CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 19, 2021

Minjee Lee

Tiburon Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Joined by Minjee Lee after a 4-under 68 in the second round at the CME Group Tour Championship. Minjee, five birdies on the scorecard at 4, 6, 10, 13, and 17. Any one of those stand out as helping get the day moving for you?

MINJEE LEE: I think the one on 3. It was a good hole for me I guess. I had an uphill putt there so it kind of started my day, a little bit of momentum going into the next couple holes.

Yeah, probably on the 3rd.

Q. Putting-wise how are you seeing the hole? Seems like the putter is pretty warm this week.

MINJEE LEE: Today I probably missed a couple like closer opportunities that I had for birdie, but it was a little bit different conditions in comparison to yesterday.

So more windy. Just need to judge it a little differently.

Q. Only missed two fairways this week. Only three greens in regulation. Ball striking seems pretty solid as well.

MINJEE LEE: Uh-huh.

Q. Does it remind you of any other weeks this year, maybe one that you won?

MINJEE LEE: Evian. No, I mean, I feel like from Dow I've been -- and then Evian obviously -- I've been striking the ball pretty well pretty much week in, week out.

So I've been pretty consistent in that retrospect. Yeah, I think the biggest difference is putting. I can always hit it pretty close to the hole, so if I holed the putt or don't, that's the biggest difference.

Q. You mentioned yesterday about feeling like a different person after winning the Evian Championship. What feels different about yourself now?

MINJEE LEE: I think I can just play a little bit more freely. Like I know that I have in in me. I've been out here seven years, but you still go back to feeling like, Oh, do I really belong here, if you don't win for a little while.

It kind of, you know, not doubt, but just kind of like, Am I going to win again? Just those kind of thoughts.

So, yeah, no, it's just like a little silent confidence for me just so I can go out there and play confidently and know that I can play under pressure and play well under pressure.

Q. Any moments where that imposter syndrome was the strongest this year?

MINJEE LEE: I mean, I didn't probably play as well as I like to in the beginning of the year. Probably just -- I didn't feel like that, but I just felt like I was really close but I wasn't really -- you know, like the results weren't coming out in the score.

So that was a little frustrating. I kind of had a good week at Dow. Playing with a partner I think is really different to playing by yourself, so I think that momentum kind of carried on to Evian.

I saw Min Woo win as well, so I think that was a little bit of a motivation for me as well.

Q. And over your seven-year career you're well-known for your consistency. You're looking at your fifth consecutive top 25 this week. What has changed for to you re-find that consistent play over these last few events?

MINJEE LEE: You know, I mean, I've been pretty confident in my ball striking obviously after Evian and the British. I had really good finishes there.

That kind of carried on to the rest of the year. That is probably the biggest thing.

Q. What's it like when you have so many players, particularly at an event like this, that so bunched at the top? I think there are 13 players within two or three shots and two rounds to go.

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, uh-huh. I mean, two rounds, saying at that quite a lot of golf left, so I think the course sort of sets up for a bunched leaderboard at the moment. Like yesterday was playing quite easy and today the wind was its defense.

So I think depends on the weather on the weekend. Hopefully we get some good weather, maybe some tough conditions, and then we can see what happens on the leaderboard.

Q. Last one I have. How much did the wind play a factor today?

MINJEE LEE: The wind? The wind was probably everything that we had to factor in. I mean, the greens and the condition of the golf course is so good. The putting green is really, really amazing.

So I think just judging the wind and the shots was the biggest thing.

So I think it played the biggest factor.