Richard Lee Believes In More than Just Himself

The following story appeared in the Vancouver Sun Thursday, August 21.

By MICHAEL TRAIKOS
Canwest News Service

Richard Lee believes he has the talent to be the best in the world.

But it was the massive chip on his shoulder that made the golf prodigy rethink his approach to the links and life.

(Photo: Bill Keay/Vancouver Sun Files)

Once dubbed the Canadian Tiger Woods, Lee was only 12 years old when he shot 62 at the British Columbia junior golf championship. Four years later, he became the second-youngest golfer to qualify for the U.S. Open. That prompted the brash youngster to proclaim he would be "bigger than Tiger."

A year later, Lee is still more of a cub than a full-grown cat.

The Toronto-born golfer had expected to win a tournament on either the PGA Tour or Nationwide Tour before his 18th birthday. That fast-approaching day is only two months away. And the closest Lee has come to victory was qualifying for the Wichita Open in Kansas last week, in which he tied for 37th place.

Humbled, Lee said he has something to prove today at the Jane Rogers Championship of Mississauga, a Canadian Tour event at Lakeview Golf Course.

"Cockiness is not a bad thing," said Lee, who grew up in Vancouver, but whose family moved to Chandler, Ariz., in 2005. "But lately, I've been really thinking about the past and I can admit that I've been a little too cocky out there. I've actually been going to church a lot now. I'm a Christian. That got me thinking a lot about how I was in the past. And, these days, I'm trying to be more modest."

Not too modest. Lee believes he has the talent and drive to be the best in the world. That is why he plans to attempt to qualify for the PGA Tour in October, rather than follow the same route as Woods, by honing his game in the NCAA.

Editor's Note: Richard Lee shot an opening round of evenpar 70 in the first round of the Canadian Tour's Janes Rogers Championship in Mississauga.