Golf: Lee keen on meeting Tiger of the Woods

Danny Lee is no stranger to practice so you can imagine him rehearsing his lines before he meets Tiger Woods on the first tee at Augusta National next month.

"I will tell him that he is my idol and that I will try to follow his footsteps," the 18-year-old told the Herald on Sunday.

"He is the best golfer in the world and I look up to him.

"His determination and mentality are far better than other professional golfers and I am trying hard to get that."

Both Woods and Lee had setbacks last week. Woods crashed out in the second round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, losing to South Africa's Tim Clarke 4 and 2.

Lee, fresh from winning the Johnnie Walker Classic at the Vines, experienced golf's version of going from the penthouse to the outhouse by crashing out of the Moonah Classic in Victoria, missing the cut on Friday by five strokes.

Lee could be forgiven for thinking ahead to April, where he will walk Augusta's immaculate fairways with Woods, one of the most celebrated golfers in history and undoubtedly the sport's most popular figure.

It will almost certainly be Lee's final tournament as an amateur, as sponsors and the lure of big pay days, like the kind he missed out on in Perth, beckon.

"I won't be nervous," he said, "but I am really excited to play next to him."

If you believe the hyperbole, Lee is a next-generation Woods in the making. It's a ridiculous burden for a young golfer to have to shoulder.

"When compared, we both have good amateur achievements and Tiger Woods has a great determination and I think I have that too," Lee says.

It is not arrogance that sees him dismiss the comparisons, but rather a pleasing naivete borne of somebody for whom English is still his second language.

While he is not guaranteed to emulate Woods' swag bag of tournament victories, Lee is at least guaranteed a big pay day when he turns professional, probably under the guidance of IMG's David Rollo.

Even in these recessionary times there will be no doubting Lee's appeal, especially in the Asian market.

Another agent, David Riolo, warned though that the prizes might not be as great now as they would have been a year ago.

"Sponsors are all being a bit cautious at the moment and they are less likely to dish out the big bucks," Riolo said. "I mean, if you are going to tighten your belt, things like sponsorship and even entertainment are top of the list.

"Danny could be a millionaire overnight. In New Zealand you'd think some of the big corporates there will be very much trying to identify with him.

"You can't put a figure on him yet but he would go straight into a very high earning bracket.

"Through Asia and especially in Korea, you would be looking to market him there."

If you were to be a harsh judge, you could say that his rudimentary English could be a handicap in terms of endorsements but Riolo says it is very much a secondary factor.

"It is important to work on his profile in terms of how he presents himself and how he speaks, but the most important thing is to continue playing well.