One For The Books

By Ryan Herrington
Photos By J.D. Cuban August 29, 2008

Where do you begin when talking about all the things Danny Lee has experienced the past 11 weeks en route to becoming the world's top-ranked amateur golfer? Since arriving in the U.S. last May, the South Korean-born, New Zealand-raised teen has attended the U.S. Open, celebrated his 18th birthday, caddied in the U.S. Women's Amateur, affirmed a fondness for cheeseburgers, posted a top-20 finish in a PGA Tour event and spent one hardy night near Buffalo, N.Y., sleeping inside a car.

"Yeah, that was pretty crazy," Lee said of the July evening when the final round of the Porter Cup ended late because of rain and the flights for Lee and his chaperone, Rambert Sim, were bumped to the next morning. "We couldn't find a hotel room. Eventually, we just pulled into a parking lot. It was a little cramped [in the car], but it worked out OK." Where your conversation ends regarding Lee's remarkable odyssey, however, is now rather obvious: North Carolina's historic Pinehurst Resort, on the famed No. 2 course, at the 108th U.S. Amateur Championship. Putting on a performance even Donald Ross would have tipped his tam to, Lee defeated Florida State sophomore Drew Kittleson in Sunday's 36-hole final, 5 and 4, to wrap up a stellar week for a budding superstar.

"I think I played incredibly well today," Lee said. "I don't think I can play better than that. I played perfect golf. I'm really happy with myself and how I played."

While such a statement drips of bluster, Lee may actually have been demonstrating restraint considering the astounding 13 birdies (offset by two bogeys) he made in 32 holes during the championship match, the last a 32-foot uphill putt on the par-4 14th to close things out with bravado.

During an eight-hole stretch to start Sunday's afternoon round, Kittleson was the equivalent of five under par, yet only cut into Lee's lead by two holes, his opponent was playing so well. "There's not much you can do," Kittleson said. "He played awesome. It was kind of fun to watch."

With the victory Lee became the fourth international player to win the championship in the last six years, the first New Zealander ever to claim the U.S. Amateur title and the second Kiwi to triumph in any USGA event -- 2005 U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell finding Pinehurst to his liking as well. Still, the most significant historical footnote Lee took possession of was youngest player (18 years, one month) ever to hold the Havemeyer Trophy, eclipsing his golf idol, Tiger Woods, by nearly seven months.

And to think what Lee, whose quick wit is topped only by his quick play (by the time you're done with this sentence, he has already hit his next shot), might have achieved had he had some rest? Last Sunday marked the 11th consecutive day he played a tournament round, having competed at the PGA Tour's Wyndham Championship down the road in Greensboro, N.C., the previous week. By shooting a 68-66 to make the cut, Lee kept himself too busy for any practice rounds at Pinehurst, which was hosting its second U.S. Amateur and the first since 1962. Instead, he prepped by posting weekend rounds of 67-67 at Sedgefield CC to finish T-20 against the pros.

Interestingly, 13 rounds in 11 days isn't even the most golf Lee had played in the last month. Three weeks earlier he counted 10 competitive rounds in a six-day stretch, winning his biggest title to date, the Western Amateur, then taking medalist honors at his U.S. Amateur qualifying site.