By Dave Shedloski

Village of Pinehurst, N.C. – An aching shoulder couldn’t slow Danny Lee’s three-week golf barnstorm and Patrick Reed couldn’t halt Lee from barreling into the final of the 108^th U.S. Amateur Saturday at Pinehurst Resort’s No. 2 course.

Lee, 18, of New Zealand, who won the Western Amateur two weeks ago and then finished tied for 20^th at the Wyndham Championship on the PGA Tour, is one step away from claiming the Havemeyer Trophy after winning the last two holes and eliminating the resourceful Reed, 3 and 2.

A native of Korea who has not been home or seen his family for three months, Lee will face Drew Kittleson of Scottsdale, Ariz., at 8 a.m. EDT Sunday for the biggest title in amateur golf. Kittleson posted a 4-and-2 decision over Adam Mitchell of Chattanooga, Tenn., in the day’s first semifinal.

Lee, who learned the game from his mother, a teaching professional in New Zealand, is hoping to return home next week with the ultimate prize for amateur golfers. His victory Saturday already secured a berth in the U.S. Open. The top two finishers also traditionally receive an invitation to the Masters.

"I’m just having a really, really good week, and everything I hit … every putt just falls in the hole, and it’s just amazing," said Lee, who in between the Western Am and Wyndham Championship shot 11-under 133 to claim medalist honors at his U.S. Amateur qualifier at Piper Glen in Springfield, Ill.

Lee soldiered on Saturday while clearly favoring a left shoulder that he injured on the driving range Friday morning. After his quarterfinal victory over Morgan Hoffmann, he was taken to Moore Regional Hospital for X-rays, which came back negative.

"I think it’s just a muscle that got a little bit bruised," said Lee, who left the hospital about 4 p.m. Friday.

He’s been putting a bruising on the competition at Pinehurst. Lee has trailed only once in his five matches, and that was for only one hole. He has yet to play the 17^th or 18^th hole in match play.

As has been his practice, Lee jumped on Reed, whose goal was to try to put pressure on his opponent by hitting greens but only found five in regulation in 16 holes and missed each of the last three.

"I played a decent round," said Reed, 18, an incoming freshman at the University of Georgia, who had his own aspirations for competing in a certain major near his home in Augusta, Ga. "I hit the ball decently, probably even better than all week, and I made a couple of putts. It was just that he made more."

Lee sank an 18-foot downhill putt at the par-4 third hole to strike first, and got to 2 up when Reed three-putted from 30 feet. Reed got one back when he saved par from the front of the green at No. 8 while Lee sprayed a drive into the right trees and made bogey.

Fortunes reversed again at No. 9 when Lee converted a terrific up and down from left of the green at the par 3 while Reed couldn’t answer after blowing his tee shot over the back and pitching to 20 feet.

The two teens halved the 10^th with birdies, but Reed suffered a psychological setback when his father, Bill, had to relinquish his caddie duties because of severe blisters on his feet. He gave his son a hug on the 10^th green and handed the bag and caddie bib to Brady Exber, a fellow participant whom Reed eliminated, 4 and 3, in the second round.

Reed and Exber, 52, of Las Vegas, had hit it off during their match Thursday, and Exber had been following Reed in subsequent rounds. "Bill asked me yesterday to stay close, and today he just said his paws were cooked," Exber said. "I was glad to help. Patrick is a good kid. And he’s a good player; you can see it in his game."

"The adrenaline just wore off," said Bill Reed, who originally hurt his feet caddieing for Patrick at the Players Amateur. "I knew I might not make it, but I had to give it a try. It was just too much, so I gave Brady the signal to come in from the bullpen. My hope was that maybe I could save myself if we got into the final."

Reed looked like he might get there when he holed a 35-foot birdie putt at the short par-4 13^th while Lee missed from about 12 feet. Now 1 down, Reed drilled a drive into the middle of the fairway at No. 14 while Lee found a bunker to the right and was forced to lay up well short of the green.

Reed, however squandered the opening, pushing his approach well right of the green and then missing a 6-foot par putt that would have brought him back to all square. "Yeah, it was a good chance to get back to square. I didn’t capitalize on it," said Reed.

The error was compounded by events at the par-3 15^th. Reed pulled his tee shot long and left of the putting surface while Lee found the green 30 feet behind the hole. He then drained the tricky birdie putt to restore his 2-up advantage.

Lee closed it out by hitting another green in regulation at No. 16 and two-putting for an easy par. Reed, meanwhile, misfired left of the putting surface and found his ball about 6 inches from the bunker. He had to putt with the grip buried in his chest and his right hand well down the metal part of the shaft as he stood with his right foot in the trap. He could not get up and down.

"He played very solid, very steady, and he did a great performance again," said Reed of Lee. "I mean, he’s kept it for a couple weeks straight, and he’s a great player."

Lee couldn’t wait to call home and tell his parents about how his excellent golfing adventure rolls on and will continue into next year with major championships on his agenda. Regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s 36-hole match, he promised to remain an amateur.

"Yeah, actually she (his mother) was crying about how I make it into the final and she was really, really happy. And so was my dad," said Lee with a huge grin. "And I’m really excited. … Playing in those great major tournaments, that’s always been my dream. I think it’s going to be a great experience for me."

But first, he’ll have work to do.

"Actually, I got no idea who that is," Lee said of Kittleson. "And I heard he’s a great golfer, that about it. It’s going to be a fun day tomorrow."

Dave Shedloski is a freelance writer whose work has previously appeared on www.usamateur.org.