Golf: Hello world, my name is Danny Lee

In many respects New Zealand golfer Danny Lee's life will never quite be the same again when he leaves the first tee to mark his start in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in the United States on Friday morning (NZT).

As he strides down the first fairway at TPC Louisiana outside of New Orleans Lee will leave behind his paupered youth because the US$6.2 million ($11.15 million) PGA Tour event marks his first outing as a fully fledged professional.

The 18-year-old has been preparing for this moment for the best part of 10 years, a decade he dedicated to learning as much as he could about one of the most difficult sporting crafts to master.

He signed off on a stellar amateur career at this month's Masters at Augusta National in Georgia, where he gained exempt access solely due to his historic victory in last year's US Amateur championship.

Lee did not cover himself in glory at Augusta, a horror six-putt on the 10th green in the second round consigning him to missed cut status.

Not that it really mattered. In the bigger scheme of things, the New Orleans tournament always meant much more to Lee in the longer term.

The Masters was a privilege, one he earned in 2008 by displacing Tiger Woods as the youngest winner of the US Amateur title in that tournament's 105-year history.

This week is all about Lee laying the groundwork for more privileges to come, which they will providing he continues to work methodically on a game good enough for him to win the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth in February, when he also became the youngest player to win a European Tour title.

While Lee did not find his comfort zone on Augusta National's notoriously difficult greens, he already likes what he has seen of the putting surfaces at the par-72 6713m TPC Louisiana course.

Fronting the American press corps again today at the tournament venue, Lee said he arrived at the course last Saturday (NZT) and had since had time to play three-four practice rounds.

He described the greens as soft, which will help his cause because his approach shots will have a chance to hold and not bounce to the side or off the back.

"I think I'm going to have a really exciting week. I'm starting to get used to the soft greens, yeah. The course is in pretty good shape, so ...

"Hopefully, I'll play well, because I'm hitting the ball well and putting it well, so I'm really confident with my game this week."

Lee has been living the life of a pro, minus the prizemoney, for the better part of four years, and he is not daunted at the prospect of having a P attached to his name on a fulltime basis.

Asked if he was excited about his very first professional event as a professional, Lee reacted in a bemused fashion.

"Yeah. I mean, it doesn't make much difference, but, you know, people are going to think different, I think.

"Being an amateur and playing with professionals, you know, being professional and playing in professional, I think it's a little bit of a different feeling. So, yeah, I think it's going to be different."

Lee's misfortunes at the Masters were quickly forgotten because they were overtaken by his signing a lucrative management contract with IMG, who have six of the world's top 10 players on their books.

They have already arranged an equipment deal for Lee with Callaway and a clothing contract with Elord, as well as sorting out most of his PGA Tour schedule for the remainder of 2009.

In addition to New Orleans, Lee has secured sponsor exemptions to play the Quail Hollow Championship next week, and next month's Byron Nelson Classic in Texas and the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

He also is exempt into The Memorial in Ohio in June and AT&T National in July by virtue of his US Amateur victory.

As well, his success in the Johnnie Walker Classic earned him a two-year exemption on the European Tour and a spot in the US$8.5m WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on the South Course at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, in August.

Lee is also expected to play in Asia later in the year at the Singapore Open, HSBC Champions in Shanghai and Hong Kong Open.

The teenager, who already boasts a world ranking of 148th, was in the company of 2008 champion Trevor Immelman, of South Africa, and Australian Adam Scott for the opening two rounds at the Masters.

This week he will share tee space with Darron Stiles, an American who won last year's New Zealand PGA Championship at Clearwater in Christchurch, and Australian Jason Day.

He and Day, in particular, should find plenty to talk about because the Queenslander, now 21, also turned pro as an 18-year-old.

Day is still without a win on the PGA Tour but he has quietly gone about his work and earned tournament income of US$1.4m since 2006.

Lee's shift to the paid ranks has attracted huge attention at home and abroad, dwarfing the anticipation levels attached to Michael Campbell when he made the switch in the early 1990s.

Campbell went on, of course, to win the 2005 US Open. Lee? Well, only time will tell.

- NZPA