Golf: Lee misses PGA Tour qualification by one shot

New Zealand golfers Danny Lee (pictured) and Tim Wilkinson have both missed the cut for next year's PGA Tour. Photo / Getty images.

New Zealand No1 Danny Lee has missed qualifying for the PGA Tour in La Quinta, California, by one shot.

There were six rounds in the final qualifying event with 172 players competing for only 25 places on the PGA Tour in 2013.

The 22-year-old Rotorua professional carded a two under par 70 at the Stadium Course in the final round of the six round event to come up just short in a five-way share of 27th place.

If Lee had qualified it would have been the fitting conclusion to a remarkable comeback.

The former US Amateur Champion, who had opened with rounds of 72 and 75 to be in a share of 150th place, played the following four rounds in 19 under par to give himself a chance of returning to the PGA Tour.

But the former World No1 amateur will return to the web.com Tour in 2013 and play the occasional event on the PGA Tour with conditional status.

Lee will rue the double bogey he made on the par five, fifth hole that was the difference between him qualifying for a full card. He made two birdies coming home on the 11th and 16th but it was not enough.

He was not alone as Manawatu professional Tim Wilkinson was also counting a day of missed opportunities.

The former PGA Tour pro, who also began the final round only one shot back from the qualifying mark, lost his momentum with a one over par 73 in the sixth round to slip back to tied 49th.

Wilkinson finished on a 13 under par total to miss the cut by four shots and, like Lee, will return to the web.com Tour.

-nzherald.co.nz