Fresh off a breakthrough PGA Tour win, Australia's newest No.1 entered Augusta National with high hopes that quickly faded in a horror third round on Saturday.
The 26-year-old finished a tough weekend at six-over-par (71, 72, 77, 74) to place 49th - 17 shots behind winner Rory McIlroy - while his tournament at least climaxed with a trademark hole-out from the 18th greenside bunker for par.
There were four birdies on Sunday but six bogeys, Lee often scrambling out of pine trees off the tee and missing putts he'd usually make.
He was penalised a stroke when the ball moved as he went to address it on Saturday and admitted he was rattled when warned for slow play.
"Mentally ... you've got to be technically there but you need a combo of both to be really good here," he said.
"Yesterday I just let it slip away.
"A bit of maturing and realising and learning from this moment.
"That's why Augusta is Augusta. It's very fun, but it can hit you hard, too."
The week began with mentor Jason Day - Australia's world No.1 for 51 weeks a decade ago and tied for eighth at five under this week - telling reporters Lee needed the work ethic to match his talent.
He even got Karrie Webb to get in Lee's ear at the Olympics, stressing a "lifestyle change" was in order but that the world was his oyster.
"A lot of people believe in me to be a really great player, but when you kind of hear it a couple times from someone that's been there, it really gets into you," he said of Day's advice.
"If you don't want to put in an extra couple minutes or extra hour of golf, you tell yourself, hey, this is what he's talking about.
"Just giving that little extra ounce is going to push me forward, and obviously it's been showing. A lot of consistent golf over the last six months, a year.
"Karrie ... someone that's won so many (41 LPGA) tournaments, (seven) majors.
"Even Jason was asking that many questions. In Paris we were having dinner every night, and it was just non-stop learning, really."
Lee will play next week's RBC Heritage, across the border in South Carolina, before finally toasting his Houston Open success with a two-week break.
"Mentally, I'm probably not as fresh as I probably should have been, but I'd rather a win than be fresh," he said.
"PGA Tour winner now, and I think I'll have a nice celebration."
Lee had finished his round before the leaders teed off on Sunday at Augusta, where he twice finished inside the top 22 in three previous visits.
"I love being there, I love being the frontrunner and trying to keep pushing and keep making birdies," he said.
"But it is tough because it's a major, and you don't get to experience it that much.
"Hopefully, you just keep learning from these experiences.
"I'm still young and have years ahead of me, and all I can do is learn.
"Hopefully, I can feed off this.
"There's a lot of disappointments in golf, but you've got to look at it as a lot of positives, too.
"Just don't beat yourself up and hopefully the next years are good."
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