No one knows Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course better than Sam Lee, he plays it every day and even proudly wears the courses emblem on his hat and shirt.
This week the world’s eyes will be on Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course as the Tour Professionals compete to be the 2016 Fiji International champion.
And Lee can’t wait to welcome them to his home.
“Fiji is a paradise and having some of the great players from overseas come here and say that they think Natadola is an amazing golf course is fantastic. I am obviously very proud,” said Lee.
“It’s very different seeing the course set-up for the Fiji International and it gives me butterflies in my stomach but I’m excited.”
He has been a man in demand the last few weeks as his fellow Tour Pros try to get the inside scoop on the challenging layout. Lee is only too happy to oblige.
“When I played in New Caledonia for the South Pacific Open, some of the guys who have never played Natadola wanted to come and play a practice round with me. They wanted a bit of local information,” added Lee.
“I tell them where not to miss, where the wind usually blows from and where it’s best to position yourself for the best possible score.”
“It never hurts to share because if I go somewhere else then they will do the same thing for me.”
This is the third time that Lee will tee it up in the Fiji International. He played the inaugural tournament as an amateur and made the cut as a Pro last year.
Each time he tees it up he feels more comfortable, not in awe of the hype surrounding the tournament and his local status.
“I think it’s more pressure that I put on myself. It’s not what other people think but it’s the expectation that I have for myself which puts pressure on,” added Lee.
“I’d like to just play better than last year. I try to play better every year. I’ll see how it goes and also see how I play against the other guys who have play a lot of Tour golf.”
The Fiji International tees off at Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course on Thursday 6 October with the champion to be decided on Sunday 9 October.