Craig Lee
Craig Andrew Lee (born 9 May 1977) is a Scottish professional golfer who played on the European Tour. He lost to Thomas Bjørn in a playoff for the 2013 Omega European Masters.
| Craig Lee | |
|---|---|
 Lee at the 2012 KLM Open | |
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Craig Andrew Lee |
| Born | 9 May 1977 Stirling, Scotland |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 182 lb (83 kg; 13.0 st) |
| Sporting nationality |  Scotland |
| Residence | Stirling, Scotland |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1996 |
| Current tour(s) | Tartan Pro Tour |
| Former tour(s) | European Tour Challenge Tour PGA EuroPro Tour EPD Tour |
| Professional wins | 8 |
Career
Lee had a successful amateur career in his home country, culminating with a win in the national Boys Stroke Play event in 1995.[1] He turned professional the following year, but struggled to replicate his success, spending many years working as a club professional in the Stirling area.
In 2007, despite not having a sponsor, Lee advanced through all three stages of qualifying school to gain his European Tour card for the first time. However, a poor debut season left Lee without a tour to play on at the start of 2009.[2] He battled back to the second tier Challenge Tour in 2010 courtesy of a runner-up finish in the English Challenge, and his good form on that tour continued through 2011: another second-place finish at the Saint-Omer Open, a tournament co-sanctioned by the European Tour, helped Lee to 14th place in the season-end standings and a return to the European Tour.
From 2012 Lee played primarily on the European Tour before retiring as a touring professional at the end of 2017. He never won on the tour, losing to Thomas Bjørn in a playoff for the 2013 Omega European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre, when Bjørn holed at 12-foot birdie putt at the first extra hole. Lee had led after at the start of the final round after a third round 61. Lee tied for third place in the 2015 Tshwane Open in South Africa. His best season was 2013 when he finished 59th in the Order of Merit.[3] Lee was a captain's pick for the 2019 PGA Cup team.[4]
Amateur wins
- 1995 Scottish Boys Stroke Play Championship
Professional wins (8)
PGA EuroPro Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 Jun 2010 | Dunlop Masters | −18 (68-63-61=192) | 6 strokes |  Steve Uzzell |
EPD Tour wins (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 Jan 2009 | Sueno Pines Classic | −4 (72-69-71=212) | 2 strokes | Paul Hendriksen |
| 2 | 2 Feb 2009 | Sueno Dunes Classic | −8 (71-64-64=199) | 1 stroke |  Richard Kind,  Christoph Pfau |
Tartan Pro Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 May 2023 | Barassie Links Classic | −14 (68-67-67=202) | Playoff | Paul O'Hara |
Other wins (4)
- 2000 Scottish Assistants' Championship
- 2009 Northern Open
- 2011 American Golf Holiday Scottsdale Classic Pro-Am
- 2022 Mizuno Next Gen Pro-Am (shared with Robbie Busher)
Playoff record
European Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2013 | Omega European Masters |  Thomas Bjørn |
Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
Team appearances
Amateur
- Jacques Léglise Trophy (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1995 (winners)
Professional
- PGA Cup (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 2019
References
- "Scottish Boys Stroke Play Past Champions". Archived from the original on 13 September 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
- Lee off to encouraging start in pursuit of lifeline
- Dempster, Martin (29 September 2020). "Craig Lee 'thrilled' to be back on European Tour in Scottish Open". The Scotsman.
- "Lee is captain's pick for PGA Cup". pga.info. 24 June 2019.
External links
- Craig Lee at the European Tour official site
- Craig Lee at the Official World Golf Ranking official site