Teenage New Zealand amateur Danny Lee won the Johnnie Walker Classic in dramatic fashion here on Sunday, making him one to watch in the coming months when he is expected to turn pro.
The Korean-born 18-year-old from Rotorua birdied the last two holes at The Vines Resort to snatch a historic win by one stroke from overnight leader Ross McGowan of England, Japan’s Hiroyuki Fujita and
Chile’s Felipe Aguilar.
Lee, who surpassed Tiger Woods as the youngest ever winner of the US Amateur Championship in 2008, became the first amateur to claim the Johnnie Walker title, which is co-sanctioned by the Asian and European Tours.
He also became just the second amateur to win on the European circuit and the Tour’s youngest to-date winner.
Although he couldn’t claim the winner’s cheque of $300 000, Lee will become a hot commodity when he turns professional, a move which is expected to come after he plays at the US Masters in April.
Lee started the final round in equal second, two shots behind McGowan and fellow Englishman John Bickerton, but surged home with a five-under 67 to finish at 17 under on 271.
McGowan, who led by two shots with five holes to play only to be pipped by the fast-finishing Lee, shot a final round 70 to share second place with Fujita (67) and Aguilar (68).
Lee, who became a naturalised New Zealander last year after emigrating when he was eight years old, displayed his enormous potential when he sunk four birdies on the last six holes.
The world number one amateur showed nerves of steel, saving par with a tough four-metre putt on the 16th and following that with an exceptional five-metre putt on the 17th to join the leaders.
Lee was denied a 12-metre eagle putt that would have guaranteed him victory on the last when the ball lipped out, but the resulting tap-in birdie gave him the outright lead for the first time in the tournament.
With Aguilar and Fujita both in the clubhouse at 16 under, Lee was handed the title when McGowan just missed an eagle putt on the last hole that would have forced a play-off.
It was an earlier bogey on the par-three 16th, when he drove over the green and left his return putt well short, that ultimately cost McGowan, who turned professional in 2007, the chance of the biggest win of his career.
Bickerton finished fifth, one stroke further back at 15 under after a closing 71.
Another Englishman, Lee Westwood, was the best of the pre-tournament fancies and finished at 14 under, but was left regretting two major blunders.
The world number 12 had a quadruple bogey nine in his third round, and a costly double bogey seven on the 10th hole on the final day halted his charge into contention. – AFP
