Golf: Teacher Lee faces tough Open examination

Richard Lee has a shot at a tour card. Photo / APN

The next two days are shaping as rather important for a pair of Kiwi golfers for vastly different reasons.

Richard Lee has a share of a two-stroke lead, alongside Australian Adam Blyth, at the halfway point of the New Zealand Open at Arrowtown, near Queenstown, while Waikato professional Mathew Perry is one of two players tied for second at seven-under.

Lee, who holds a Japan Tour card that will offer him only a handful of starts this year, carded a five-under 67 at The Hills yesterday to back up his opening round of 68 at the Millbrook Resort on Thursday as he moved to nine-under for the tournament.

The revamped Open, which now has a pro-am format, sees each player play a round at The Hills and the nearby Millbrook Resort before the final two rounds are played at The Hills during the weekend.

Lee, 40, lost his tour card in Japan at the end of 2012 and has few playing options this year, so a win would provide a much-needed boost.

The former Thailand Open champion began working towards becoming a teaching professional last year as he had more time on his hands, while he also looked after his 22-month-old daughter as his wife was busy with work as an air hostess.

"For any Kiwi, you'd love to win the New Zealand Open," Lee said. "I don't know about life-changing but it would just give me a few more places to play."

A win at The Hills this weekend would provide Lee with a PGA Tour of Australasia card for the rest of this year and the next two seasons, while he would gain three starts on the Japan Tour.

The 27-year-old Perry, who is based in Melbourne, doesn't have a full-time tour to play on and acknowledged a strong result at the Open would be a big boost, while a victory would provide him with career-changing benefits.

"It's going to help out a lot. It's a quality field this week and it's a tournament that's wide open," Perry said.

After opening with a four-under 68 at Millbrook on Thursday, Perry followed up with a polished three-under 69 at The Hills yesterday. The next best Kiwis in the field are Ryan Fox, David Klein and Mark Brown, who are in a tie for seventh at five-under alongside Australian Terry Pilkadaris, while Matt Jager and Bryden Macpherson have a share of fifth at six-under.

Notable names to miss the cut, included Australians Craig Parry and Nick Cullen, 2003 winner Mahal Pearce, defending champion Jake Higginbottom and American Rocco Mediate.