Golf: Lee's taxing schedule alarms Perks

Danny Lee. Photo / Getty Images

Craig Perks is both hugely impressed with and slightly concerned about emerging golf talent Danny Lee.

Lee is in for a hectic year as the 20-year-old New Zealander endeavours to take his game to the next level by plying his trade on the European Tour and the second-tier Nationwide Tour in the United States.

His schedule for the season will take in 35 tournaments, a huge workload without even factoring in the constant transatlantic flights.

And that alone is enough to set off alarm bells for Perks, who is worried his compatriot's long-distance commuting will wear him down.

Perks, who in 2002 became the only New Zealander to win the Players Championship, the unofficial fifth major, warns that Lee will have to be careful as he competes with feet in two continents.

"That can take a tremendous toll, even on a kid of that age," he said after Lee finished tied for seventh this week in the Louisiana Open at the Le Triomphe Country Club, 12km from Perks' family home in Lafayette, where he just happens to be the director of golf when he is not on the road in his second job as a Golf Channel analyst and commentator.

"As hard as he's working he just has to be careful that he doesn't overtrain and that he's fresh every Thursday, more so mentally than physically."

Perks cited Lee's fourth-round meltdown at the Panama Championship in late February as an example of what can go wrong.

Having posted rounds of 66 and 65 to grab the second-round lead, Lee tumbled from contention on the last day when a nine-over-par 79 saw him slip from eighth place to a tie for 38th.

He accepts that Lee, a workaholic who spends countless hours on his game even during a tournament, has lessons to learn. "You do have to go out and play, but I think you do have to pace yourself."

Lee has yet to fully express himself after an encouraging start to his professional career in 2009.

After being crowned the US amateur champion in 2008 and within months of becoming the youngest winner of a European Tour event, the 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth, huge expectations accompanied Lee's arrival in the play-for-pay ranks.

- NZPA