Lee well placed at Northeast Amateur
BY Anthony Powter | US Mens Amateur Tour | 2008 Northeast Amateur Championship | Round One | 19 Jun 2008
New Zealand’s Danny Lee has fired an opening 2-under-par, 67, at the Northeast Amateur in Rhode Island, to be only four strokes from joint leaders, Americans Nathan Smith and Robert Rohanna.
Smith and Rohanna, who both hail from Western Pennsylvania, recorded 6-under-par 63 each, on a day where only nineteen players finished under par.
New Zealander, Nick Gillespie is in T20, at even-par, whilst Grant Scott and Matt Jager opened with a 2-over-par 71, to be the best of the four Australians playing at Rhode Island, at T35.
Jason Scrivener commenced his US tour with a rocky start, carding a 5-over-par, 39, on the front nine at Wannamoisett Country Club, but was able to rectify the damage with a 2-under-par, 33, back nine, to finish 3-over-par and T47. John Herrick was the last of the Australians, with an 8-over-par, 77, and is well back in the field.
Lee, ranked sixth in the world, was a semi-finalist at this year’s Australian Amateur, losing to the eventual winner, Norway’s Anders Kristiansen, who is playing in the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup.
Lee is yet to win a major amateur title outside Australasia, with the 2008 Lake Macquarie Amateur his first international victory. This morning’s start, the perfect opening to his US campaign and with no cut at the Northeast Amateur, Lee certainly will be a real threat in this tournament.
