United States amateur championship at Pinehurst

It's New Zealander Danny Lee
v American Kittleston in final

It will be the bang-in-form New Zealander Danny Lee versus American Drew Kittleson in Sunday's 36-hole final of the United States amateur championship over the Pinehurst No 2 course, North Carolina.
In today's semi-finals Lee, who is ranked No 1 amateur in the world by GolfWeek beat American Patrick Reed 3 and 2 while Kittleson won by 4 and 2 over compatriot Adam Mitchell.
Lee, who was born in Korea but has lived in New Zealand for the past nine years, says he has never had an inclination to accept a golf scholarship to a United States college or university.
And he will not now turn pro before next June. That's because as a finalist - win or lost - in the US amateur championship, he will get straight into next year's US Open championship field and almost certainly receive an invitation to play in the 2009 Masters.
“There's no way I’m going to turn pro and not play in next year's Masters and U.S. Open. Playing in those major tournaments has always been part of my dream. I think it will be a great experience for me," said the 18-year-old Lee.
In the final Lee has the chance to become the youngest player ever to win the US amateur title. At 18 years, 1 month, he would top Tiger Woods, who was 18 years, 7 months, when he won the first of his three consecutive titles in 1994.
Lee was never behind in his semi-final against Reed, also 18, from Augusta, Georgia, and an incoming freshman at Georgia University.
A birdie at the third hole put Lee one up and he went two ahead when Reed missed a short par putt at the seventh.
Reed won back the eighth with a par, but Lee won the ninth with par. Reed holed a great 40ft birdie putt at the 13 to be only one down and he had a chance to square the match at the next hole when Lee bogeyed, but missed his 4ft par putt and halved the hole.
“It probably would have been a little different, I probably would have got to 17 if I made par on 14,” said Reed. “But, hey, he played very solid, played very steady and had a great performance again.”
Lee went two up on the par-3 15th when he made a 20ft putt for a birdie 2 and then closed out the match with a par on 16.
“I’m just having a really, really good week,” said Lee, who earlier this month won the Western Amateur and last week tied for 20th at the US PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship where he played on a sponsor exemption.
“Everything I hit is good, everything I putt just falls in the hole, and it’s just amazing," said Lee.
Reed was hardly disappointed with his performance throughout the week, especially against Lee.“It’s been a good week and considering it’s the first time I've made it to the match-play in this tournament, I’m pretty proud of what I’ve accomplished,” said the three-time American Junior Golf Association All-American.
“I feel I played a decent round today. I gave myself a lot of chances and I made him make birdies to beat me. I probably hit the ball better today than I have all week and I made a couple of putts,” Reed said.
“It was just that Danny made more putts. That’s basically what it came down to.”
It was the first time in five matches that Lee has been taken to the 16th hole.
Kittleson, 19, of Scottsdale, Arizona., a sophomore at Florida State University, has been equally impressive all week. Like Lee, he has yet to play the 17th and 18th holes in match-play.
Lee, a senior at Rotorua High School in New Zealand, has only lost nine holes in winning his five matches and has not trailed in a match since the first hole of the second round.
Should Lee win the Havemeyer Trophy on Sunday, he would become the second USGA champion from New Zealand, joining Michael Campbell, who won the U.S. Open in 2005, also at Pinehurst.