New Zealand golfer Danny Lee says a nasal operation over the festive break has allowed him to focus more clearly on his game.
Rotorua-based Lee carded a three-under par 69 on the opening day of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship yesterday, later explaining the problems he's experienced for some time with his breathing.
"I have for a long time found myself running out of energy especially when I spent a lot of time on the practice range," said Lee.
"I know I am only 20 and it's for this reason I felt this shouldn't be happening. I shouldn't be feeling exhausted.
"My first thought was that there must be something wrong inside my body."
After Lee attended the US Tour Qualifying School late last year, he arranged an intensive training session with his trainer ahead of heading home to Korea just before Christmas.
During the training session, the trainer said he felt Lee should undergo heart and blood tests to try and isolate Lee's exhaustion concerns.
However while tests confirmed no concern with Lee's internal organs, it was noticed he was struggling to breathe properly through his nose.
So on arrival in Seoul, Lee was booked into a local hospital for a nasal operation.
"I had the operation just on the part of my nose, and had to spend two days in hospital recovering. But that's the last time I ever want to spend time in a hospital, as it wasn't that inviting," Lee said.
"But the good thing is I am breathing so much better and I really can't believe what a difference it's made.
"I've spent a lot of time on the range this week and I just feel so much better to last year when I found myself reducing time on the range for fear of tiring myself too much.
"Now I can spend a few hours on the range like everyone else and not be so affected by all the physical work."
Lee kick-started his second season in the pro ranks with an opening hole birdie on the National Golf club course in the UAE capital, and managed three other birdies with his only bogey two holes from the finish.
Fellow New Zealander Michael Campbell had one birdie and a bogey in a level par 72, while Auckland's Mark Brown spoilt his day's work with a seventh hole double bogey on route to a 74.
South African Charl Schwartzel quickly put himself in frame for a second straight success in carding an eight under par 64 to lead the event by a stroke.
Four days earlier, Schwartzel was successful in retaining his Johannesburg Open title.
- NZPA
Golf: Nasal operation clears Lee's focus
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