Who's who: Danny Lee

  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Prince's GC, England
  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Terras da Comporta, Dunas
  • Monte Rei G&CC
  • Marco Simone GC (Italy); host of the Ryder Cup 2023
  • Pebble Beach host of the US Open; US Women's Open; Pebble Beach Pro-Am
  • Marco Simone GC

Who's who: Danny Lee

  • Name:

    Danny Jin-Myung Lee
  • Country:

    New Zealand
  • Born:

    July 24, 1990 in Incheon, South Korea.
  • Original/Home Club:

    Rotorua Boys' H.S., NZ.
  • Occupation:

    Professional golfer
  • Turned Pro:

    2009

Roll of Honour

Presidents Cup player (2015). Winner on the PGA Tour, and (as an amateur) in the Johnnie Walker Classic (co-sanctioned by the European, Asian and Australasian tours).

Did you know?

Born in Incheon, near Seoul in South Korea, Lee emigrated to New Zealand with his parents when he was eight-years-old. His outstanding amateur career was capped when he became the youngest ever winner of the U.S. Amateur Championship in 2008 at Pinehurst. At age 18 years and one month, he was six months younger than Tiger Woods (who won the first of his three U.S. Amateur titles in 1994).

After winning the co-sanctioned Johnnie Walker Classic in 2009 as an amateur, Lee recorded his first professional win at the Nationwide Tour's WNB Golf Classic in 2011. A maiden win on the full PGA Tour came after a four-way playoff at The Greenbrier Classic in 2015.

Top tournaments won by Danny Lee

2023
America
204 (-9)
US$4 million
LIV Golf

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lee, Danny

Score

204 (-9)

Prize money

US$4 million

Title sponsor

LIV Golf

Played as the inaugural LIV Golf Tucson (Mar 17-19; 54-hole 48-player no-cut individual event, and accompanying 4-player team event). [Gallery GC, Marana, AZ].
Individual event: Danny Lee (NZ) beat Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) and Brendan Steele (USA) with a birdie putt from off the green at the second playoff hole (par-4 18th), to pocket the $4 million first prize ... a good payday for the world's No.267 male golfer. Carlos Ortiz (Mex) was eliminated at the first playoff hole.
Team event: second-placed Four Aces team (Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Pat Perez & Peter Uihlein) finished 4 shots behind the Fireballs team (Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz & Eugenio Chacarra), who shared the $3 million team first prize.
Note: the second of fourteen 2023 LIV Golf League events run by Greg Norman's Saudi Arabian-bankrolled LIV Golf company.

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lee, Danny

Score

267 (-13)

Prize money

$1,206,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as The Greenbrier Classic (July 2-5). First-time PGA Tour winner Lee (NZ) beat David Hearn (Can) with a birdie at the second playoff hole (par-5 17th). Robert Streb (USA) and Kevin Kisner (USA) were eliminated at the first playoff hole (par-3 18th). [Old White TPC course, Greenbrier GC, White Sulphur Springs, WV].

2009
Aus/NZ
271 (-17)
amateur
Johnnie Walker

Category

Aus/NZ

Winner (holder)

Lee, Danny

Score

271 (-17)

Prize money

amateur

Title sponsor

Johnnie Walker

Played as the Johnnie Walker Classic (Feb 19-22; Asian/Eurpn/Aus Trs event). Second-placed Felipe Aguilar (Chile), Hiroyuki Fujita (Jpn) and Ross McGowan (Eng) finished 1 shot behind Lee (NZ). Aged 18 yrs 213 days, Lee became the youngest player and only the second amateur to win on the European Tour. [The Vines Resort & CC, nr Perth, Aus; composite of Lakes & Ellenbrook courses].

2008
Amateur
5 & 4
amateur
USGA

Category

Amateur

Winner (holder)

Lee, Danny

Score

5 & 4

Prize money

amateur

Title sponsor

USGA

The US Amateur Championship (108th) (Aug 18-24). Danny Lee (NZ) beat Drew Kittleson (USA) 5 and 4 in the 36-hole final. Lee became the youngest ever winner of the US Amateur, surpassing Tiger Woods by 6 months. Lee birdied 13 of the 32 holes played in the final. [No.2 Course, Pinehurst Resort, NC].

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Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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