	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

BLUE BAY LPGA

October 23, 2016

Minjee Lee

Hainan Island, China

THE MODERATOR: I'm here with the 2016 Blue Bay LPGA champion, Minjee Lee from Australia.

Minjee, congratulations.

MINJEE LEE: Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: Tell us what this win means for you. It's your second win this season so far. What does this mean for you?

MINJEE LEE: I feel like I've been playing really solid golf the whole year. I know I won in Hawai'i, but like getting a win this week, it feels really good. Yeah, just really happy.

THE MODERATOR: So you were constantly at the top of the leaderboard all week. What worked well for you?

MINJEE LEE: I was leading after 36 and then I co-leaded into the last round. I knew I had to have -- it was going to be a really good battle today, and that's exactly what happened.

Yeah, I'm glad I came out on top but it was a really good fight out there.

THE MODERATOR: And your mother and grandmother are here with you this week. What has been their role in supporting you this week and who would you like to share today's win with?

MINJEE LEE: Definitely my Nan. She's my biggest supporter. I love having her around. She normally comes around for the Asia Swing, so yeah, it's nice to have won in front of her. She was here, so that's really nice.

THE MODERATOR: This year is a very special win for you. You had a win earlier in the year and you tied for seventh at the Olympics. After your great play at the Olympics, did that increase your confidence and was that a factor in your performance this week, as well?

MINJEE LEE: Not necessarily. I mean, I really came into this week with no expectations because last week, I just played okay and I was like, oh, maybe I'll have a better week this week.

No, I just came in with no expectations. Just wanted to have fun and yeah, just wanted to have a good week.

Obviously because I won, I'm very happy right now. But yeah, going into the final round, I knew that it was going to be a good fight today. So yeah, I think yeah, if we kept trading scores, yeah, it was a good fight out there, and I fought to the end.

Q. Hole 17, when you probably didn't do too well with a bogey there, then your position was tied by your opponent, and then hole 18, something happened to Ariya. What were you thinking? What was going through your mind? Did that one way or the other affect your way of thinking about the victory and so forth?
MINJEE LEE: Not really. I mean, on 17, I had a 3-putt and I made bogey. The score was tied on the last hole. And then Ariya hit it in the water with her drive.

I knew that I had a good opportunity but I was getting ahead of myself. I knew that either Jess was going to make birdie -- was probably going to make birdie, and so I thought to myself, I need to make birdie here.

I just put myself in good spots and then yeah, I ended up making birdie. Yeah, just stuck to my game plan.

Q. After hole 16, you were leading by two strokes. However as you mentioned, hole 17, you actually ended up with a bogey. But that putt there, you seemed to be aggressive. What was going through your mind, aggressive to approach the green or to actually get to the pin, or something else? Share your thoughts with us, please.
MINJEE LEE: Obviously not because I 3-putted. Well, I was trying to hit a lag putt but I hit it a little bit and it went like six feet past. I can't do anything about it now. Hopefully I'll know next time not to hit it six-foot past and have a 3-putt.

But yeah, I didn't really do anything different. I just tried to play the best that I can and hit the right shots. But if I just miss the green, most of them I made up-and-down, so I was happy about that. Yeah, I just stuck to what I could control. Yeah, just pretty much played my own game the whole day today.

Q. So what might be your next objectives? For example, the very beginning when you started, when you were only an amateur player, you were already No. 1, and afterwards at the age of 20, you already have three wins under your belt, and now what might be your next objectives, say, Grand Slam? World No. 1 spot? Or Tokyo Olympic medal?
MINJEE LEE: My ultimate goal is to have a Grand Slam. So I think that's always what I'll be working towards.

But I'd like to take every week as it comes. So yeah, that's just my ultimate goal.

Q. What might be the disparity or distance that you have to need to cover to bridge between your current situation and Grand Slam objective?
MINJEE LEE: I guess win major events. You can't have a Grand Slam without winning major events. Yeah, I think that's what I have to do.

THE MODERATOR: Once again, congratulations on your well-deserved victory. Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297