KEY POINTS:
Talk of New Zealand golfer Danny Lee's imminent departure to the professional ranks is greatly exaggerated, according to David Graham.
Television and radio reports have suggested that the world's No 1-ranked amateur is on the brink of joining the paid ranks.
But Graham, New Zealand Golf's (NZG) high
performance manager who has closely guided Lee for the past 18 months, today described such speculation as hearsay and wide of the mark.
"I spoke to Danny late last week and that certainly was not discussed. It was business as usual for Danny," Graham said.
"He did not relay anything like that to me so I assume his switch will occur sometime in the first third of next year after the Masters.
"We speak quite frequently and for him to not mention it would be very odd. I would be surprised if he was going sooner rather than later.
"It would certainly go against all the advice he has had, either from us or other folk in the industry."
The latest speculation surrounding Lee's status has possibly been prompted by the 18-year-old's appearance at the US$5 million ($8.67 million) Singapore Open starting tomorrow.
Lee accepted an invitation to contest the Asian Tour event as an amateur, just as he has for the Australian Masters starting on November 27 and the Australian Open which tees off on December 11.
They are just three of a growing number of invites to come his way since he won the US Amateur championship in August.
That achievement has earned Lee entry to two of next year's majors, the US Open and British Open, and a probable invite to the Masters. All three invitations are reliant on Lee retaining his amateur status.
After originally saying he intended playing all three before making the switch, Lee has subsequently revised his plans and now apparently intends turning professional after the Masters at Augusta on April 9-12.
"He is planning to be at the Masters," Graham said.
"We know that professionalism is on the not-too-distant horizon for him - sometime next year - but as for the immediate future, no, that's just hearsay."
Lee will be looking for a marked improvement in form in Singapore.
His last competitive round was an 11-over-par 84 at the Eisenhower Trophy world amateur teams championship in Adelaide last month when the New Zealand team also containing Jared Pender and James Gill slipped from fourth to 11th equal in the final round.
That prompted an extraordinary outburst from NZG board member Peter Williams, who criticised Lee's attitude and said he had "completely and utterly lost his brain".
- NZPA
