Golf: Puzzling trend continues for Danny Lee

Danny Lee was disqualified from the John Deere Classic. Photo / Getty

He's a golfer often noted for his inconsistency, and Danny Lee is not removing that stigma with his most recent run on the PGA Tour.

In his last 10 events, Lee has recorded three top 15 finishes, missed six cuts and most recently copped a disqualification.

Lee was disqualified from the John Deere Classic after the completion of his second round today for reportedly switching the style of his golf ball during the round.

The 27-year-old self-reported the incident after the round and he was going to miss the cut regardless, with his second round two-over 73 meaning Lee would have finished at least four strokes outside the cut line.

Lee has a history of failing to finish tournaments, a trait which is becoming more prevalent recently. Since the start of 2016, Lee has withdrawn from seven PGA Tour events in which he had teed off, while he has withdrawn or been disqualified in 14 events in his professional career.

It is now three straight events without making the cut for Lee, and by having only made 10 cuts in 24 events this season, he is now projected to slide outside the top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings — a crucial number, with 125 players retaining their PGA Tour cards for the next season.

Potentially vaulting inside the vaunted top 125 is American Michael Kim, who holds a four-shot lead after reaching a red-hot 16-under.

A trio of players are in his wake at 12-under, while the in-form Francesco Molinari sits at 11-under following his maiden PGA Tour victory two weeks earlier.

While Lee is trending down, heading in the other direction is Ryan Fox, who has kept up his solid form by making the cut at the Scottish Open on the European Tour. Fox carded a second round two-under 68 to move to five-under for the tournament, placing him in a share of 40th.

Fox, who finished second at the Irish Open last week, carded four birdies and two bogeys in his round, and sits eight shots behind England's Robert Rock who holds a two-stroke lead over Sweden's Jens Dantorp and England's Tyrrell Hatton, while American star Rickie Fowler lurks just a shot further back.

The leading three players who are not already exempt will book their spots at next week's Open Championship, while the already exempt Fox will be hoping to put two further strong rounds together before he heads to Carnoustie for his fifth career major championship.