The last time Patrick Lee played a round in the Western Amateur Championship, he walked away from Point O’Woods Golf and Country Club as the champion.
That was in 1995 in Benton Harbor, Mich.
Today, Lee, 41, steps back onto the stage of one of amateur golf ’s most revered championships, when he joins Tucker Wadkins and John McClure in the first grouping off The Alotian Club’s 10th tee at 7 a.m.
Lee hasn’t played much golf in recent years, but vivid memories remain of his victory 18 years ago over Robert Floyd, and he said he isn’t resting on those laurels this week at The Alotian Club.
Instead, Lee wants to see if he’s “still got it” against a field where many of the competitors around the same age he was, 23, when he hoisted the George R. Thorne championship trophy in 1995.
“It’s scary to think it’s been that long ago,” Lee said. “It’s going to be interesting to play against these 20 somethings. I was there myself back then. The history of so many past champions of this tournament is amazing. I am very fortunate to be part of that history.”
Lee, originally from Oxford, Miss., is making his fourth appearance in the Western Amateur, losing in the round of 16 in 1992 and 1994, before his 1995 victory. He was named a first-team NCAA All-American at the University of Oklahoma after his junior year in 1994.
His senior year didn’t go according to plan, though. Somewhere along the way he was afflicted with the yips, a nervousness that causes an athlete to fail to perform effectively, most often occurring to golfers standing over putts. He remained an amateur after graduation in May 1995 and decided if he was going to play at Point O’Woods, he was going to need to get his game in gear.
And quick , too, as the Western Amateur loomed the first week of August.
“It wasn’t mechanical, it was all in my head,” Lee said.
One of the things Lee worked on was putting with his eyes closed. The technique relaxed him while standing over a putt in an effort to prevent the yips.
After getting on a good run early in the week, Lee won his round of 16 match 6 and 5 over Scott Kammann. Next was a 3 and 1 victory over Mathew Goggin in the quarterfinals.
It was on to the final day and a semifinal match against Darron Stiles. If he got by Stiles, he knew a finals match awaited against the winner of 1994 champion Tiger Woods and Robert Floyd, son of World Golf Hall of Famer, Ray Floyd, awaited.
Lee did his part, dispatching of Stiles 5 and 4, a blowout by match-play standards, while Floyd won 2 up over Woods, who is the greatest golfer of this generation, winning 78 PGA Tour events, including 14 majors.
Lee would get a shot at Woods later in the summer, but Floyd was his opponent at the Western Amateur and they were even going into the 12th hole. Not overly confident with how his round was going, Lee decided he was going to putt with his eyes closed while standing over a 3-foot bogey putt to halve the hole.
“I had practiced with my eyes closed a lot so I thought what the heck,” Lee said. “I didn’t think I had anything to lose right then.”
The putt dropped and the match remained even. He followed with birdies on 13 and 14 and an eagle on 15 to go 1 up.He won 16 to go 2 up with two holes to go. The two halved the 17th, giving Lee the championship.
“Closing my eyes and making that putt on the 12th gave me so much confidence the rest of that match,” he said.
Several weeks after winning the Western Amateur, Lee was defeated by Woods3 and 2 in the U.S. Amateur Championship. Lee turned professional, where he toiled on the Nike Tour and got into the 1996 FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis where he finished 16th.
Little Rock became Lee’s home during his professional career, which spanned 1996-2002 before injuries forced him into retirement.
A job working in the pro shop and caddying at the newly opened Alotian in 2004 came along.
That wasn’t enough for Lee, who moved to Northwest Arkansas in 2005 to get into the pharmaceutical sales. His personal life took off, too, with his marriage to Elizabeth and the birth of two son, Davis, 6, and Parker, 3.
The four now live in Centerton.
Back surgery in April 2012 has limited his golf. Lee, who regained his amateur standing in 2006, finished second in his age division at the Arkansas State Golf Association’s Stroke Play Championship in June.
“I have played two rounds at Hardscrabble for the stroke play and two practice rounds at Alotian since December,” Lee said.
“I haven’t played a lot through the years. I am just really focused on family.”
A sprawling Tom Fazio-designed, 7,480-yard, par 72 layout awaits Lee and the other 155 competitors when stroke play begins at 7 a.m. today. There will be four days of stroke play with a cut to top 44 and ties made after the completion of Wednesday’s round.
A cut to the final 16 looms after the completion of the 72nd hole on Friday with two rounds of match play set for Saturday and semifinal and final matches Sunday.
“The Western Am tournament I just really love,” Lee said. “I consider it better than the U.S. amateur. It’s nice having it in Arkansas and having my boys there to watch. It’s not a good walking course. I am going to be interested to see how my body is going to react.”At a glance PATRICK LEE AGE 41 HOMETOWN Centerton (originally from Oxford, Miss.) COLLEGE University of Oklahoma WESTERN AMATEUR Won 1995 championship 2 and 1 over Robert Floyd, son of World Golf Hall of Fame member Ray Floyd, at Point O’Woods Golf and Country Club in Benton Harbor, Mich. … Lost in round of 16 in 1994 to Charlie Wi. … Lost in round of 16 in 1992 to David Howser PROFESSIONALLY Finished third twice on the Nike Tour and 16th at PGA St.
Jude Classic in 1996. … Missed cut by one stroke at 1998 U.S. Open.
At a glance WHERE The Alotian Club, Roland WHEN Today-Sunday FIELD 156 players FORMAT
Stroke play today and Wednesday (field cut to top 44 and ties).
Top 44 and ties continue stroke play Thursday and Friday, with field cut to 16 after Friday’s rounds.
Match play begins Saturday with sweet 16 and quarterfinal match-play rounds, leaving four contenders.
Match-play semifinals and final will be held Sunday.
TEE TIMES TODAY-WEDNESDAY Threesomes will tee off from Nos. 1 and 10 at 7 a.m. today, with the afternoon groups teeing off at noon. The order will be reversed on the second day, with today’s afternoon players teeing off Wednesday morning and today’s morning players teeing off Wednesday afternoon.
THURSDAY-FRIDAY Tee times begin at 8 a.m. on Nos. 1 and 10 on Thursdayand Friday.
2012 CHAMPION Chris Williams of Moscow, Idaho TICKETS $100 transferable badge available at “will call” tent at The Ranch on Arkansas 10/Cantrell Road. Parking only at The Ranch for patrons. Shuttle service will begin at 6 a.m. each day.
Sports, Pages 15 on 07/30/2013