After developing into one of the top young golfers in the Big Bend area at Lincoln High School and Maclay School, Lee Poppell has continued that success at Troy University. The rising senior recently took another major step in his career after shooting a 4-under 68 to tie for second place at a local qualifier for the U.S. Open Golf Championship at The Plantation at Ponte Vedra. Poppell recorded six birdies during the round, including four on the back nine after making the turn at even par, earning a spot in the final qualifying round for one of golf’s most prestigious tournaments.
The performance continued a strong junior season for Poppell at Troy, where he posted a 72.06 stroke average and a 0.25 score versus par. He led the Trojans with 15 under-par rounds in 32 total rounds and finished inside the top 25 in eight of 11 events, including a tie for 18th at the Sun Belt Championship entering U.S. Open qualifying.
Before his collegiate success, Poppell built an impressive high school and junior golf résumé in Tallahassee. He finished second at the 2022 Florida Junior Tour Championship and tied for 34th at the 2022 Florida Amateur Championship while competing against many of the state’s top amateur golfers. He also captured the 2022 Big Bend Championship in dominant fashion, firing a 7-under 65 to win by six strokes in one of the premier tournaments in the Florida Panhandle. Later that spring, he shot a 2-under 70 to win a district championship title. Poppell also earned multiple victories on the Southeast Junior Golf Tour in 2021, winning events at Wynlakes and Sea Palms while adding a fourth-place finish at the Ben An Junior Championship.
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