The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Portugal pressure mounts on eager Scot Lee
European Tour: Happy memories offer hope
Stirling golfer Craig Lee is under pressure to see off his rivals and hang onto his European Tour card in this week’s Portugal Masters at Vilamoura.
Lee tees up this afternoon lying in 110th place on the Race to Dubai money list – right on the cut mark for 2017 Tour membership.
The £2.68million Portugal event is the last regular 2016 tournament for the likes of Lee and others seeking to retain full playing rights for next year.
The event is being staged on the Oceanico Victoria course and is the first Arnold Palmer-designed course to host an event since Palmer’s death last month.
Organisers have done Lee no favours and only added extra pressure by grouping him with those ranked 109th and 111th on the money list.
American Daniel Im (109th) is just £820 ahead of Lee while England’s Eddie Pepperell (111th) is £916 adrift of Lee.
South African Zander Lombard, in 112th, is only £32 behind Pepperell and £1,888 shy of Lee.
And there are players such as former champion Alvaro Quiros back in 135th place on the Race to Dubai who would need to finish in the top five to knock Lee out of the top 110 if the Scot should happen to miss the cut.
Lee’s no stranger to the anxiety of heading to the last-chance saloon having travelled to Hong Kong a year ago the week after Portugal, whereas hare of sixth place pushed him from 104th on the money list to 100 and 10 spots inside the cut mark.
Now, for a third year running, the 39-year-old needs to perform.
He said: “I managed to doit in Portugal last year, so here’s hoping for much the same this week.
“I haven’t done the maths this week but my first goal is making the cut and I’ll take it from there.
“The good thing is I like this course and it’s a course I can score on. To finish with a 65 last year was a great effort and that’s what I will be looking to do straight away this week.”
Lee is not the only one under pressure as Scott Jamieson is 107th on the money list.
Sweden’s Alex Noren will try to become the first player since Rory McIlroy in 2014 to capture four European Tour titles in a single season.
Noren matched McIlroy’s 2015 accomplishment of three wins in a year at the Grove on Sunday and said: “I’ve been trying not to put too much happiness and energy into my win last week because I have to play the next week so if I’m drained from the celebration that doesn’t always help.
“My coach is here this week and we’ve been working on things .While I had a tremendous week last week with the putter and my chipping, we have been working on my driving.”
“I managed to do it in Portugal last year, so here’s hoping for much the same”