Golf: Lee to join pro ranks with $17.5m IMG contract

New Zealand golfer Danny Lee will shortly sign a deal to mark his switch to the professional ranks and make the world his playground.

The reigning US Amateur champion crashed out of the Masters in Georgia at the halfway stage of the year's opening major on Saturday but that disappointment has immediately been left behind.

International Management Group (IMG), which handles the affairs of six of the world's top 10 players, is about to sign a deal with Lee reputedly worth US$10 million ($17.55 million).

Lee will play his first tournament as a professional at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans starting on April 23.

The 18-year-old has been on IMG's radar for a couple of years, well before he won the US Amateur last August then became the youngest player to win a European Tour event at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth in February.

David Rollo, vice-president of golf for IMG Australia, said that many expected a lot of Lee and to date he had over-delivered.

"He is exceptionally gifted and he is an exceptional talent. He's also got an exceptional work ethic," Rollo said from Melbourne.

"Those things put together make a pretty good combination. His results to date speak for themselves but what he did at the US Amateur and then in the Johnnie Walker Classic are two pretty good milestones for someone of his age.

"With Danny's [Korean] heritage and his New Zealand background, he will become a global player and the global resources we have will hopefully help him along the way."

He said IMG was due to officially issue a statement tomorrow detailing Lee's change in status.

IMG has a client list of stars, starting with world No 1 Tiger Woods and containing fellow top-10ers such as Spaniard Sergio Garcia, Ireland's Padraig Harrington, Vijay Singh, of Fiji, Englishman Paul Casey and Colombia's Camilo Villegas.

New Zealand's Michael Campbell joined the throng at IMG's door shortly before he won the US Open in 2005, and it is known that Lee has sought out Campbell's advice in the months leading to his leaving the amateur ranks.

Rollo said Kevin Lynch, who works out of the company's Cleveland office, would be Lee's principal handler.

"His ambitions are clearly to get on the PGA Tour in 2010 and our focus will be to minimise the distractions around him and let him concentrate on playing golf.

"That's what we are there to do, and hopefully create the opportunity for him to go out and show his talent."

Rollo stressed that any expectations for Lee to immediately start moving mountains in the professional ranks were just silly.

"He has a long road in front of him. Kenny Perry almost won the Masters yesterday at the age of 48.

"He has already achieved a lot but he has a long career in front of him. He's just got to garner more experience and when he starts playing for money it will be a slightly different challenge, but he's done the work and I'm sure he will be ready for it."

Rollo watched Lee at close quarters in Perth in February and he knows the player will not present any image problems for himself, IMG or the game.

"He conducts himself very well. He is very humble but he's also very, very hard working.

"He will get out and let his clubs do the talking. He doesn't make any bold statements about what he is going to do.

It is going to be exciting and hopefully it will be great for golf in New Zealand."

Lee's sign-on fee is expected to be similar to that of Northern Ireland teenager Rory McIlroy, who joined the professional ranks in a blaze of publicity in 2007.

- NZPA