Danny Lee takes Western Medallist title

BY Anthony Powter | US Mens Amateur Tour | 2008 Western Amateur Championship | Round Four | 02 Aug 2008

New Zealand’s Danny Lee has won the Western Amateur Medal by three strokes over American Erik Flores following a final round 6-under-par 64.

Lee finished the four-round stroke format at 12-under-par with rounds of 68-69-67-64 to secure his first US major amateur title and his second international victory after the Lake Macquarie Amateur in January.

“I was having trouble with my iron play in some earlier tournaments here but this is the first time that I’ve played four rounds in a American tournament really well,” said Lee after his win.

“This is a big win for me as it’s the first time I’ve won a major event in America. My aim was to make the matchplay and I focussed on that.”

Lee was the only Australasian to qualify for the field of sixteen elimination matchplay, which will determine the Western Amateur champion on Sunday.

Moving into today’s 36 hole round, Lee was in T5 position at 3-under-par, three strokes behind overnight leaders Kyle Stanley and Philip Francis.

“I feel that I can make the difference, provided I putt better tomorrow,” said Lee after yesterday’s mixed round of 2-under-par 68.

Lee’s putter was working today with eleven birdies for the day and an eagle on the 347 yard, par 4 8th during his afternoon’s round of 64.

“I was driving the ball well today and that got my confidence going,” remarked Lee whose ranking moved two positions following today’s win with the 18-year-old the new the world number two.

“My game was feeling really good all day out there. I took an aggressive line on 8th, hit a great putt for an eagle and that got my confidence going. Now I can focus on the matchplay, which is what I like playing.”

Lee is the top seed moving into the elimination matchplay format and meets American Daniel Woltman, ranked 38th in the world. Woltman won the 2007 Wisconsin State Open and was runner-up at this year’s Sunnehanna Amateur and came off a top-20 finish a last week’s Porter Cup.

James Gill and Jason Scrivener both missed the top 16, with Gill finishing in T28 position at 4-over-par, whilst Scrivener came in at 7-over-par and in T35 position.

Australia’s Matthew Griffin, who opened the tournament in promising fashion to be inside the top-16 also unfortunately missed qualifying, after closing rounds of 72-74 to finish 5-over-par and T30.

“I got off to the start that I wanted, but couldn’t find my rhythm after a couple of three putts,” remarked Griffin.

The Western Amateur was Griffin’s final US tournament in a tour where the 25-year-old secured a win with the Rice Planters Amateur and four top-20 finishes from five events.

Griffin’s world ranking at the start of this American campaign was just outside the top-10 and he has now moved to be the world number six amateur. Griffin was Australia’s most consistent player in the US this season, confirming his status as our top ranked amateur.

“I’m a little disappointed to finish such a great trip on a low note but I just couldn’t get the putter going. Overall I’m pleased with what I achieved here. I played probably the best golf of my career and can now really look forward to playing the Eisenhower.”

Griffin now joins the majority of the remaining Australian contingent returning to Australia with only Jason Scrivener, Matt Jager and US based Matthew Giles attempting to qualify for the US Amateur on Monday.