ABERDEEN STANDARD INVESTMENTS LADIES SCOTTISH OPEN

August 12, 2020

Minjee Lee

The Renaissance Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Minjee, how are you doing today?

MINJEE LEE: Thank you. Beautiful weather here in Scotland. It's a lovely day.

THE MODERATOR: Not maybe what we had planned in the beginning. We're used to rain and all sorts of other weather, but let's take it back a couple weeks. You have had some outstanding play over the last two weeks. Take us through your game right now and how confident you feel coming into Scotland.

MINJEE LEE: I feel like I've been hitting it pretty solid and like I was talking about the first week, I was trying to work a little bit on my putting. Over here it's a little bit different because it's slightly slower greens and probably you've got to play a little bit more of the wind. Just a little bit different conditions and trying to adjust to that.

THE MODERATOR: And so the first week at Inverness that we had was sensational because it was such different weather. It's such a different golf course than usual. What did you learn about your game in the first week back?

MINJEE LEE: Really I was just trying to knock the cobwebs off a little bit and try and just get back a little bit of my playing form, just because we have been out of competition for such a long time. I really wasn't really expecting too much to be honest, but I always try my best and I had a really good result there, so I was really happy with that.

Following week at Marathon, I played pretty well, so I was happy with my result.

THE MODERATOR: Take us through the eagles that you had on back-to-back days.

MINJEE LEE: On the third round, my eagle on the last hole I was out of the bunker. But I thought I hit that shot pretty well, it spun into the hole and that was nice. On the final day I eagled the 17th hole and that was totally lucky. It just slam dunked into the hole. There was probably no way of getting close to that pin unless I holed it or hit the flagstick.

Q. It was sensational to watch. During the break ask during the quarantine, what did you focus on or what did you want to improve before starting LPGA Tour play again?

MINJEE LEE: I was working a little bit on my swing the last probably two months before I came over to America. So it's nice to see me hitting some good shots and I pretty much work on that the whole time. So just a little bit on my ball-striking and my driving.

Q. You took the charter over and there are some new protocols that players, staff, caddies have all been doing to make this a successful tournament. What have you seen over the last few days here in Scotland?

MINJEE LEE: I think, yeah, everybody who has been trying to help us be on track and especially for us to come over here and be playing these next two weeks, I think is really special. I think everybody's doing their 110 percent to keep us all very safe and just really would like to thank them for helping us be able to play.

Q. Now you're here at the course at the Renaissance Club. What is it about this course that you like already?

MINJEE LEE: Well, I played here last year, and I just really enjoy playing like links golf. I enjoy the fun challenge of hitting low shots into the wind and just I really like looking out and seeing like a bare fairway. I just really enjoy coming over to Scotland and playing.

Q. You've played all 18 holes here. What are some of your favourites and some of the more difficult holes that you're looking forward to playing?

MINJEE LEE: A couple of the holes will probably play a little longer, depending on which direction the wind has been blowing, but I think our practise rounds has been blowing differently to what the prevailing wind. Some of the holes that I played way into the wind last year are playing downwind and so playing a little differently. I'm not really sure what the wind will do this week in the tournament, so I really enjoy playing like 13 and 14, just like along the water there. So it's just a really nice view and I enjoy it.

Q. Talked about how much the wind can make your day or break your day here in Scotland. How much does the weather weigh on your mind as you're going through your rounds?

MINJEE LEE: I mean, sometimes in Scotland, it could be windy all day or it could be raining half the day and then windy the next half. You don't really -- you can't really expect which kind of weather you're going to get. You just hope for the best but usually you try to adjust and try and play the right shots for the right kind of wind.

Q. What's it like there on kind of holes 13 and 14 to take in that Scottish country side?

MINJEE LEE: Well, we play 13 along the water so you can see all the water down that left side. Just when you're on top of the 14th tee, you can look out and see all the ocean there, so it's very pretty.

Q. You've had a great outlook the way that you played in Toledo these past two weeks, but what does this event even do for your game gearing up for the Women's Open?

MINJEE LEE: Obviously the Scottish is such an amazing event, and I think it would just get me a little bit more into rhythm of playing linksy golf and just kind of the shots that I have to hit because it will be really different from the last two weeks. It will be a little preparation for next week's golf, too.

Q. Picking up on the AIG Women's Open, playing next week at Royal Troon, that's the first time that course has hosted the championship. Do you know much about Troon? Have you played it before? Have you watched any of The Opens that have been played there?

MINJEE LEE: Actually, I've not been to Troon before. I've been in the area I think a couple years back, but I have not quite played the golf course or been down that way too often.

Q. So do you think that playing this week is important for you ahead of next week, obviously, with links golf and things like that?

MINJEE LEE: I think so, but I really enjoy playing links golf. So Scottish Open was never off my schedule. I come here every single year that it's been an LPGA event and I really enjoy it, so yeah, Scottish and British were always on my schedule.

Q. Over the last few years, you've had some good finishes at the Women's Open. Does that give you some confidence that perhaps you're close to contending for the major title?

MINJEE LEE: I'd like to think so. I don't know, it just depends on how you're hitting it and the condition of how you're playing. Just coming into all these events because we had such a long break. But yeah, I'd like to think a little bit of my experience will give me a bit more confidence going into those events, into the British Open.

Q. When you heard that it was going to be the course for this year, do you have any expectations or were you excited to be able to play?

MINJEE LEE: Definitely. I've heard really great things about Royal Troon and I think it would be such a treat for me and for everybody to go out there and experience the golf course there.

Q. I know even here at the Women's Scottish Open, this will host The European Tour, the men's version of The Scottish Open, as well. Will your brother be attending, do you know?

MINJEE LEE: I'm not really sure. I haven't really spoken to him about Scottish Open and sort of what his schedule looks like but I think if it's on the schedule then he's probably definitely going to be here the.

Q. How cool is it as a professional female golfer to say that these two events are both played at the same course under different conditions, but at the same time having events for men's and ladies at the same course?

MINJEE LEE: I think it's really great. They have had that kind of -- the men and women playing at the same course at a different date but for the last couple years, and I just think it's great to see sort of the difference of how they play the course and then how we play the course. So I just think it's a little bit of fun. Sometimes I catch it on TV.

Q. And one more question, before we wrap it up here, I just want to know, I mean, we've talked numerous amount of times over the last would weeks, your play has really been strong over the two weeks in Toledo. How does it feel to be continuing LPGA Tour events?

MINJEE LEE: I feel like everybody was super excited to come back on Tour and play and since we've had such a long break, we kind of appreciate a little bit more of how the LPGA is run and just how great every event is. It's wonderful that we are able to play and I think everybody else is really grateful, too.