First career top 10 puts Lee in the John Deere Classic

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BETHESDA, Md. (AP) -- Danny Lee had planned to hustle to the airport as soon as his final round was finished. The U.S. Amateur champion had booked a Sunday night flight to Europe so that he could play in the Scottish Open.

Lee

Instead, the U.S. Amateur champion played so well that his travel itinerary changed. His final round of 70 gave him a top 10 finish at the AT&T National -- tied for seventh with a 6-under 274 total -- earning him an automatic spot in the John Deere Classic in Illinois without using up one of his remaining PGA TOUR exemptions.

"I was in a hurry to catch a flight to Scotland, and now I've got to cancel my flight," he said. "Those things happen. I can play another event."

Lee earned $180,750 this weekend, more than doubling his total earnings in his seven events since turning pro in late April. His $350,054 is about two-thirds of the way to the $537,958 he needs to put him on the PGA TOUR for the rest of the year.

"I'm very pumped up and I've been playing great this week," Lee said. "I don't really worry about the money at the moment, I'm just pumped up because I can play another event with all those greatest players in the world."

The last-minute change won't keep Lee off the trans-Atlantic flights for long. The 19-year-old from New Zealand said he still wants to play his minimum number of 12 tournaments this year to retain his membership in the PGA European Tour.