Golf: Lee tied for 22nd in Houston

Danny Lee. Photo / Cathal Noonan.

New Zealand No 1 golfer Danny Lee is in line for his best finish on the PGA Tour in 2012.

The former world No 1 amateur carded an even-par 72 at the Redstone Golf Club in round three of the Shell Houston Open this morning to drop three places to a share of 22nd heading into the final round.

Lee, who opened with rounds of 69 and 68, made four birdies and four bogeys to stay on a seven-under par total to be nine shots back from the leader Louis Oosthuizen.

The 21-year-old's best finish on the PGA Tour to date is a tie for 25th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am after he opened with a nine-under par 63 to share the lead after round one.

Lee has made the cut in four from his eight tournaments on the PGA Tour in 2012 - in one of those events the Mayakoba Golf Classic he withdrew with injury.

He is currently 159th on the Fed Ex Cup standings, after earning $87,000(NZD) in 2012 and he is ranked 165 on the official world golf rankings.