KEY POINTS:
New Zealand golf fans will get a last chance to watch Danny Lee compete as an amateur when he contests the New Zealand PGA and New Zealand Open championships in March.
Lee will contest the New Zealand PGA in Christchurch from March 5-8 and the Open a week
later at The Hills in Arrowtown near Queenstown.
Lee, 19, indicated he would contest the Malaysian Open beginning on February 12 and the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth on February 19 before returning home for the New Zealand tournaments.
"The New Zealand PGA and New Zealand Open will be the last time I'll play in New Zealand as an amateur so the events are going to be very special for me," he said after the Abu Dhabi Championship.
Lee shot a fourth round 68 to match his opening round effort to finish down the field on 279. Englishman Paul Casey shot a final round two-under 70 for a two-shot win.
Lee said he would then head to America for the Georgia Cup in Atlantic just before playing in the US Masters.
He also reaffirmed an earlier announcement this year that he will turn professional immediately after April's US Masters.
"I am 100 per cent certain that I will turn professional after the US Masters," he said.
The decision means Lee will miss out on automatic entry into June's US Open at Bethpage Park in New York and the British Open at Turnberry in Scotland.
But he is unconcerned and already looking forward to the play-for-pay ranks.
"I am happy to turn pro after Augusta and besides I can still qualify for the US Open and British Open," he said. "But I am very honoured to be playing in the US Masters and that is one event you can't qualify for."
Lee played the final Abu Dhabi Championship round in the company of 1999 British Open champion Paul Lawrie.
The Scot carded a seven under par 65 for a 12-under par tally whilst Lee eagled the eighth hole in a score of 68 for a nine under par score, finishing with a share of 35th place. Lawrie said he was very impressed with Lee's efforts.
"I am very impressed - he's only 18 and he's also a nice young lad and has a very good game," he said.
"So he has a big future. I had been a pro a year when I was 18 and it's amazing these days how good they are and how young they still are."
Lee is hoping to contest this week's Qatar Masters but has yet to receive confirmation from organisers. He is also hoping to compete in next week's Dubai Desert Classic .
- NZPA