Fire In The Belly. Eye On The Tiger

Filed in archive Golf News on June 14, 2007

Courtesy: Getty Images

It takes a confident golfer to say about Tiger Woods "I'm out to beat him" when both players are in the same tournament.

And this week that tournament is the U.S. Open.

But the golfer who wants to beat Tiger so badly has never played with the world number one.

In fact, he's probably never met him.

But Richard Lee is not short on confidence or talent.

Thing is, Richard Lee is only 16 years old.

He's a Canadian who was born in Vancouver, grew up in Toronto and now lives in Chandler, Arizona.

Richard Lee is also the second ranked junior in America, according to Golfweek magazine. He is playing in the Open at Oakmont because he qualified at his sectional in California.

Here's the skinny on this up-and-comer: when he was 14, Lee shot a 62 in a competition.
Last year, he finished second in the US Junior Amateur Championship. He already has a business relationship with, who else, Nike.

And after the US Open, Lee plans on turning pro despite having two years of high school left.

Shades of Michelle Wie? Perhaps. Only time will tell.

He does have a father who is heavily involved in his career, as Michelle Wie does.

But Lee's father is a player himself. Jeff Lee and K.J. Choi competed on the Korean tour together, roomed together and became fast friends. Now young Richard refers to Choi as "uncle K.J."

Richard has the length that kids these days seem to pick up as easily as a video game. In fact, in a practice round at Oakmont with "uncle K.J.", Lee was out driving the PGA pro by 30 yards or so.

16 is awfully young to be thrown in with the sharks on the PGA Tour. Fortunately, because he's just 16, Lee will have to rely on sponsor's exemptions until he can become a full-fledged member of the tour at 18 and he can't play more than 12 events per season, period.

One of those events will be next month's Canadian Open, one of the three oldest tournaments in the world.

It's being held at Angus Glen where Davis Love's design team has spent the past two years toughening the rough and bunkers and narrowing the fairways.

In fact, Love says Angus Glen now reminds him of Oakmont in many ways.

So, if Richard Lee is overwhelmed by Oakmont, he'll get another shot at a similar course.

And, like Tiger, Lee will be "out to beat" it.