Day two of three at the 2023 PGA Play-Offs saw only one player score under-par at the challenging Aphrodite Hills Resort (PGA National Cyprus).
Whilst the majority of the field struggled with battling 20mph winds, 45-year-old Craig Lee, who runs his own studio in Stirling, managed to keep his cool by playing smart golf, and in turn scoring two rounds of 69 over the first two days (-4 total) leaving him with a 4-stroke lead going into the final day.
Lee said: “I’ve played some really good golf to be honest. Today was really testing, and sometimes on days like this it’s not always about playing good golf, I’ve played smart golf today too, sometimes aiming away from pins to give myself a chance to get up and down. It’s been tough, but tomorrow is a completely different day.”
Having played the demanding course before, Lee knew what to expect when coming into this week's PGA Play-Offs, as he explains: “The greens are very challenging - you get pins tucked away on certain plateaus and it becomes really hard to get close to some of them, but I like that kind of golf, where you’ve got to think a little bit about where you might want to miss it as well.”
The Scotsman has played in a number of DP World Tour events over the last 15 years, having come runner-up to Thomas Bjørn after a play-off in the 2013 Omega European Masters. He has also claimed top-10 finishes in a number of tournaments, including the 2012 Irish Open and 2015 Portugal Masters, so he knows exactly what to expect if he does indeed secure the sought after DP World Tour spots come Friday evening.
Lee added: “To be able to get back out there on the DP World Tour and play in another four events this year would be fantastic. That adds a little bit more pressure, but you try not to think about it too much - we’ll see what happens.”
Fellow Scot, Paul O’Hara (North Lanarkshire Leisure Ltd), who recently played in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, kept himself in the race after two consistent rounds of even par (71, 71), whilst round one leader, Daniel Whitby-Smith (Drayton Park Golf Club), joined him after a second round score of 75 (67, 75).
Zak Morgan (Rochester and Cobham Golf Club) who scored solid rounds of 70 and 72, completes the trio of players sitting at even par, 4 shots behind leader Lee, going into the final round.
CLICK HERE for the full leaderboard from the 2023 PGA Play-Offs.
