World No 1 amateur joining Tiger Woods "stable"
Danny Lee about to turn profor $10million IMG deal
New Zealand's adopted golfing son Danny Lee will shortly sign a deal to mark his switch to the professional ranks after a stellar amateur career.
The reigning US Amateur champion crashed out of the Masters in Georgia at the halfway stage on Saturday but that disappointment has immediately been left behind.
International Management Group (IMG), which handles the affairs of six of the world's top 10 players, is about to sign a deal with Lee reputedly worth $US10 million.
Lee will play his first tournament as a professional at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, starting on April 23.
The 18-year-old has been on IMG's radar for a couple of years, well before he won the US Amateur last August, then became the youngest player to win a European Tour event at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth in February (pictured above).
David Rollo, vice-president of golf for IMG Australia, said that many expected a lot of Lee and to date he had over-delivered.
"He is exceptionally gifted and he is an exceptional talent. He's also got an exceptional work ethic," Rollo said from Melbourne.
"Those things put together make a pretty good combination. His results to date speak for themselves but what he did at the US Amateur and then in the Johnnie Walker Classic are two pretty good milestones for someone of his age.
"With Danny's (Korean) heritage and his New Zealand background, he will become a global player and the global resources we have will hopefully help him along the way."
IMG has a client list of stars, starting with world No 1 Tiger Woods and containing fellow top-10ers such as Spaniard Sergio Garcia, Ireland's Padraig Harrington, Vijay Singh, of Fiji, Englishman Paul Casey and Colombia's Camilo Villegas.
Rollo said Kevin Lynch, who works out of the company's Cleveland office in the US, would be Lee's principal handler.
"Danny's ambitions are clearly to get on the US PGA Tour in 2010 and our focus will be to minimise the distractions around him and let him concentrate on playing golf.
"That's what we are there to do, and hopefully create the opportunity for him to go out and show his talent."
The reigning US Amateur champion crashed out of the Masters in Georgia at the halfway stage on Saturday but that disappointment has immediately been left behind.
International Management Group (IMG), which handles the affairs of six of the world's top 10 players, is about to sign a deal with Lee reputedly worth $US10 million.
Lee will play his first tournament as a professional at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, starting on April 23.
The 18-year-old has been on IMG's radar for a couple of years, well before he won the US Amateur last August, then became the youngest player to win a European Tour event at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth in February (pictured above).
David Rollo, vice-president of golf for IMG Australia, said that many expected a lot of Lee and to date he had over-delivered.
"He is exceptionally gifted and he is an exceptional talent. He's also got an exceptional work ethic," Rollo said from Melbourne.
"Those things put together make a pretty good combination. His results to date speak for themselves but what he did at the US Amateur and then in the Johnnie Walker Classic are two pretty good milestones for someone of his age.
"With Danny's (Korean) heritage and his New Zealand background, he will become a global player and the global resources we have will hopefully help him along the way."
IMG has a client list of stars, starting with world No 1 Tiger Woods and containing fellow top-10ers such as Spaniard Sergio Garcia, Ireland's Padraig Harrington, Vijay Singh, of Fiji, Englishman Paul Casey and Colombia's Camilo Villegas.
Rollo said Kevin Lynch, who works out of the company's Cleveland office in the US, would be Lee's principal handler.
"Danny's ambitions are clearly to get on the US PGA Tour in 2010 and our focus will be to minimise the distractions around him and let him concentrate on playing golf.
"That's what we are there to do, and hopefully create the opportunity for him to go out and show his talent."
Labels: Amateur Men, PRO GOLF
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Tuesday, April 14, 2009
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