Ask any Canadian fan to name the top five male golfers from this country and most would get four right.
The fifth? He’s perhaps the least known but exceptionally talented player to carry the Canadian flag on his bag at the moment. He’s currently 165th on the Official World Golf Ranking, trailing only Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith, Nick Taylor and Mackenzie Hughes.
Richard Lee – identified most often as Richard T. Lee to distinguish himself from another golfer of the same name – is enjoying a strong season on the Korean and Asian tours, playing 22 events, logging a win and eight top 10s. His victory came at the Woori Financial Group Championship just outside of Seoul, where he won a three-way playoff back in April.
This week, he is in Saudi Arabia, playing in the PIF Saudi International at the Riyadh Golf Club. He’s currently 26th on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit.
“I would say this year was my best performance overall,” Lee summed up over an exchange of text messages. “I’m very pleased with where my game is going. I only wish it came on the PGA Tour.”
Lee did play one PGA Tour event, teeing it up in the RBC Canadian Open back in June. His strong play early this season caught the attention of Golf Canada, which offered him a spot in the field and he posted a very respectable tie for 36th.
Now the Toronto native is hoping to make the PGA Tour his home circuit and will test his skill at Qualifying School in December.
“I want to move up and play full time on the PGA Tour,” he said. “My ultimate goal is to play there and to win a major.”
Some of the high points of Lee’s career so far came early. In 2006, at the age of 15, he finished runner-up at the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. That gave him an exemption into sectional qualifying for the 2007 U.S. Open, where he ended up second and advanced to play in the major. At 16, he became the second youngest golfer in the 107-year history of the tournament. However, he only managed to play one round. During the first 18, he attempted to hack his ball out of the deep rough that lines every U.S. Open course, and injured his wrist, forcing him withdraw before the second round.
Not long after that disappointment, Lee turned professional and has been playing for a paycheque in a variety of different places.
In 2011, he played a season on the Nationwide (now Korn Ferry) Tour but wasn’t able to retain his playing privileges and in 2013, he moved his game to the Korean and Asian tours where he has remained since.
Now, as he plays arguably the best golf of his career, he is ready to reach for the highest level.
“I’m 165th on right now on the Official World Golf Ranking,” Lee stated. “I feel that is amazing golf, especially playing the Asian Tour and the Korean PGA for very few points.”
Lee will start at the Second Stage of the PGA Tour’s Q-School from Dec. 2-5, bypassing the first two stages thanks to finishing third on the Korea Professional Golfers’ Association tour this season.
If he’s successful there, he moves on to the final stage which will be held in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Dec. 11-14.
“Hopefully Canada helps out a little more and puts me on the stage a bit more,” Lee’s final message read, adding a “ha ha,” at the end.
Certainly at this point in his career, he’s earned a little more recognition.
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