Danny Lee wins 2008 Western Amateur
Published 6:42 pm Wednesday, August 6, 2008
By Staff
BENTON HARBOR – New Zealand's Danny Lee showed why he is among the world's top-ranked amateurs Sunday, delivering a pair of 4 and 2 match play wins to claim the 2008 Western Amateur Championship at Point O'Woods Golf &Country Club in Benton Harbor.
Lee became the first winner since Bubba Dickerson in 2001 to take both medalist and match play honors, joining an elite group of dual winners that includes Phil Mickelson (1991), Scott Verplank (1985), Curtis Strange (1974) and Ben Crenshaw (1973).
Up against UCLA's Erik Flores in the championship match, Lee struck early, dropping three straight birdie putts on the middle three holes of the front nine to forge a 4-up lead through six.
After moving to 5-up through 12, Lee and Flores matched birdies on the par-5 13th before Flores dropped two straight birdie putts to cut Lee's lead to 3-up. On the par-4 16th, Lee finally closed the match, 4 and 2, with an 8-foot conceded birdie putt after Flores failed to make his own birdie putt.