Tain Lee '12 Makes Second PGA Cut, Finishes 59th at Valero Texas Open
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - For the second time this year, former Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's golfer Tain Lee qualified for a PGA Tour event this week, and for the second time he made the cut, finishing in a tie for 59th place at 1-over par over the four-round tournament, which concluded this afternoon.
Lee was steady over his four rounds this week, shooting 73-73-72-71 to finish with a one-over 289 for the weekend. He made the cut on the number with his two rounds of 73, showing steady nerves on the second day, when he had pars on 15 of his 18 holes and added a birdie on 14 which proved to be pivotal.
Once through to the weekend, Lee continued his steady play on Saturday with 16 pars in 18 holes, managing a birdie on No. 16 for his one hole in the red. He had his first overall round in the red on Sunday, playing his best stretch of golf at the end of the back nine, tallying birdies on No. 13, No. 14, and No. 18 in a six-hole span to end with a 71 for the day.
Lee's 289 put him a tie with D.J. Trahan and seven other golfers in 59th place, 10 spots higher than his first finish. He also finished two shots ahead of Padraig Harrington, who has won three majors in his career. Jordan Speith ended up capturing the championship with a -18, finishing two shots ahead of Charley Hoffman to take the Valero Texas Open title.
Two months ago, Lee earned his way into his first career PGA Tour event in January, when he was a co-medalist in the qualifying round of the 2021 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. He made his debut count, making the cut with a -1 after two rounds and finishing in the top half of the 156-golfer field in 69th place.
This week, he once again tied for medalist honors in the Monday qualifier, shooting a -6 on Monday to earn his way into the 156-golfer field for the second time this year.
Qualifying in January was a landmark moment for Lee, who has played professionally on smaller U.S. tours and in Canada since graduating from Claremont McKenna. He needed to sink a tricky putt just to earn a spot into the Monday qualifier, which had 96 competitors vying for the final four spots in the field. In difficult conditions that included rain, wind, and occasional hail, Lee shot a 69 to tie for the low round of the day, earning him a spot in his first career PGA event.
As a member of the Stags, Lee captured the 2010 NCAA Championship with a four-round score of 280 (-7), becoming the first member of the program to win an individual title. The second-place finisher was Mitchell Fedorka of SCIAC rival La Verne, who now serves as the head coach for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
Lee nearly made it two straight individual titles at the 2011 NCAA Championship before settling for a runner-up finish and adding a fifth-place finish in 2012. He was a first-team All-American all four seasons, while also earning the Jesse Clark Sportsmanship Award from the SCIAC in addition to all-league honors.
To view the full results from the Valero Texas Open, visit the official website at the link below:
Valero Texas Open