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SWINGING SKIRTS LPGA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY CTBC

April 20, 2016

Minjee Lee

San Francisco, California

Q. Tell us about your win on Saturday, I guess it was, in Hawaii. I understand your coach or caddie had told you you would have to shoot 8-under to win; is that correct?
MINJEE LEE: Yeah, I spoke to my coach the night before and he was like, You're five shots back. Just go out there and, kind of like not as joke, but just to say, Just go shoot 8-under and you're going to be pretty close.

So that's pretty much what I did. Yeah, just...

Q. So you shoot 8-under?
MINJEE LEE: Yeah, I did.

Q. On command.
MINJEE LEE: Great listener.

Q. How many did you win by?
MINJEE LEE: One.

Q. So you had to shoot 8-under.
MINJEE LEE: Yeah, because I was five shots back. It wasn't like I was one shot back.

Q. Yeah. How much do you think that's going to carry over here? Obviously you hope so, but what do you think of your momentum coming into this event?
MINJEE LEE: Definitely I feel like I'm striking the ball pretty well. If I can get my putter going like I did last week, then I think I'll have a chance.

I really love this golf course, so...

Q. What is it about this course that you like so much?
MINJEE LEE: I won the U.S. Girls' in 2012 here against Alison in the final round.

Yeah, just have really great memories here. The weather is nice, so it's going to be a great week hopefully.

Q. You mentioned that event. How different of a player were you then compared to now?
MINJEE LEE: I don't even remember. It was like a long time ago. It was 2012, so five years. I feel like I was much less mature, obviously, five years ago.

May be I'm hitting it longer. I can't quite remember how the course was set up, so I would say not as hard. No, it was really fun that week. Yeah, it was like my first time in America after all my junior years in Australia.

Yeah, just it was my first time and I was like really excited because I was here.

Q. The group in the semifinals have all gone on.
MINJEE LEE: We're all here. And Brooke.

Q. You guys are so young and doing so well. Why do you think you're able to do this well on the tour at such a young age?
MINJEE LEE: I guess because everybody is very talented and hard workers. Like the work ethic of all of us are really, really high. I guess a lot of us are really fearless and can play pretty aggressive.

Yeah, that's why, I think.

Q. Could you talk a little bit about your relationship with Karrie Webb and the scholarship program there and how much of a boost was that for your career?
MINJEE LEE: Yeah, if you're a recipient of the Karrie Webb Scholarship you get to stay with her at the U.S. Open and get to experience what a player kind of goes through at the U.S. Open.

So, no, it was definitely a priceless experience. I remember having great fun, but also thinking I really want to be playing as well. Yeah, just being with her you learn a lot, but being at the tournament you learn a lot as well.

So it's like just really good experience.

Q. Was there any one or two lessons that she imparted to you that have stuck with you? Anything that she said that you have found especially useful?
MINJEE LEE: Like I just ask her questions and then she like answers.

Q. Golf or life questions?
MINJEE LEE: Like questions like for media and things like how to --

Q. So she's your mentor?
MINJEE LEE: -- knock it out. Yeah, sort of. But she's more of a better friend than mentor sort of.

Q. Going back to the 2012 juniors here, that group - Alison, Lydia, Ariya, Brooke - when you think about your expectations and goals for your career, do those players and the youth on the LPGA ever factor into what your plan is for the year for each tournament, like how they're playing or...
MINJEE LEE: I don't really think so, because everybody out here is trying to do their best to win every week.

I think your play doesn't necessarily change because of how they're playing. Each week you obviously want to do your best and win, so I'm sure that's their goals as well every week.

So, no, not necessarily.

Q. I know you and Lydia go a long ways back. Are you surprised she's had so much success so early?
MINJEE LEE: Lydia?

Q. Yeah.
MINJEE LEE: Am I surprised? No, I'm not surprised. She won everything in amateur as well and knocking out all the pro stuff, too.

No, I'm not surprised just because of her work ethic and she's really talented and works really hard.

Definitely not surprised.

Q. What part of her game do you respect the most?
MINJEE LEE: I think she's like all round really, really solid. It's not like she has a downside to one part of her game.

Even if she's having a bad round she can still post a score. I think that's what really counts when you're not having a very good day.

Q. But you're also very talented now with two wins before your 20th birthday. Just the fifth player in LPGA history to do that. Was that one of your goals coming into this year? And career-wise, where do you see yourself good a couple years?
MINJEE LEE: Well, coming into this year, I mean, I wasn't like, Oh, I want to win this amount of events or, I don't know, this amount of events.

I just wanted to play well in the majors this year and obviously get to the Olympics. They were my two major goals.

Q. And the UL International Crown?
MINJEE LEE: And the International Crown. That's going to be a great event, too, because the last time we had it we were treated so well.

I'm pretty excited for that, too.

Q. Next major. When do you start thinking about that?
MINJEE LEE: I'm not going there early to do early practice rounds, so I'll just go there that week and just do my practice rounds.

Q. Have you asked anybody about the course yet?
MINJEE LEE: No, I haven't. I mean, I think there's an amateur guy's event there, so couple of my friends at home, they played it. I might ask them.

Q. Has this course changed very much since you were here in 2012?
MINJEE LEE: No. It's like exactly how I remember it.

Q. How would you describe it?
MINJEE LEE: I think it tests every part of your game. Like you got to drive it well, chip and putt really well.

If your ball-striking is on then you're going to have a lot of chances. So, yeah, I think it just tests every part of your game. It's a great challenge to have. The golf course is fun.

Q. What's the key hole on this course, in your opinion?
MINJEE LEE: I love every hole on this golf course. I don't have -- the par-3s are all tricky. I think if you do well on the par-3s I think you're going to be all right.

Then there are a couple of reachable par-5s. So you can definitely take advantage of those if you're a long ball-striker.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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