Lee says a vocal Kiwi contingent in the crowd helped inspire his brilliant finish that nearly featured an eagle on the 18th when a long putt just slid past.
All the good work was undone, though, as a horror quintuple bogey ended Lee's chances of a golf medal and he bombed out of contention with an eight on the par-three fourth hole in the final round. He carded a five-over par 76, finishing 33rd.
Lee's opening to his third round showed nothing of the calamity that would hit him on fourth hole.
He parred the first three holes but missed the green with his tee shot and then his second at the 178-yard hole.
He found the greenside bunker with his third shot then failed to get out of it at the first time of asking before four-putting from nine feet.
The rest of his round was hardly less dramatic with him hitting six birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey.
The annual Danny Lee Springfield Open director, and occasional caddy for Lee in his amateur days at Springfield Golf Club, Rotorua's Craig Tiriana said Lee's game didn't have the consistency he was probably after.
"I think that probably rates where his game is at. He has some incredible highs and some tournament-wrecking lows, and we saw that on the third round when he was nicely positioned with that fantastic round in the second round. A lot of the best players in the world were going well in the third round and he went the other way.
"He bounced back a little bit and I think perhaps for him that's the challenge of playing on the highest stage in the world. When you don't have a great day, you've still got to work out how to get a score."
Tiriana believes finding consistency was the key to success in the future.
"He's beaten some of these guys who are doing well on the top tours, he's just got to find a way of being Danny Lee in every round and then he'll find his place in that world. But he's doing amazingly well, no doubt about it.
"From the comments I have seen, I think he's happy with the whole (Olympic) experience, but if you are looking at it analytically, that probably confirms where his career's at - he has moments that are as good as anyone else's, but there's a chink in there at the moment."
Mark Smith who was Bay of Plenty captain when Lee was in the representative team, said the result wasn't a bad one.
"The thing that's tough for golf in the Olympics is that they are playing for medals. When you are playing in tournaments, you're not necessarily playing for the top three, you are just putting in a good performance.
"If you finish top ten, you make enough money and you are happy with that result, whereas at the Olympics, is pretty much all or nothing."
Smith said the inconsistency in Lee's game is something that has been there for a while.
"It's something he is aware of and is working on. As he matures as a golfer, then he'll get better at playing the game and playing his own game. In such a technical sport like golf, you never stop learning.
"That second round was obviously a top round and that's what Danny can do."
Smith said he did not think there was any more pressure on Lee than there was at other tournaments.
"I think hanging out at the games village would be a unique experience for the golfers, seeing the top athletes in the world from different sports. It would be such a cool experience and getting in behind the (New Zealand) team will be something that's a bit different and refreshing."
