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TOTO JAPAN CLASSIC

November 3, 2018

Minjee Lee

Tokyo, Japan

THE MODERATOR: Can you tell us about your round today?

MINJEE LEE: I had no bogeys, and I had eight birdies today. Yeah, I had a prettily solid day. I hit a lot of greens and I putted quite a few putts in, so overall, I had a pretty good day out there.

THE MODERATOR: Yesterday you had 29 putts. How about today?

MINJEE LEE: I think I had 26.

THE MODERATOR: You said anything under 30 is good, and each day it's getting better.

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, I guess it's better today.

Q. You were struggling with putts before?
MINJEE LEE: I don't know, it seems like this year I've been holing more putts and I think it probably comes with confidence on the greens. Yeah, I think a little bit by little bit I am improving, so yeah, it's nice to see some results.

Q. Would you say that the greens here are difficult?
MINJEE LEE: Oh, yeah, they are really fast, and if you are above the hole, it's very, very fast, very slopey, lots of break.

Q. So you were able to hit uphill putts?
MINJEE LEE: Some, but you can't be under the hole all the time. I think you just play to where you want to hit it, and if it goes there, then it's good, and if not, then you just adjust to wherever the ball ends up.

Q. Can you tell take us through your birdies?
MINJEE LEE: I don't even remember, the first one, I had like seven feet or something.

The fourth hole, I made birdie, but I can't remember -- oh, that was a long one because I was in the bunker. Three on, and I think I had like 25 feet down the hill. I hit my bunker shot long because it was like 40 meters.

On 10, I think I hit it pretty close, actually. Did anybody see it? I can't remember. What does the 10th hole look like? Is it downhill? I can't remember.

I birdied 13, 14, 15. I know 4, I hit it close I think.

13, I hit it under the hole, so it was like six feet.

Then the 14th hole, I hit it to like this far.

Then the 15th hole, I had probably like seven, eight feet down the hill.

Then 17, I hit two on and then I had 11 feet up the hill and I didn't hole it.

Q. Second shot, what did you lit?
MINJEE LEE: I hit 3-wood.

Q. How far?
MINJEE LEE: It was 208 meters. So like 230 yards.

Q. Do you remember 14, the second shot, how far?
MINJEE LEE: Like 120,119 meters. I hit a three-quarter 9-iron.

Q. So you didn't have many up and downs today?
MINJEE LEE: Oh, I did actually. On the 9th hole, I up-and-downed. And the second hole, I think. Did anybody see it? I missed the green -- I think. It was one on the front nine -- no. There was two on the front nine.

Oh, and 16. I hit it in the bunker.

Q. Well, you have one more day to play. This is a three-day tournament. What's your guess to win the tournament?
MINJEE LEE: You mean the score?

Q. Yourself. Your confidence?
MINJEE LEE: Yeah, I'm hitting it pretty solid and I've been putting it good. I think I have every chance of winning tomorrow, and I'll just try my best when I go out.

Q. What do you think will be the winning score?
MINJEE LEE: I guess if you shoot like 5- or 6-under tomorrow, it's probably going to be a good number. So, what's that, probably maybe like 17-under or 18-under I think.

Q. If you keep winning three tournaments from now, there's a chance you might be the money winner this year?
MINJEE LEE: I'm not sure where I am, but I'm pretty sure Ariya, she has a big lead I think. I'm not sure. I'll just try my best and we'll see where I end up.

Q. What will be the key point to win this tournament tomorrow?
MINJEE LEE: I think if you have good iron shots into the greens, and I think if you give yourself a lot of opportunities to make birdie, I think that's probably a good -- I mean, it will be one of the key things, and obviously putting well is going to help you.

Q. There's a lot of your fans here today and yesterday, too. Do you have a fan club?
MINJEE LEE: Well, four people came from Korea (laughter). That's like the only people who came. I played with Ai Suzuki and I played with Nasa today, so I think a lot of the fans were their fans.

Yeah, a couple of my fans came from Korea. And two people from America came, but they know a lot of other players, too.

Q. When you are playing the golf course, it seems like your tempo is very good. You don't think about anything else, just to keep on playing?
MINJEE LEE: You mean I'm fast?

Q. What's the most important things to have a good round for yourself, to concentrate on the golf during your round?
MINJEE LEE: I think I'm pretty decisive when I'm on the golf course. So like once I decide one thing, you just -- I just go on and hit it.

So that's probably why I'm a little quicker than other people. But yeah, I mean, obviously you want good focus when you're hitting the shot and obviously don't try and put too much pressure on yourself. Just I guess embrace the moment that you're in and just don't try and get ahead of yourself. Well, that's for me, anyway.

Q. You've been doing that for a long time, since you were an amateur, too?
MINJEE LEE: Just playing like that? Yeah, I've always been like that. Actually I used to be quicker, but now I'm slower.

Q. You played last week and you were runner-up. For yourself, is it that you tried your best or you could have won the tournament?
MINJEE LEE: I think going into the final day, how many shots was I behind? I was quite behind. So I think to close with a good round for me, it was a good momentum builder to come into this week.

So yeah, I definitely tried my best. I mean, I always will when I'm out on the golf course, so you put every effort into every shot that you play, so no, I don't think like that, but obviously if you go back and like think about every shot that you've hit and every hole that you've played, maybe I could have.

But no, I just sort of take every tournament as one. So I don't try and like take it into the next week or anything.

Q. You have a brother that's playing Q-School?
MINJEE LEE: Yeah, he's playing the Web.com next week, Q-School, second stage.

Q. Younger brother?
MINJEE LEE: Yeah. I only have one brother.

Q. Is he a good player?
MINJEE LEE: Yeah. (Laughter). I mean, yeah, I think he has potential to be very good. Obviously he's 20 years old. As he grows up, he'll experience, I mean, on Tour, hopefully he can get there. But yeah, I think he really wants to play professionally and play on the PGA TOUR, so I think as he matures, he'll be better and better.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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