Date: February 19, 2008
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Lee ready to break PGA duck

Big-hitting Sydney golfer Won Joon Lee is confident a recent shoulder injury won&apost impede him in his quest for a maiden PGA title. The Korean-born 22-year-old said a flare-up in his left shoulder before last week&aposs New Zealand PGA Championship had restricted his movement but had now returned to full strength. “I really couldn&apost move and stayed in bed for five days. I had a bit of a spinal problem. I had the Tour&aposs physio and chiro look after it last week and it is a lot better this week. Hopefully it won&apost bother me,” Lee said on Tuesday ahead of the Nationwide Tour co-sanctioned Moonah Classic. A fitness fanatic, Lee has been using the sand dunes in the surrounding beach areas on Victoria&aposs Mornington Peninsula in a bid to gain a further edge on the competition. He hopes his familiarity with Moonah Links will also hold him in good stead for this year&aposs event. The last time he played at the course was at the 2005 Australian Open. “I come down sometimes and have a long break with a few guys and practice here for about a week,” Lee revealed. “It is tough when you are at home for about a month straight trying to practice, trying to get your mind off doing the same thing everyday, so we come down here with a couple of guys. There&aposs no one down here and the practice facilities are really good.” Lee had a decorated amateur career including victories in the 2006 NSW Amateur Championship, 2006 New Zealand Amateur and was a medallist at the prestigious Western Amateur in the US in 2006. He turned professional later that year, with his best result on the Australasian Tour a tie for second at last year&aposs MFS Australian Open. Lee has conditional status on the Nationwide Tour this year after coming through the final stage of US PGA Tour Qualifying School in Florida in December. His next goal is to earn as much money as possible in his first five events on the Nationwide Tour before re-ranking takes place, which allows players to move up the money list and therefore secure more starts. “I will play this week and then there are three more events before the first re-rank. I fit under the re-rank category as a conditional member and I will try to play those events and see how much money I can get up and then see what happens,” he said.