KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

October 6, 2020

Minjee Lee

Aronimink Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are here with Rolex Rankings No. 6 Minjee Lee. Minjee is competing in her sixth KPMG Women's PGA Championship, has never missed the cut here, making her 11th start of the 2020 season with five top-10 finishes. Minjee, you're kind of that sneaky player who's always in contention. What is it about your game and your mentality that translates so well to golf and the LPGA Tour?

MINJEE LEE: I think I'm really motivated to play well. Obviously this year we haven't been able to play too much, and just with the events that are happening, we're just really grateful for the opportunity to be able to play.

I think I just got a little bit of extra motivation there, and I think when I'm a little bit behind after making the cut, then I just try to have a good score on the weekend just to maybe try and get into the top 10 and stuff like that. I think just being consistent I think is the main thing.

THE MODERATOR: That consistency, but also I think a lot of it has to be mental game, as well, to be able to take that bad score or the bad round, quote-unquote, and leave it behind. Do you focus on the mental side of your game a lot?

MINJEE LEE: I don't really think about it when I play, but I think like mentally I'm always just trying to be better than what I was before. I think just a little bit of improvement that I can see myself making, I think that's the biggest mental thing for me.

THE MODERATOR: You alluded to it earlier; it's been an interesting year. We played and then we didn't play for a while, and now we're back. What have the last few weeks, the last couple months been like since we started off in Toledo, we've been to Scotland, we've been all around the U.S.; how are you feeling after a few weeks being out on Tour and getting back into the swing of things?

MINJEE LEE: I think the first five weeks it was like really full on. We played two weeks in Toledo and went to Scottish and then British and then came back and played Arkansas, so that was a little bit of travel there that we probably weren't accustomed to straight away coming back after such a big break. But after that we had a week off and I was able to recharge a little bit, just get ready for these events, and I think I'm -- yeah, I'm feeling good.

THE MODERATOR: We're coming into a major here at Aronimink. Have you been out on the course yet? What are your thoughts on it? We hear it's going to be kind of a long hitter's paradise out there.

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, the course is in amazing condition. Before I came here I heard such great things about this place. I played nine holes this morning, and it was quite wet, and it was cold, as well, so I felt like my ball wasn't going in where. But yeah, it's such a lovely track. Wide fairways, probably not that much rough. The greens are big, as well.

I think it'll definitely benefit the long hitters, but I think getting the speed right on the greens I think will be the main key here, and obviously chipping around the greens if you do miss.

CHRISTINA LANCE: With this tournament having never played at Aronimink before and other tournaments like this where we travel around to different events, do you do research ahead of time, or do you come in and do your research in a practice round?

MINJEE LEE: I usually do all my practice and my research once I get here. I don't really look at the golf courses before I go there or anything. But with KPMG and this event, we always go to lovely places, so I feel like we're always really lucky to be at these golf courses.

Q. You're a player who plays 25, 27 times a year, and this is your 11th start. As a competitor how has it been a challenge to build a rhythm into competing?

MINJEE LEE: I feel like starting off at Inverness I had a really good start, just in terms of momentum, I think because I started so -- I started, I think, third place, it really gave me a bit more confidence to play well the next couple weeks following that.

I'm sure -- I mean, without playing such a long time and then playing, I feel like it would have been hard to get momentum, but with that great start I think it just gave me a little bit better feel going into those events.

Q. With this event, with the U.S. Open around the corner in December, how big is trying to build some momentum this time of year?

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, obviously the majors are a big focus for me. It's very important to have a couple good finishes under my belt. I played all right last week coming into this event. I've been striking the ball pretty well and playing pretty well, so hopefully I'll have a good result here.

THE MODERATOR: You're incredibly consistent and have come close at majors but haven't been able to get that first major yet. Does getting a major championship specifically ever really cross your mind? Is that one of your goals?

MINJEE LEE: I mean, it's been a really big goal of mine for the last couple years. I've really tried to peak in those events, but I feel like maybe I get in my own way a little bit. I feel like I'm getting better, getting a little bit better results when I come to majors, so this week hopefully I get out of my own way and just play some golf.

THE MODERATOR: There's actually a fair amount of strong Aussie players on Tour, yourself and Sue and Hannah is coming up right after you, and we're going to see a number of Aussies coming up, Steph Kyriacou who won on the LET to get her card and Gabi Ruffels who's been out with us a lot. What does that mean to you to see so many Australian players playing well? We have our line "inspire greatness." We're seeing a lot of greatness coming out of Australia right now.

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, definitely. I actually played with Steph and Gabi maybe British Open practice round, so yeah, it was nice to see -- I've never played with them before, so it was nice.

It just comes to show that like our program in Australia is in a really strong place, just with the girls and all the talent that's coming up. I think everybody is working extra hard, and they're just coming stronger and younger, right?

Yeah, I guess if I could be an example to them or a role model, that would be really great for me. Obviously I'm going to help them as much as I can if they need it. Yeah, no, I think it's great.

THE MODERATOR: You mentioned earlier what incredible a place Aronimink is. We played Hazeltine last year, going to Atlanta Athletic and Baltusrol coming up. How important is it to you and your fellow LPGA players what KPMG and the PGA of America have done for this championship and bringing it to these championship caliber courses?

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, definitely. I feel like a couple of the courses, I feel like a women's championship has not been there before, so I feel like it's just -- I think it's amazing that we can actually even be in these places. Maybe the world is changing a little bit in terms of women in sport and just how KPMG really tried to lift us up and the game for us. Yeah, it's just really special for us to be at these amazing courses.

THE MODERATOR: Normally we would be here in the heat of June. Instead we're here on a beautiful fall October week. What's the mindset of getting your mind around a major in October when we're playing in much cooler weather?

MINJEE LEE: I think it's just going to be a little bit of a different challenge. It's going to be cold in the morning, probably not much warmer than now during the day, so the ball is not going to go as far. The greens might be a little bit softer but they're still rolling at a grace pace. I think it just adds to a little bit more challenge.