Lee set for top 20 finish

Danny Lee. Photo / AP

Danny Lee is set for a top 20 finish and a major payday at the Masters after a one-under par final round.

Lee, who was tied for third halfway through the tournament, produced an improved putting performance to nudge himself back up the leaderboard.

Provisionally tied for 18th as the leaders hit the back nine, Lee's long game was yet again outstanding - in a week which leaves him wondering what might have been.

"I gave my best out there this week and am very happy with what I did. It was a good week for me," Lee told the New Zealand Herald.

"Am I pleased? Yes and no. I could have done a lot better. If I'd putted a little better yesterday I could have had a chance. But, I'm still happy.

"Yesterday I was just way too caught up with the line of my putts and lost speed control. Today I was just trying to put a good stroke on it and feel the putt. That definitely helped a lot."

With birdies at the second and sixth holes today, Lee went out in a one-under par front nine of 35. His way home was boosted by two late birdies on the 16th and 18th holes which got him back to the clubhouse on one-under for the day and four-over for the tournament.

Lee will continue straight into the next PGA Tour event, the RBC Heritage, which begins on Thursday in South Carolina - but is then looking forward to a short break.

"I've got good momentum going, but there's a lot of mental wear from this week, I definitely deserve a week off, he said.

American defending champion Jordan Spieth was the leader at the turn on seven-under par, five strokes clear of England's Danny Willett in second. Dane Soren Kjeldson and American Dustin Johnson were tied for third on one-under - with that quartet of players the only ones under par with nine holes remaining.