The Kid with Ice in His Veins

When Eric Lee stepped over that impossible chip shot on the 17th hole Thursday, blocked by two towering trees with his ball buried in thick rough, most observers—including Golf Channel’s Colt Knost—figured his US Amateur dreams were done. What happened next was pure magic: a slice wedge that danced around those trees and settled inches from the hole, clinching another dramatic victory in what’s becoming a storybook run at Olympic Club. Lee advanced to the quarterfinals with a remarkable chip-in from the rough for birdie on the 17th hole, defeating Josh Duangmanee 2 up, and then followed it up with an even more clutch performance Friday, edging 16-year-old phenom Miles Russell 1-up to reach today’s semifinals.

From Berkeley to Stillwater: The Transfer That Changed Everything

Lee signed to play for the University of California, Berkeley and joined in 2023, winning co-medalist honors at the Marquette Intercollegiate on his collegiate tournament debut. But like many ambitious players, Lee wasn’t content to settle. He shared Cal’s Freshman of the Year award with Ethan Fang in 2024, and both would later move to Oklahoma State ahead of their sophomore seasons. The decision to transfer from Berkeley to Oklahoma State proved prophetic—Lee became the hero of the Cowboys’ NCAA Championship run in May, scoring the decisive victory as OSU won the NCAA Division One Men’s Golf Championship title in 2025.

The Junior Prodigy Who Never Forgot How to Win

Long before he was hitting miracle shots at Olympic Club, Lee was already making waves in junior golf. Lee was named AJGA Rolex Junior Player of the Year for 2022 after failing to finish outside the top-10 in seven national junior golf events. His resume reads like a junior golf hall of fame application: reached No. 1 in both the AJGA Rolex and Golfweek Junior rankings, was twice named an AJGA Rolex First Team All-American in 2021 and 2022, and qualified for the 2022 Junior Presidents Cup U.S. Team. The 20-year-old from Fullerton, California, reached the semifinals of the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur, giving him the championship experience that’s now paying dividends on golf’s biggest amateur stage.

Yesterday’s Thriller: Outlasting Golf’s Next Generation

Friday’s quarterfinal against Miles Russell had all the drama of a major championship final. Russell didn’t make a birdie until the 17th hole but was still very much in the match, 1-down against Lee. The 16-year-old from Jacksonville Beach looked to have the advantage when Lee found himself in deep rough on the right, seemingly blocked by trees while Russell had just 103 yards to a perfect pin. But Lee pulled another rabbit out of the hat. For the second day in a row, Lee hit a marvelous chip to within inches of the hole, though Russell matched him with a clutch 12-foot birdie putt to take the match to 18. On the final hole, Lee smothered his drive to the right while Russell split the fairway, but Lee purposely put a big slice with a wedge shot from 124 yards, with the ball bounding onto the green 30 feet from the hole, setting up the winning two-putt.

Today’s Semifinal: The Stage is Set

In today’s semifinal, Lee will face Georgia teen Mason Howell, who beat John Daly II in his quarterfinal match. Howell qualified for the U.S. Open this year with rounds of 63-63 from the Atlanta sectional, proving he belongs on this stage. For Lee, it’s another chance to show that his transfer to Oklahoma State and his NCAA Championship heroics weren’t flukes—they were just the beginning of what could be a special summer in amateur golf.

The Bottom Line

Eric Lee isn’t just advancing through the bracket at the US Amateur—he’s creating moments that will be remembered long after the Havemeyer Trophy is awarded. From junior golf stardom to Cal’s Freshman of the Year to Oklahoma State’s NCAA hero, and now to the doorstep of the US Amateur final, Lee’s journey reads like a golf fairy tale. Today’s semifinal against Mason Howell isn’t just about reaching Sunday’s 36-hole final; it’s about a 20-year-old proving that clutch is a skill you can develop, and magic happens when preparation meets the biggest moments.