How the world’s 1,882nd-ranked player was leading on the PGA Tour
Tain Lee hits a shot on Saturday on the 16th hole at Congaree Golf Club.
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Tain Lee answered the question with a question.
What’s it like going into the weekend on the PGA Tour within striking distance of some of the great players?
“I don’t know,” Lee said Friday. “Do you know what place I’m in?”
Third.
“Yeah, that’s pretty crazy,” he said. “That’s wild.”
Pretty crazy. Wild. He was talking after his second round at the Palmetto Championship. He may as well have also been describing his two and and two-thirds rounds. At that point, the world’s 1,882nd-ranked player was leading a PGA Tour event. Or, more specifically, the world’s 1,882nd-ranked player whose name is Tain Lee was leading.
“To clarify, the 1,882nd position in the Official World Golf Ranking is a tie among players that do not currently have any world ranking points,” the PGA Tour Communications account reminded all on Twitter. “There are 1,881 players with world ranking points.”
But none were leading through 12 holes on Saturday at Congaree Golf Club. Lee opened with a five-birdie, one-bogey 67 on Thursday. He followed it up with a 68 on Friday that included eight birdies, three bogeys and a double. The nine-year pro who Monday-qualified, who was playing in just his third Tour event (all this year), who has as many world ranking points as your buddy in your Sunday group, was four strokes out of the lead. And two behind Dustin Johnson. He’s the world No. 1 player.
“I just kept my head down today,” Tain said Friday. “I was trying to make birdies and see what we can do, make the cut first and foremost. Third place going into the weekend, I’ll take that for sure, and I’ll try to keep my head down and do more of the same.”
He’d do a lot more. Playing in the second-to-last pairing on Saturday, Lee rolled in a 6-footer for birdie on 1. Then a 12-footer for birdie on 2. Then a 6-footer for birdie on 4. Then a 33-footer for birdie on 5. Five holes. Four birdies. Lee was leading. And he’d stay on top through the rest of the front nine and three holes on the back.
Just how improbable was it? Consider: The 2010 NCAA Division III champ, out of Claremont McKenna College (Calif.), would be just the sixth Monday qualifier to win on Tour, joining Jeff Mitchell in 1980, Fred Wadsworth and Kenny Knox in 1986, Arjun Atwal in 2010 and Corey Conners in 2019. Lee’s won $46,918 on the Canadian Tour, $16,249 on the Korn Ferry Tour, and $34,549 on the European and Challenge Tours (all in 2014). That’s $97,716 — or about what the 20th-place finisher will make at the Palmetto.
Built by billionaires, Congaree has only 1 member but a grand purpose
Lee’s fortunes, literally, turned in January, when he Monday-qualified for the Farmers Insurance Open, made the cut, tied for 69th and cashed for $15,375. Two months later, he Monday-qualified again and made the cut again — but moved up 10 spots and won $16,940. At Congaree, he qualified for a third time.
At the age of 31, what’s happened?
“A lot’s been going on in the world this past year, but for me the past couple years, few years, got married, had a kid, and things have changed a little bit,” the native of Columbia, Md., said. “So for the golf game, it seems to have changed for the better so far.”
Lee’s Saturday lead wouldn’t last. He’d bogey 13 and 14. He’d double 15. He’d bogey 17. Lee will enter Sunday tied for seventh and seven strokes behind leader Chesson Hadley. Still, that best-ever paycheck is in play. A top-10 finish also earns him a start at the Travelers Championship, which follows next week’s U.S. Open.
And for two for a half rounds, 48 holes, the world’s 1,882nd player was all alone at the top.
“Maybe I found a little something, but we’ll see what we can do this weekend,” he said.
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