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A new daughter, a new putter, and a new level of belief — Richard T. Lee is playing his way into the global golf conversation
Richard T. Lee is no stranger to a hectic schedule. Splitting his time between the Korean and Asian Tours — while balancing new fatherhood — the Canadian-born golfer has been everywhere lately, and that’s no exaggeration.
“Yeah, so I pretty much switch my time between playing the KPGA Tour, which is the Korean Tour, and playing on the Asian Tour. It’s pretty hard to set my schedule because, the Korean Tour has a minimum of tournaments you have to play each year, as does the Asian Tour as well,” he explains.
Richard T. Lee – 2025 Woori Financial Group Championship (Image supplied by KPGA Tour)
“So I think just planning out my schedule with that and, having my daughter last year — I mean, it’s a blessing to have a kid, and she’s so pretty. But I think I have been playing like 30 tournaments the last three years, which is tough.
“I’ve been pretty busy flying around everywhere, usually going through Dubai on Emirates! So thankfully, I’m playing well as well, haha!”
And he’s not wrong. 2025 has seen the 34-year-old start strong, with a win in Korea along with top finishes on the Asian Tour’s International Series.
“I usually don’t start the season that well, so it’s been a bit of a surprise. I’ve been working really hard with my coach and trainer. We set ourselves a goal to hit the ground running in 2025 — and thankfully, it paid off early with a win in Korea.
“I’m still hoping for another victory on the Asian Tour this year. I had a top ten in India, which was a really tough course. Then in Macao, I closed with a strong final round to finish in the top five.
“Japan was a bit more of a struggle though. I actually lost a lot of weight that week — couldn’t find many places to eat and didn’t sleep enough — and that added some stress. I’ve realised that eating well really helps keep my stress levels down, both on and off the course.
But I’m looking ahead now — especially to Morocco.”
Richard T. Lee – 2024 BNI Indonesian Masters (Image supplied by Asian Tour)
Lee’s fifth professional win came late in 2024 in Indonesia, part of the International Series — and it came with a story.
“It was amazing. My daughter was born in January last year, and I remember talking to my wife — she pointed out that I’d been missing a lot of short putts using a blade putter. She suggested I try a mallet, like the ones Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler use on the PGA Tour — they’re putting well and winning….
“So I gave it a go in the first Thailand event and I tied for ninth, then I came second, and then I won!
“So the change in putter really made a difference — it boosted my confidence and made golf a bit easier by making more short and long putts as well!”
Seoul-based Lee’s consistency has been building in the year long Order of Merit on the International Series. He finished 10th in 2023, 5th in 2024, and currently sits 10th early on the 2025 season. Could this finally be his breakthrough year, with that coveted LIV Golf card the prize for the Number One ranked player?
“I said that two years ago — and last year too! It’s been really close.
“The final event in Saudi was a great event, but maybe a bit skewed towards the LIV players. With so many points on offer, it gave them a big advantage. The winner there pretty much goes straight onto the LIV Golf Tour, so that was a tough week for me.
“This year, I’m hoping to get one or two quick wins and push for that number one spot. I believe I’ve got the game to do it — just need to keep listening to my wife and holing more putts with the mallet!”
Richard T. Lee – 2024 BNI Indonesian Masters (Image supplied by Asian Tour)
The LIV carrot is clearly on his mind, though Lee says he’s keeping doors open.
“I can’t lie — over the past two years, and again this year, our main focus as a family has been getting onto LIV Golf. But it’s getting tougher each year. Last year, only one spot was available, and even the Asian Tour number one just managed to get in.
“So I’m keeping my options open. I’m thinking about giving PGA Tour Q-School a go this year and seeing how that pans out. If that doesn’t work, there’s always LIV Golf Promotions event.
“If I can get a win on the International Series soon, I’ll be in a much better position to chase that number one ranking. But I’m keeping all avenues open depending on how and where I perform.”
Next stop: Morocco — a return to Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, where Lee has good memories from 2022 where he finished second.
“It’s a really challenging golf course. You need to be able to shape the ball both ways — draw it, fade it — and definitely hole putts.
“It suits my game pretty well. I see myself as more of a ball striker, and if I keep playing the way I have been recently, I think it could be a great week.”
Main image: Richard T. Lee (Korean Golf Association)
This article was featured in the June 2025 issue of Golf Digest Middle East. Click here for a digital issue of the full magazine
