Kyoung-Hoon Lee gains entry to Arnold Palmer Invite a day after car accident

Kyoung-Hoon Lee got in the Arnold Palmer Invitational by coming off the alternate list on Thursday when Francesco Molinari withdrew.

Kyoung-Hoon Lee has experienced a good bit of luck this week in Orlando on two different levels. The 28-year-old gained entry into this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational by coming off the alternate list on Thursday morning when defending champion Francesco Molinari withdrew. It came a day after walking away from a car accident unscathed a day earlier.

According to a story on pgatour.com, Lee and his wife were driving to Bay Hill Club & Lodge mid-morning on Wednesday for a practice round. Lee was in the passenger seat as his wife made a left turn. An oncoming car, however, didn’t stop. It plowed right into the Lees.

“When I saw the car coming,” Lee said through an interpreter, “I was scared, like, ‘Oh, my gosh.’ It was like the whole thing was kind of in slow motion.”

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The couple was driving a courtesy car, an SUV that sustained little damage. The other vehicle, however, was a different story.

“I felt sore in the morning, but after I got the tee time, I couldn’t feel it,” said Lee, who had a first-round 72. He played with Rory McIlroy (66) and Justin Rose (73).

Neither Lee nor his wife went to the hospital after the accident but were seen by medics upon arriving at Bay Hill. Lee’s wife did not come to the golf course to watch play on Thursday.

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