Golf: Lee taking sure steps on road to greatness

For those with a sense of golfing history, Danny Lee's residential address is a source of interest.

He has moved his family into a house in Hogan Drive, named presumably after legendary ball-striker Ben Hogan who was a revered sporting icon in the same Texan state.

"The Hawk" was known for his iron determination, relentless practice and shot control, which the teenage Lee is already showing signs of emulating as he embarks on the first year of his professional career.

Lee does not yet have the last ingredient, but he has already impressed observers with the dedication he has shown in his fledgling career. He has even relaxed a bit as he revealed on the eve of his work at the John Deere Classic in Illinois.

Lee is chasing the cut and US $187,904. That is the remaining money he needs to win to continue on the PGA tour this season without asking for more exemptions.

He had to make US$537,958 this year and his tie for seventh last week with Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh in the AT &T accrued a further US$180,750 ($287,067) as he gouged further into his target.

"When I hit a bad shot I used to get angry. I did not get it," Lee said as he prepared for this week's event.

"Last week I was so relaxed and chilled out and golf is all about sport, having fun and enjoying it and I just learned that last week. I am starting to hit the ball better and holing more putts."

Lee confessed he thought golf was going to be easy after he won the Johnny Walker tournament this year as an amateur.

"I was thinking crazy stuff about going up and kicking Tiger's butt and things like that but I have just learned that golf is not like that."

He has worked out in a short time that he has to set targets, schedules and work harder than ever.

Lee does not blow out 19 candles until later this month in what has been the best PGA start to any Kiwi's career.

"You can only be impressed," said Greg Turner who played for Oklahoma University.

"He is a prodigious talent and his evolution has been extremely rapid and has shown no signs of abating. Most golfers have bursts then lulls, sometimes because of their physiological development. But Danny has had a very consistent rise.

"His great test will be when he plays crap, and it will happen, and then to see how he works his way through that rough patch."

Others who have watched the young Kiwi's progress have been staggered by his start. They say through time and experience he will learn the finer details of course management, when to fire away from some pin positions while he will need to work more on his putting.

Caddies who have watched Lee at work, have been impressed by his talent and predicted he would qualify for next year's tour.

Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott and Padraig Harrington have not had a top 10 between them this season but Lee achieved that last week and previously finished 13th at the Byron Nelson tournament down the road from his new home.

"It gives you some idea about how competitive the tour is and what an achievement Danny's 7th place finish was last week," said one observer.

Lee turned pro after this year's Masters with amateur highlights victory in the US Amateur a month after his 18th birthday and the Johnnie Walker in Perth in February.

The teenager said the PGA was tougher than he expected. There were so many talented players.

Lee has stacked up some impressive numbers already with an average of more than four birdies a round although his aggressive approach has also backfired, with 81 bogeys or worse lacing his 22 completed rounds in the pro ranks.

"The playing conditions are not the same as they are in New Zealand. It is so much tougher out here," he said.

"Even if you hit a perfect shot you can still end up making bogeys. I couldn't say it's due to bad luck, it's more an issue of course management."

Lee's journey into the pro ranks in the States has been a blur. He reckons he's been having fun but can't remember any particular incidents.

His sights are on this weekend's tournament while the world will be watching Danny Jin-Myung Lee as he heads into the Buick Open, the Bridgestone International and perhaps the last major when the PGA is played at Hazeltine.

ONE-UNDER OFF THE PACE

Danny Lee opened with a one-under par 70 at the John Deere Classic PGA Tour event in the United States yesterday.

He needed 28 putts as he negotiated the TPC Deere Run course in Silvis, Illinois, crafting four birdies along the way. After three bogeys at the fourth, 13th and 17th holes, Lee, who started on the back nine, composed himself for the run home to rack up a string of five pars.

Americans Lee Janzen and Darron Stiles are joint leaders after posting seven-under par 64s. Lee is in a tie for 60th with 19 others.

- NZPA