“It’s brutal on the body, and it turns into a case of who can mentally and physically deal with all the golf?”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, APRIL 9
A two-times winner of Britain’s most prestigious amateur golf tournament says the winner will need to demonstrate physical and mental resilience.
Jack Lee, who won the title in 2022 and last year, paid tribute to an event which also launched the careers of golfing legends Justin Rose and Lee Westwood.
The tournament is one of the most prestigious UK junior competitions, with the nations’ top prospects playing for silverware across a 72 hole competition.
Speaking ahead of event’s start on Wednesday at Copt Heath Golf Club in Solihull, Lee said: “In terms of the tournament it’s always a strong field. I enjoyed playing 36 holes in a day and having two days in a row.
“It’s brutal on the body and it turns into who can mentally and physically deal with all the golf?”
Lee became the 41st victor with his first success back in 2022, and the only ever player to retain the trophy with his triumph last year.
Looking back on his time at the Peter McEvoy Trophy, the 19-year-old told Champions (UK) plc: “I just love Copt Heath. It’s a great golf course, and I get on with everyone who’s around the event, everyone who supports it, who helps organise it.
“It’s really nice and every time I turned up to the golf course I just felt welcomed.”
The Englishman has just committed to a golf scholarship at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina, US, alongside dedicated sporting agency College Sports America.
Having been selected for the England Schools, England U16s Nations Cup and Kent U16 County Team as an amateur, Lee is well aware of the competition the country currently has to offer though its youth rankings.
Discussing the benefits of tournaments like the Peter McEvoy Trophy, he said: “They’re great. The junior levels of golf in England are getting stronger and stronger. During the last two years of my junior career, through tournaments and national events, I found the field strength to be incredible.
“It definitely gets you prepared to come out to the US or to whatever sort of journey people take. If you can put yourself in positions to compete in those tournaments then it’s just so beneficial for you going forward.”
When discussing his future aspirations, Lee continued: “My main goal is to be a professional on the PGA Tour, wherever things may take me. The main ambition I have is to win a major championship.
“I think that’s the goal of a lot of junior and amateur golfers, and for me I’d especially love to win The Open.”
Notes to editors:
The tournament takes place between April 10th-11th, and is free and open to all spectators who are looking to experience an exciting golfing event unfold. To find out more information about this year’s competition, visit their website here: https://www.coptheathgolf.co.uk/mcevoy_trophy_2024