Lee supplants Tiger as youngest U.S. Amateur champion

For Lee, it was an exhausting finish to a hectic past few weeks that included 212 holes of competitive golf.

He won both medalist and match play titles at the Western Amateur and tied for 20th in his PGA Tour debut at the Wyndham Championship across the state in Greensboro the day before he started at the Amateur.

After two rounds of stroke play, he began a seemingly unchallenged charge through the bracket to the finals. But unlike his previous five matches, this one was never easy.

Lee, who entered having trailed on only one hole since Wednesday, quickly went 2-down to Kittleson through five holes, before surging back into the lead midway through his morning trip around the course.

"I wasn't really surprised -- I knew he was going to come back sometime, on some holes," Lee said. "I was expecting that to happen, and since he made that chip-in, I was thinking, 'I've got to play well' and keep focused on my game, try to make birdies."

He squared the match with a par on the par-3 ninth, starting a successful string in which he won five of seven holes - with birdies on four of them. He was up 5-up after one trip around the course, then increased his lead to 6-up with a par on the par-4 second.

"I'm usually that guy that would not be happy about anything going good for anybody else," Kittleson said, half-laughing. "It was kind of fun to watch. I mean, he was making everything. What are you going to do? He's pouring it in. We all have those days."