CALEDON, Ont. – Richard T. Lee brought his A-game to the second round of the RBC Canadian Open in front of hometown fans and family.
The 34-year-old Canadian made his first cut on the PGA Tour by carding a six-under 66 for the round. He now sits at nine under heading into the weekend.
“I’ve played Web.com and made cuts there, but it’s my first cut made on the PGA Tour and it’s one of the best feelings I’ve had,” he said.
The five-foot-10 Canadian was quick to credit his iron play for his strong second round.
“I think the key to my success today was my iron shots. Inside 145 yards, I was spot on. I had great looks at birdie and some of them were pretty easy,” he said.
Lee was born in Richmond Hill, Ont., and moved to Vancouver when he was one year old.
“Prior to last year’s Canadian Open, I hadn’t been back to the Toronto area in a long time, but it’s a great feeling to be back,” said Lee, who now lives in Arizona.
Also soaking in the moment were his uncle Ken Hong and aunt Mary Hong, who were on-site to see their nephew’s performance.
“We’re from Toronto and it’s great to see him compete here,” said Ken Hong, who still remembers his nephew’s humble beginnings at age three.
“Last year, he missed the cut by one shot, and seeing what he did today shows he’s got determination to succeed,” he added.
Mary Hong admitted she got a little emotional watching Lee’s success.
“Richard played so amazing today. He seemed so calm and I’m just so proud of him. I cried a little bit after his round,” she said.
Lee currently competes on the Asian Tour but says his dream is to achieve success on the PGA Tour. After a strong second round, the talented Canadian is in contention near the top of the leaderboard.
Heading into the weekend, Lee is focused on keeping up his strong play.
“Just going to take it shot by shot and play the way I did today,” he said when asked about his mindset.
“It’s always been one of my dreams to succeed on the PGA Tour, and if I am able to get to Sunday and get a ‘W,’ then it will be a dream come true.”