March 21, 2023 10:31
Korean-New Zealander Danny Lee won LIV Golf's Tucson event in a playoff in Arizona on Sunday, taking home US$4.13 million in prize money.
The tournament was the second event of the LIV Golf League season. The league is an upstart professional golf circuit backed by Saudi Arabia.
Lee joined LIV Golf just last month, giving up his card on the PGA Tour.
He finished the third and final round with a two-under 69 and carded an overall nine-under 204 to tie with Brendan Steele of the U.S., Carlos Ortiz of Mexico and Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa at The Gallery Golf Club. Lee sealed the victory with a birdie putt on the third play-off hole.
It was his first win in about eight years, since the PGA Tour Greenbrier Classic in July 2015. "I just felt like winning is just not my thing, but today that just changed. It's just good to see I'm capable of playing some good golf," Lee said.
Lee shined as an amateur. In 2008, he won the U.S. Amateur at the age of 18 years and one month, breaking Tiger Woods' record of 18 years and seven months as the youngest winner of the event. In 2009, he became the youngest winner on the European Tour after winning the Johnnie Walker Classic as an amateur. After the event, he turned professional.
But he fell short of expectations as a professional, winning only a single tournament in 2015 in 303 starts in 11 seasons on the PGA Tour, while struggling with back and wrist injuries.
His total prize money earned on the Tour stands at $15.36 million.
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