Aidan Lee Wins Memorial Amateur Championship
6/1/2023 12:23:00 PM | Men's Golf
It was an incredibly successful weekend for Saint Mary's rising sophomore, Aidan Lee, who won the prestigious Memorial Amateur Championship in Carmichael, Calif. The event, founded in 1998, is a 54-hole stroke play tournament for amateurs from all across the region.
Lee captured his first career victory thanks to a staggering seven birdies in his closing 12 holes at Ancil Hoffman Golf Course. The bogey-free 65 was the lowest score of the tournament, and one of just three sub-70 rounds on Memorial Day. Ancil Hoffman Golf Club, is a classical tree-lined course situated above the American River that can be stretched out to just over 7,000 yards.
Lee is coming off a strong finish in his first year as a collegiate golfer. Having played in ten events as a freshman, he gained some great experience in year one, including a 2-under par round at the Lewis Chitengwa Memorial.
At the Memorial Amateur Championship, he fired off a two-under-par 70 on the first day, Aidan felt confident heading into day two, but struggled and carded a three-over 75. Starting the final day with a significant scoring deficit at eight shots back, Lee knew he needed to go low.
"I knew I needed to be aggressive while also accepting pars and grinding over every shot," The Pasadena, Calif. native said. "A lot of the times you just had to accept your 30-footer for birdie and two-putt, or if you had a scoring opportunity take advantage of it. That's what I really did well today."
He did just that as he went on to shoot an incredible 7-under 65. Lee's seventh and final birdie of the round was likely his most impressive — a 50-foot bomb up to a back-right pin at the par-4 17th. He left himself with roughly 50 feet again at the 230-yard, par-3 18th, but this time gravity and course conditions combined to create a treacherous putt. His speed was nearly perfect and he ran it just a few feet by leaving an uphill putt to secure the clubhouse lead.
Leading the tournament and waiting for the other groups to finish, Lee felt confident that his effort would be in contention. The tournament's focus shifted to the narrow par-5 16th, where the final pairing featured two players tied with Lee at 6-under par.
Matthew Sutherland and Mike Perchak were busy navigating the nearly 600-yard hole where accuracy on all three shots is key. Sutherland, a Sacramento native and soon-to-be senior at Fresno State, leaked his drive right amidst a mass of oak. A botched punch-out attempt led to a bogey, and a short-sided chip at the 17th made it two in a row. At 4-under par, Sutherland tied for third place for the third year in row.
Perchak, a 32-year old native of Alamo, Calif. who led the field by a stroke heading into the last day, parred his remaining holes and executed a delicate up-and-down at the 18th to force a playoff. The Memorial Amateur headed to extra holes for the second consecutive year, but since Tournament Director John Rochelle switched the nines, Lee and Perchak squared off in a three-hole aggregate on the opposite side of the golf course.
Lee birdied 16 for the second time that day, making it eight birdies over his last 13 holes. Though circumstances differed, both Lee and Perchak made exceptional pars on 17, getting up and down over the deep green-side bunker. Then with Lee safely on the green below the hole at 18, Perchak needed to chip in to put pressure on his playing partner. It ran past the cup and Lee successfully two-putted for the playoff clincher.
Lee said that during the playoff, "I played with great confidence, I knew that I had the skills to preserve and come out on top."
Lee's Saint Mary's Gaels teammates soaked him with water to celebrate the moment, capping off a day of much-needed support. His parents, often spectators at his events, received the exciting news via phone call instead.
"When I called him, I started tearing up," Lee said. "My dad has been my No. 1 guy the whole way. He's the one who taught me the game. Unfortunately, he wasn't here today but he was here in my heart. It was unbelievable and so special. I wish they were here."
When asked about his plans for the upcoming summer, he said that he was excited to compete in more tournaments, especially the California Amateur Championship which he qualified for last week at Rustic Canyon Golf Course in Moorpark, California.
Lee's great momentum heading into the rest of the summer is complemented by strong performances by two other Gaels. Graduate Student, Jonathan Curran and Senior, Zach Missigman, also played in the Memorial and placed T-14 and T-21 respectively. The Saint Mary's Golf Team is ready for some productive months of practice as they look forward to returning this fall for regular season play.
Lee captured his first career victory thanks to a staggering seven birdies in his closing 12 holes at Ancil Hoffman Golf Course. The bogey-free 65 was the lowest score of the tournament, and one of just three sub-70 rounds on Memorial Day. Ancil Hoffman Golf Club, is a classical tree-lined course situated above the American River that can be stretched out to just over 7,000 yards.
Lee is coming off a strong finish in his first year as a collegiate golfer. Having played in ten events as a freshman, he gained some great experience in year one, including a 2-under par round at the Lewis Chitengwa Memorial.
At the Memorial Amateur Championship, he fired off a two-under-par 70 on the first day, Aidan felt confident heading into day two, but struggled and carded a three-over 75. Starting the final day with a significant scoring deficit at eight shots back, Lee knew he needed to go low.
"I knew I needed to be aggressive while also accepting pars and grinding over every shot," The Pasadena, Calif. native said. "A lot of the times you just had to accept your 30-footer for birdie and two-putt, or if you had a scoring opportunity take advantage of it. That's what I really did well today."
He did just that as he went on to shoot an incredible 7-under 65. Lee's seventh and final birdie of the round was likely his most impressive — a 50-foot bomb up to a back-right pin at the par-4 17th. He left himself with roughly 50 feet again at the 230-yard, par-3 18th, but this time gravity and course conditions combined to create a treacherous putt. His speed was nearly perfect and he ran it just a few feet by leaving an uphill putt to secure the clubhouse lead.
Leading the tournament and waiting for the other groups to finish, Lee felt confident that his effort would be in contention. The tournament's focus shifted to the narrow par-5 16th, where the final pairing featured two players tied with Lee at 6-under par.
Matthew Sutherland and Mike Perchak were busy navigating the nearly 600-yard hole where accuracy on all three shots is key. Sutherland, a Sacramento native and soon-to-be senior at Fresno State, leaked his drive right amidst a mass of oak. A botched punch-out attempt led to a bogey, and a short-sided chip at the 17th made it two in a row. At 4-under par, Sutherland tied for third place for the third year in row.
Perchak, a 32-year old native of Alamo, Calif. who led the field by a stroke heading into the last day, parred his remaining holes and executed a delicate up-and-down at the 18th to force a playoff. The Memorial Amateur headed to extra holes for the second consecutive year, but since Tournament Director John Rochelle switched the nines, Lee and Perchak squared off in a three-hole aggregate on the opposite side of the golf course.
Lee birdied 16 for the second time that day, making it eight birdies over his last 13 holes. Though circumstances differed, both Lee and Perchak made exceptional pars on 17, getting up and down over the deep green-side bunker. Then with Lee safely on the green below the hole at 18, Perchak needed to chip in to put pressure on his playing partner. It ran past the cup and Lee successfully two-putted for the playoff clincher.
Lee said that during the playoff, "I played with great confidence, I knew that I had the skills to preserve and come out on top."
Lee's Saint Mary's Gaels teammates soaked him with water to celebrate the moment, capping off a day of much-needed support. His parents, often spectators at his events, received the exciting news via phone call instead.
"When I called him, I started tearing up," Lee said. "My dad has been my No. 1 guy the whole way. He's the one who taught me the game. Unfortunately, he wasn't here today but he was here in my heart. It was unbelievable and so special. I wish they were here."
When asked about his plans for the upcoming summer, he said that he was excited to compete in more tournaments, especially the California Amateur Championship which he qualified for last week at Rustic Canyon Golf Course in Moorpark, California.
Lee's great momentum heading into the rest of the summer is complemented by strong performances by two other Gaels. Graduate Student, Jonathan Curran and Senior, Zach Missigman, also played in the Memorial and placed T-14 and T-21 respectively. The Saint Mary's Golf Team is ready for some productive months of practice as they look forward to returning this fall for regular season play.
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Players Mentioned
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