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Golf Monthly
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Jonny Leighfield

Danny Lee Facts: 20 Things You Didn't Know About The LIV Golfer

Danny Lee looks on during LIV Golf Andalucia 2024.

Danny Lee is a LIV Golf League player who has enjoyed a successful and varied career in both the amateur and pro game to date. Find out more about his life and journey in pro golf via these facts.

DANNY LEE FACTS

1. His full name is Danny Jin-Myung Lee.

2. He was born in Incheon, South Korea on July 24, 1990.

3. Lee left South Korea at the age of eight and emigrated with his family to New Zealand. He became an official citizen of New Zealand in September 2008.

4. He now lives in Irving Texas with his wife, Yoomi and their two children, Roi and Robin.

5. Lee won the 2008 US Amateur to become the youngest winner ever, at the time. He was six months younger than Tiger Woods when he first managed it, although Byeong Hun An went on to break that record the very next year.

6. Before turning pro in April 2009, Lee was World No.1 in the amateur rankings for around eight months.

7. Lee says he has managed four hole-in-ones throughout his life.

8. He has four professional victories, with his first actually arriving as an amateur at the 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic, co-sanctioned by the European, Asian, and Australasian Tours. That win made him the youngest ever winner on the European Tour.

9. His maiden pro success as a pro himself was at the 2011 WNB Golf Classic on the Nationwide Tour.

10. Lee attended Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, South Korea for his freshman year.

Danny Lee pictured with the US Amateur trophy in 2008 (Image credit: Getty Images)

11. The start of Lee's professional career saw him play on a number of circuits, including the European Tour, the Nationwide Tour, the Web.com Tour, and the PGA Tour. He eventually settled in America and won his first PGA Tour title at the 2015 Greenbrier Classic.

12. His favorite college football team is Southern California and the Dallas Cowboys are his favorite pro team.

13. While a member of the PGA Tour, Lee used to be known for playing pranks on his fellow pros alongside Rickie Fowler.

14. He won almost $16 million during his time on the PGA Tour.

15. Lee represented New Zealand at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. He was briefly in contention after round two but went on to finish T27th.

16. Lee joined the LIV Golf League's IronHeads GC in February 2023, with his final PGA Tour event the Genesis Invitational.

17. The Kiwi took time to find his feet in the league but discovered form in some style at LIV Golf Tucson in 2023, draining a 25-birdie putt from off the green on the third playoff hole to defeat Carlos Ortiz (Fireballs GC), Brendan Steele (HyFlyers GC) and Louis Oosthuizen (Stinger GC).

18. In his first two seasons in the LIV Golf League, Lee finished 29th and 38th.

19. His best result at a Major was T17th at the 2016 Masters.

20. Lee says his perfect golf shot involves a tight 8-iron.

DANNY LEE BIO

DANNY LEE WINS

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