Richard T Lee is a Canadian pro golfer with a storied history in the game already and multiple wins. Find out more about his life and career via these facts.
RICHARD T LEE FACTS
1. His full name is Richard Taehoon Lee, with Taehoon being a nod to his South Korean heritage.
2. Lee was born in Toronto, Canada on October 29, 1990 but grew up in Vancouver.
3. His mother is called Young-Hee and his father - who played pro golf in South Korea - is named Jeff. Lee has two older sisters.
4. Lee was a member at the Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver until at least 2007.
5. Lee grew up knowing South Korean legend, K.J. Choi and considered him an uncle.
6. According to Canada's Globe and Mail, Lee used to have an email address which contained 'Woods' as an ode to the man who inspired him to play the game.
7. Aged 13, Lee shot 69-68-66 to win the AJGA's 2004 Nike Golf Junior by an astounding 15 strokes.
8. In 2005, the family moved to Chander, Arizona so that Lee would have the best possible chance of pursuing his dream and becoming a pro golfer. Jeff sold his grocery store there to help finance the move and opened up a car wash in Arizona.
9. Lee twice won his high school state championship in Arizona and was ranked as high as No.2 in Golfweek's US Junior rankings.
10. In 2006, aged 15, he was runner-up to Philip Francis at the US Junior Amateur.
11. As a 16-year-old, Lee qualified for the 2007 US Open at Oakmont to become the second-youngest player ever to take part. His father, who was also a teaching pro, caddied for him but Lee was forced to withdraw during the second round after injuring his wrist.
12. Immediately after the 2007 US Open, Lee opted to turn pro.
13. The first few years of Lee's pro career was tough and he struggled to breakthrough anywhere until earning status on the Nationwide Tour (Korn Ferry Tour) in 2011. However, he lost his card there and ended up committing to the Asian Tour from 2013.
14. Lee was named Asian Tour Rookie of the Year in 2013, capping a year which had begun by him finishing runner-up at Q-School.
15. Lee's first pro victory arrived at the Asian Tour's Solaire Open in 2014. He won by a stroke having finished second the year before.
16. The Canadian has six pro wins in total, with his biggest arriving in the Asian Tour's International Series in 2024. Lee claimed the BNI Indonesian Masters by four strokes and landed the $360,000 top prize which went a long way to helping him end the year third on the Asian Tour's Order of Merit.
RICHARD T. LEE BIO
Full Name |
Richard Taehoon Lee |
Born |
October 29, 1990 - Toronto, Canada |
Height |
5ft 10in (1.78m) |
College |
N/A |
Turned Pro |
2007 |
Former Tours |
Nationwide Tour, PGA Tour |
Current Tour |
Asian Tour, Korean Tour |
Pro Wins |
6 |
Best Major Finish |
MC (2021 Open Championship) |
Highest OWGR |
152nd |
RICHARD T. LEE PRO WINS
Tour |
Event |
Winning Score |
|---|---|---|
Asian Tour |
2014 Solaire Open |
-7 (one stroke) |
Asian Tour |
2017 Shinhan Donghae Open |
-11 (one stroke) |
Korean Tour |
2019 DB Insurance Promy Open |
-14 (one stroke) |
Korean Tour |
2021 Hana Bank Invitational |
-17 (four strokes) |
Asian Tour |
2024 BNI Indonesian Masters |
-23 (four strokes) |
Korean Tour |
2025 Woori Financial Group Championship |
-5 (playoff - Tae-young Kang, Jun-hong Park) |
