Lee, who would still have pulling power despite having spent little time in the limelight in recent years, has not played in the New Zealand Open since 2009.
There is always some rope given to top Kiwi golfers who pursue opportunities at the top level, but Glading made his frustration clear yesterday when asked if he had hoped to see Lee return to the Open.
"I don’t think it’s realistic.
"If I’m brutally honest, I think if he’d wanted to come, he would have come by now.
"He’s gone to LIV golf, so he will have more weeks off, but I don’t see any inclination for him to come this way."
Lee (32) became the youngest winner of the US Amateur in 2008 before playing at the New Zealand Open at The Hills in 2009.
He won the Johnnie Walker Classic in Europe as an amateur in 2009, and won the Greenbrier Classic on the PGA Tour in 2015, and he heads to the Saudi-backed LIV circus with career PGA Tour earnings of about $NZ25 million.
There are two LIV players in the field at Millbrook this week, so that is not an issue for Glading, who is merely frustrated Lee has shown little inclination to play in the tournament.
"He’s represented the country at the Olympics, and I think Golf New Zealand have really stood by him.
"I find it disappointing that he hasn’t supported the national open.
"Contrast that with Ryan Fox, who is on social media talking about how much he’s missing the New Zealand Open.
"Foxy, I have no doubt, will be back playing in this tournament again.
"It comes down to a want, and Foxy really wants to play in this tournament. Danny has shown that he doesn’t."
New Zealand Golf chief executive Dean Murphy struck a slightly more conciliatory note.
He said Lee had been "very, very proud" to represent New Zealand at two Olympic Games and would be keen to do so again.
"I think he’d always be very welcome to come and play in the national open," Murphy said.
Meanwhile, tournament director John Hart has revealed the New Zealand Open will stay at Millbrook on a five-year deal.
The resort had suffered significant losses underwriting the Open through two Covid-cancelled years, but Hart was grateful it had stuck by the tournament.
The long-term aim is still to hold the Open over three courses, allowing the field to expand.
Hart highlighted the "exciting time" for the Open as all its commercial partners had held firm during the three-year break, and two major partners had been added.
That had enabled the purse to rise to $1.7 million, up from $450,000 when the pro-am format started in 2012.
"We’re now one of the three biggest tournaments in Australasia," Hart said.
"We think we’re well-positioned now. I don’t think we’re about money — we’re about experience.
"We want to keep moving the purse, but we don’t have stars in our eyes about where we need to get in the prize pool."
