Lee moves on to Turnberry (click here for views and details of the course) this week, for the 138th Open Championship. He finished in T67th spot in this event last year, but his best result was 4th in 2004, when it took place at Royal Troon.
Click here for Leaderboard or Lee's card
Lee presented with award for contribution to junior golf click here
Lee told reporters at Loch Lomond, "I played it on Tuesday and I had only ever played there once before. I had been there before with Andrew Coltart and played on a lovely day with hardly any breeze, so didn't give me feel for what the course was like. There was a nice breeze blowing around the front nine and it wasn't opposite direction that it normally blows, wasn't the prevailing wind, but it's about as perfect as a setup as you're ever going to get on a links course. And it's been close to six months, they put some new tees in I believe, that made some holes play tougher. They moved the 16th further left, so that now plays difficult towards the end of the round.
It's going to be a good course for a long, straight driver. But like every major, every facet of your game has got to be on form. But I like what I saw from what I saw last Tuesday".
Lee has been drawn with Tiger Woods and Ryo Ishikawa for the first two rounds, with a first round tee-time of 9.09.
Lee opened with three birdies and bogeyed the 7th when he found thick rough from the tee. He had the chance at 8 to get the shot back but the birdie putt dribbled by. Players have a blind tee-shot at the 9th, across a small "cove". Lee used his driver, finishing on the upslope, which left him awkwardly placed for his second, but he managed par to go out in 33. He played some beautiful iron shots throughout the first round. Lee birdied the 12th then found the ridge of the green at the next, but had to settle for par. He had a long, uphill birdie chance at 14, which was a good try, but he again made par. A nice tee to green on 15 resulted in a birdie2 to go 4-under par.
Feel the burn...Both Lee and Tiger found the burn at the 16th. Lee went back to the 17th tee. His fourth shot pulled up 20-feet short of the pin. He missed his bogey putt and double-bogeyed the hole, dropping back to 2-under. Lee played a glorious teeshot from the 17th. With his second and 266 yards from the pin he just avoided the bunker. His third left him a ten-footer for a birdie try but it stopped barely an inch from the cup and he carded another par.
His 18th from the tee was well placed, his second, a seven iron with 186 yards remaining, left him with another 10ft birdie chance, but Lee again had to settle for par, ending the day on 68, 2-under for the day and in T22nd place.
Lee said afterwards that he had got off to a good start as the flags on the slopes were tricky to hole. "My confidence is good so I'm marginally disappointed with 68, but it's in there!"
He had a later tee-time of 14.20 on Friday.
At the first hole Lee almost made birdie but had to settle for par. He continued to make par at the consecutive holes, until the 5th where he found the bunker 40 yards shy of the green with his second shot. He managed to escape onto the putting surface, but got a mouthful of sand for his trouble. He then sank an excellent long putt for par.
Playing in heavy rain, Lee's third at the 7th, a putt uphill onto the green, rolled back towards him, his next for a birdie pulled up short and he again settled for par. Lee's first bogey of the day came at the 8th, when his wayward second shot found heavy rough. All three players found the rough from the 9th tee but Lee managed to par the hole to reach the turn in 36. Lee's long birdie try at 12 slipped by but both playing partners made bogey. At the par three 15th, Lee made birdie to return to 2-under par, he bogeyed the next but picked up another at 17. The rain by now had stopped, just leaving the blustery wind in it's wake. Lee had another birdie chance at the last but the ball stopped just an inch from the hole and he again made par. He ended the day on 70 (par) and 2-under for the event and just three shots behind the leaders.
Lee had a 14.10 start with Stewart Cink on Saturday. A 20mph wind made an even tougher test on the Ailsa course. Along with the other players, Lee struggled to control his drives in the blustery wind. However, he had many birdie chances.
The first bogey of the day came when he found the sand and had to risk a dropped shot getting back onto the fairway. He then missed his putt for par but made par at the remaining holes on the outward nine, going out in 36. He picked up his first birdie at 13 and was back to 2-under. He picked up his next at the 13th and went into a tie for lead on 3-under par. At the last he went for the pin, finding the long grass close to the green, where he wasted a shot trying to escape from the tangle of thick grass and he was back to 2-under, ending the day T4th.
"I am just trying to play my way into contention," he said. "I had a slight blip at 18 - Billy told me to stay right off the flag but got sucked into going too hard at the flag.
"It was one of the only times I slipped away from my game plan of going for the middle of the greens. There's a lesson to be learned because I strayed from my game plan, but all week I've hit it where I want it to and I have felt confident."
Lee was out with Ross Fisher on Sunday at 14.10. The weather was sunny but extremely blustery. He made par for the first two holes, then found the greenside bunker at 3 but was successful with a putt for par. He made par at 4. At 5 both players tee shots ended up in long grass, thankfully missing the spectators. Lee's next found the middle of fairway leaving 117 yards to the green, he made it to the edge of the green, but his long putt for par turned off to the left and he settled for a bogey. He birdied the next to go back to 2-under and a share of the lead. His third shot with a 3-iron set him up for an eagle chance at 7 and he broke away for a two shot lead (-4). Lee was in the rough at 10, then found the greenside rough, his next ran across the green to the fringe at the other side. He made a good attempt for par but he dropped a shot to go 3-under, still leading, but by only one stroke. He was slightly long at the par3 11th, "It'll be alright", Lee was heard to say, but his birdie putt ran inches past the hole and Matthew Goggins took share of the lead, followed by Tom Watson . In thick grass again at 12, but he safely managed to get out short of the green, then almost holed it for a birdie! At the 15th the ball headed for the pin but ran on through the green into a deep bunker. He got out onto the green but left himself a 20 footer to make par, dropping a shot for 2 under. A bogey at the next saw Lee drop to 1-under in T2nd place. Finding the rough at 17, he fortunately had a good lie. His second gave him an eagle chance, when the ball hung on the edge of the hole. However, he made a birdie to go back to 2-under and a three-way tie for lead.
Lee found a deep bunker at 18 but played a marvellous shot, with an 8-iron, onto the green, leaving him with a huge putt to the pin for a birdie, which sadly ran past. Missing the hole on the way back, Lee dropped to 1-under with his final round 71 and T3rd place.
When interviewed later he said "I feel a bit low having three-putted the last.... but I'm looking forward to the next one!"
Lee won €294,629.56 in prize money and moves up to 6th place in the Race to Dubai and 14th in WR. This week he will be busy visiting the Lee Westwood Golf Academies. His next event is the WGC Bridgestone Invitational (6th - 9th August 2009).
