Qualified in real style for The 149th Open at Royal St George's – his first major appearance - by winning the abrdn Scottish Open the week before.
Lee went into the event ranked 240th in the world and produced a closing 64 containing six successive birdies on the front nine and then beat Matthew Fitzpatrick and Thomas Detry with another birdie at the first extra hole.
Three months later, he was a runner-up to Fitzpatrick at the Andalucia Open and as well as finishing sixth on the Race to Dubai, which guaranteed his St Andrews spot as he moved into the game’s top 50.
He was already a winner on the DP World Tour after capturing the 2020 ISPS Handa Vic Open in his home country, beating New Zealander Ryan Fox by two.
Younger brother of Minjee Lee, a star on the LPGA golf scene who came third in the 2020 Women’s British Open at Royal Troon.
As an amateur won the 2016 US Junior title, following in the footsteps therefore of four Open champions - Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, David Duval and Johnny Miller.
It also came four years after Minjee became US Junior Girls champion and was the first time such a double had been achieved.