It's back to the European Tour in Ireland this week for the 3 Irish Open, which takes place at Co. Louth GC at Baltray, Drogheda.
It's all change, as Lee now has Billy Foster on the bag. Billy caddied for Darren Clarke for a number of years, and recently with Sergio Garcia, but has never caddied for Lee before.
Lee, currently 36th in the Race to Dubai and 16th in WR, has had four top-ten finishes in this event, 2nd in 1997,T7th in 1999, T5 in 2005 and T3rd last year.
Click here for Leaderboard...... Lee's card
Grouped with Padraig Harrington and M A Jimenez for the first two rounds, Lee had a 13.00 tee-time from the 1st on Thursday. Lee played well, despite the inclement weather, with four birdies in the first seven holes. At the 9th, his tee shot found the left hand rough, but he misjudged his second and three-putted for his first bogey. He birdied 14 to go back to four-under, but found the bunker at 15 and dropped another shot. At the final hole, his third, a 65ft putt to the pin, pulled up short, leaving him a short putt for another birdie, ending the day with a 4-under 68 in T11th position.
He had an 08.00 start from the 10th on Friday. Despite the murky gloom, scoring conditions improved late morning. Lee went out in par, with birdies at 14 and 18, and bogeys at 15 and 16. A man on a mission on the back nine, he made six birdies (1,3,4,6,7 and the 9th). His 6-under 66 left him in a four-way tie for lead on the lunchtime leaderboard, but ending the day in T8th.
Lee had an 8.45 on Saturday, with Gary Orr and Oliver Wilson. He managed to get as far as the second hole, which he bogeyed, before poor weather suspended play. When play resumed later, he finished the opening nine in 41 and the back nine in 36, for a 77, and ended the round in T15th place on 5-under par.
The final day brought blustery winds. Lee partnered Thongchai Jaidee and Lee Slattery with a 10.20 start from the first. Lee bogeyed 5,11, 13 and 15, but picked up shots at 14 and 17 for a 2-over 74, ending the event on 3-under par (285), in T30th place. Lee earned €25,800 in prize money and is 35th in the Race to Dubai and 16th in WR
