Richard Lee doesn’t exactly look like a world-beater when he is swinging away on the golf course. But the 15-year-old from Chandler has the heart of a lion with a game that might well roar into the future, say the people who know him best.

One of those observers is Philip Francis, the No. 1 ranked junior in the country, who beat Lee in the 36-hole championship match of the recent U.S. Junior Amateur, 3-and-2.

“Richard hits the ball a ton. He’s so long it’s scary,’’ reported Francis, who happens to be one of Lee’s best friends. “You’re going to here a lot about him, guaranteed.’’

The same type of respect flows from Lee’s teacher, Kent Chase, who has coached many of Arizona’s top junior players.

“Richard is such a gifted player,’’ Chase said, shaking his head at his pupil’s upside. “He’s extremely long and extremely accurate, and he has the ability to only see the short grass.

“The truth is, he’s already got all the shots.’’

So just how far does this young Canadian-Korean who settled in the East Valley a year and a half ago hit the ball?

“Umm . . . I probably average about 310 yards off the tee,’’ said Lee, who was born in Toronto but spent most of his early years in Vancouver. “I can hit it farther, but that’s (the distance) I can control.’’

OK, so how does a teen-ager pound the ball 310 yards while standing 5-foot-10 inches and weighing, maybe, 180 pounds dripping wet?

“I get all my power from my legs, so I work out a lot by running and lifting weights,’’ Lee said. “For me, it’s all about weight transfer, and getting pressure on the ball.’’

That’s one thing about Lee, who once was an avid soccer player, he says the most amazing things.

For instance:

When did he start playing golf?

“All my life, or ever since I was one,’’ said Lee, whose father, Jeff, just happens to be a club professional. “Actually, I can remember way back then, even though most of it is through photographs.’’

When did you win your first tournament?

“When I was five. I remember it was my third tournament after finishing second in my first two (tournaments).’’

When did you decide to give up soccer and concentrate on golf?

“When I was 10 (years old) and I shot a (10-under par) 62 – twice.’’

When did you start playing in national tournaments?

“When I was 13, and I won a Nike event in New Mexico by 15 shots. That got me an exemption into the AJGA, and I’ve been playing (at that level) ever since.’’

Make no mistake, college ONLY is a possibility IF Lee is not playing as well as he thinks he will be when he reaches the age of 18. In fact, he’s already decided to leave Hamilton High School to be home-schooled on the Internet in order to concentrate on golf and the ultimate goal, the PGA Tour.

“I’m no longer in high school even though I will be playing on the Hamilton’s golf team this fall,’’ said Lee, who was the runner-up last year in Class 5-A on a team that won the state championship.

Can you do that while being home-schooled? “Yeah,’’ said Lee, who would have been a sophomore. “I guess it’s because I live in the neighborhood.’’

Like I said, this kid will blow you away with the things he can do, and the things he says. If there is any fear in there, I can’t find it.

Another for instance: Even though Lee never led in his title match with Francis, he didn’t feel intimidated by Francis’ No. 1 ranking one bit, he said.

“I’ve never seen Philip play so well, and I play with him all the time. He was 7 under after 11 holes, and I was like, 4 or 5 under,’’ Lee said. “So he had a really good day, and I was happy for him.’’

The “no fear’’ factor even came into play when Tiger Woods was mentioned.

“I used to like Tiger, but not now,’’ Lee said with a straight face. “Now, it’s more about catching him than wanting to be like him.’’

Normally, I’d laugh at such innocence. But after meeting Richard Lee, well, I’ll refrain just in case.