TRUST GOLF WOMEN'S SCOTTISH OPEN

August 11, 2021

Minjee Lee

Dumbarnie Links

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome inside the virtual media centre at the Trust Golf Women's Scottish Open.

Minjee, welcome back to Scotland. How are you feeling being back in Scotland.

MINJEE LEE: After being in Tokyo last week, it is a much nicer temperature. I'm really excited to get this week started and hopefully the rain stays away. I'm really excited.

THE MODERATOR: What is it like to call yourself now a two-time Olympian.

MINJEE LEE: Obviously representing my country, it's the highest honor you can have. I'm pretty proud to represent Australia each week and obviously the Olympics was much more greater and it was just always an amazing experience. I always look forward to the Olympics.

THE MODERATOR: A little different than Rio in 2016. But what do you take away from last week and how you played and what the Olympics means to you?

MINJEE LEE: In terms of how I played, I think I made a ridiculous amount bogeys, but I made a lot of birdies, as well. So I guess some negative and some positive. But you know, into this week, it's a new week.

So a new opportunity, so I'll probably just take the positives into this week.

THE MODERATOR: As you come into this week, this is your first LPGA event since winning the Evian Championship. It's been a few weeks since your major championship win. For you, have you been able to reflect on what that week was like?

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, I had one week off straight after. I was so tired after I played. I was like -- the first couple days, I didn't really have time to think about it.

But towards the end of the week, I kind of was getting ready for the Olympics and just reflected back to my win and how I played. So it was just nice to see some of the highlights and I was just like, oh, it really was a great feeling.

THE MODERATOR: What's it going to feel like to hear your name on the tee now as a Major Champion?

MINJEE LEE: To be honest it was kinds of like a monkey off the back. A lot of people have been talking about it for a really long time and just to be able to call myself a Major Champion, I think it's just, you know, it's pretty special to me. It's just a really great feeling.

THE MODERATOR: When you won, was there anyone in particular that reached out after your win that you looked upon and said, wow, this is incredible?

MINJEE LEE: You know, a lot of people did. But you know, Webby (Karrie) always is such a great support to me and she messaged me pretty much straightaway. A lot of people Tweeted me, golfers, non-golfers. So it was really nice.

THE MODERATOR: And also your brother.

MINJEE LEE: He was probably the craziest one.

THE MODERATOR: We also look ahead to this week. You've had a string of solid appearances at the Women's Scottish Open. What is it about Scotland that you like so much.

MINJEE LEE: Just the scenery, I don't know, it just opens my mind. I don't know. It's just really calm and peaceful, so I really like, it even though it gets windy and rainy, I just really like the challenge of playing links golf. I'm always just glad to be here.

THE MODERATOR: This is a brand new course and everyone is learning the course at the same time. Is that an advantage that everyone is on the same playing field at Dumbarnie Links?

MINJEE LEE: I think if the wind gets up, it's going to be quite a challenge. If the wind gets up it's quite long. There are some fun holes. Maybe some of the holes will be reachable. Some of the par 5s you can get on in two. I think there's a great mix of holes so I think it will just be a good tournament course.

Q. You obviously get a chance to make a unique family double.

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, I didn't think about it until you said. It would be cool if we could both pull off -- if I could pull off The Scottish Open victory maybe but I could.

Q. Where were you when your brother won?

MINJEE LEE: I was playing and I didn't see him win. It was about an hour later I landed.

Q. Did you feel he had a big win in him, like a Rolex Series event; strongest-ever field at The Scottish Open.

MINJEE LEE: I think deep down, I think he's a great player, but I wouldn't tell him because he'll get too big of a head. But no, I definitely think he could. He just has a lot more experience it take in, and he's still young.

Q. Did you ever play together over here?

MINJEE LEE: No, we haven't.

Q. Does he have any advice for this week?

MINJEE LEE: No. I've done tour a lot longer than he has. So I don't know if I need advice.

Q. I don't know whether you remember it but when he did so well in Saudi a couple of years ago, I arrived in Singapore holding on to one of the balls he signed.

MINJEE LEE: Oh, yeah.

Q. And I said, "I have a present for you."

MINJEE LEE: I remember.

Q. You've helped him a lot over the years, haven't you?

MINJEE LEE: Well, you know, not much. That was all him. So I don't take credit for anything like that.

Q. He gave you a lot of credit though.

MINJEE LEE: Oh, did he? Well, that's nice of him. I think that was all him playing, that was all him, and I think he really wanted it. And for me to see him win, it sparked something for me, as well, so it's just nice to see.

Q. Did you and your brother celebrate together in the US after Evian?

MINJEE LEE: We did. It was actually his birthday on the 27th, so when I arrived, the day after I arrived, it was his birthday, so we had a joint celebration. It was nice.

Q. What did you do?

MINJEE LEE: We went to a restaurant called Monarch, and you could see the skyline because we were on the 49th floor. It was really nice. I had never been there. We went with our host family in Dallas. It was good.

Q. You have a host family in Dallas?

MINJEE LEE: Actually my rookie year, I went to a host family because I didn't have my place in Texas then. So yeah, we just been keeping in touch and they are really, really close to us now. So yeah, we do.

Q. You mentioned getting the monkey off your back, winning a major. Do you feel this could open up something for to you make a run on No. 1 in the world? Do you feel like this lightens the load a little?

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, I mean, I really do feel like I can play a bit more freely, especially in the majors. I think I had a lot of expectations that I sort of put on myself to perform well and yeah, you know, I feel like it was kind of coming but I just didn't know when.

So yeah, definitely I think it was just nice to -- now I can set different goals to then win my first major. So I ticked it off and then now I can set some new goals.

THE MODERATOR: Just a couple more from me.

This is the same host family we talked about at Thanksgiving?

MINJEE LEE: Same.

THE MODERATOR: Love that. But just also about your game, I know it's been a few weeks since the major championship and coming off the Olympics, how comfortable in your game are you feeling as you take on the links this week.

MINJEE LEE: I think I'm in a really good place obviously in terms of confidence. I striped it really well at the Olympics, and putted pretty well but just made so many soft bogeys. Hopefully I can eliminate those bogeys and make a lot of birdies this week.

It is a different type of play with links but I'm headed in the right direction. I think I'm in a good place.

THE MODERATOR: This course got a lot of praise from Stacy Lewis when we had her in a little bit ago. Your overall thoughts of taking on two new courses back-to-back, last week at the Olympics and now this course.

THE WITNESS: Yeah, there's a mix of long and short and kind of tough holes. I think it's a great -- it's an exciting but challenging golf course. I think if the wind gets up, it will be even better than if there's no wind. So no, I just think it suits my eye and just I think I can use a bit of my imagination around the greens, so it will be fun.

THE MODERATOR: Are you one of those that you're ready to embrace any wind that Scotland gives you.

MINJEE LEE: Oh, yeah. I sort of expect a lot of wind when I come here but when it's still, I'm like, oh, we're kind of lucky today. So I think if it is windy, I'll just embrace it and if it's not, then I'll embrace it, as well.