Golf: Wrist injury a worry for Danny Lee

Forewarned is not necessarily forearmed in the case of New Zealand golfer Danny Lee.
Lee has succumbed to a wrist injury less than three months after former touring professional Craig Perks voiced concerns about the youngster's punishing playing, travel and practice schedule.
It is bad enough to have forced his temporary absence from the playing circuit and while his support team play down the significance of the injury, it does raise potentially serious issues in the long term unless Lee moderates the time he devotes to practice.
Lee, who celebrates his 21st birthday next month, tweaked his left wrist some time back and it troubled him enough to force his withdrawal midway through the two-round European qualifying event for the US Open in England earlier this month.
He has subsequently pulled out of the BMW International Open in Germany as well as the upcoming French Open and he now plans to return to the European Tour for the Scottish Open starting at Inverness on July 7.
His agent Kevin Lynch, of the International Management Group, said today that Lee, the 2009 US amateur champion, had undergone tests and sought the opinion of a number of specialists.
"The consensus was that there is no major damage," Lynch said.
"It is more of an 'over use' issue and rest was prescribed."
Perks, a Golf Channel analyst and teaching professional, had predicted Lee's heavy playing and travel schedule, combined with a work ethic which demands countless hours on the range, might catch up with the young man.
In just his second full season in the paid ranks, Lee is dividing his attention between the European Tour and the second tier Nationwide Tour in the US.
Lee told Perks in March he intended playing upwards of 35 events this year, a workload which immediately set off the alarm bells for the older man.
"That can take a tremendous toll, even on a kid of that age," Perks said. "As hard as he's working he just has to be careful that he doesn't overtrain and that he's fresh every Thursday, more so mentally than physically."
He accepted that Lee, a workaholic who works tirelessly on his game, had lessons to learn.
"You do have to go out and play, but I think you do have to pace yourself."
Lynch downplayed such concerns, saying Lee's schedule featured about 30 tournaments.
"The decision to balance both tours has certainly been discussed at great length," he said.
"We are in week 25 of the year and Danny has played 14 events by my count.
"I'm not sure he was ever going to get to the 35 event mark, but 30 or so is probably a more realistic number.
"Certainly, that is plenty of golf and we remain very mindful of how much Danny plays and striking the balance of play versus rest."
Lynch said Lee's handlers had been conscious of the need to lighten the player's practice load during the week of a tournament.
"Danny has learned a lot since turning pro. "One of the things that he has improved greatly upon is managing himself during a tournament week so there is plenty of fuel in the tank come Sunday.
"As for the playing schedule, he said it was very much a case of what suited each individual.
"Danny is working to be one of the best players in the world and wants to continue to play a global schedule. "Frankly, I think Danny will probably always be a guy that plays more than the average and not less."
The injury struck at a bad time for Lee, who had been showing signs that a tournament win was within his grasp.