Fairfax ’ s Bryan Lee , a nearly sight-unseen COVID recruit , has blossomed at UVA
The scene : The final round of the 2021 Junior PGA Championship at Kearney Hills Golf Club in Lexington , Ky . Bryan Lee , a past Virginia State Golf Association Junior Match Play Champion and coveted recruit , found himself in a playoff for second place after shooting 13-under over the championship ’ s 72 regulation holes .
The stakes : A spot on the United States Junior Ryder Cup team .
The result : Lee beat three competitors in a playoff , including a future PGA Tour champion ( Nick Dunlap ) and future college teammate ( Ben James ), to earn his spot on the roster .
“ He ended up making this unbelievable up-anddown on the third playoff hole to make the team ,” recalled Bowen Sargent , the head men ’ s golf coach
USGA ; UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ; CHRIS LANG
There are always bigger fish out there . I ’ m striving to take it one step at a time and live in the present . I ’ m very blessed , and I know that there are so many people who would love to be in the position that I ’ m in .”
Now and then . Bryan Lee at UVA , and below , Lee posing with the Clyde Luther Trophy , which goes to the winner of the VSGA Junior Match Play Championship , in 2019 . at the University of Virginia , sitting in his office at UVA ’ s impressive golf headquarters at Birdwood Golf at Boar ’ s Head Resort . “ That was really kind of the first time I remember seeing him play .”
Lee , now a UVA junior ranked inside the top 20 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking , was part of the “ COVID class ” of 2022 . Due to in-person meeting restrictions in the wake of the pandemic , the recruiting game had changed .
Lee was a homeschooled kid from Fairfax who played out of 1757 Golf Club and was widely regarded as one of the nation ’ s top recruits — a reputation that was built almost entirely on results , not on personal connections .