MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 7, 2022

Min Woo Lee

Quick Quotes

Q. First round, what do you think about your play today?

MIN WOO LEE: Unbelievable. First round, I got it going early and just made a silly double on 6, but that's Augusta National. It was pretty brutal towards the end. The course was tough, and I didn't hit too good of shots, but I'm happy with my score. First time around, and I thought there was a lot of good things out there.

Q. So this is your first appearance in Masters. Do you think there is a difference between you watching on TV or actually playing?

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah. Every shot I was pretty committed. Very committed to it. This course can bite you in the butt, so you have to hit some good shots. Yeah, watching from TV, I would rather be out here playing, but I hopefully gave a good show to the guys back home and everyone watching. No, it's fun being out here with all the people.

Q. So you still have one more day for qualifying for the weekend, so do you have any plan for tomorrow?

MIN WOO LEE: Just do the same thing. I learned a lot out there today. Obviously, the good stuff was really good, but I just need to tidy up a few things, and hopefully I play a bit better, but I'm really happy with the way I played today.

Q. You came here first; there are so many audience here. Did that get you excited?

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, it's crazy. It's the most people I've seen ever in one spot. Obviously, Monday playing at practice round it was crazy when there's so many people watching you. Especially for a practice round. I think that eased the nerves a little bit just because you kind of got used to it for the next couple of days, but it's amazing.

There was nearly more people in the practice round than the actual tournament, so it made it a little easier, but it's fun out there.

Q. Bogey on the first, but you settled down after that. How were the first three or four holes?

MIN WOO LEE: Bogey on the first. I was just really jacked up. Everything was going five, ten yards longer, and it kind of took a while to adjust to it. I didn't think I was -- my heart beat was probably jumping, but I felt really calm out there, but it was obviously going too long.

Then I made a lot of good putts in the early -- I mean, all round I actually putted really good, so I'm really happy with that, but, like I said, just need to tidy up a couple of things, but really happy with the way I went.

Q. Augusta showed its teeth on 6 for you. Tough one there chipping off the green. What did you learn from that?

MIN WOO LEE: That pin was absolutely brutal. People watching on TV, if you -- my second chip if I hit that a foot further, it would have gone down the hill, so I thought I made the bogey putt. Kind of walked in; missed it. Other than that, it's a really good round. It's my first time playing the sixth hole in tournament, and that's going to happen. Hopefully I learn from it.

Q. And I watched the last seven or eight holes. You really toughed it out. What did you learn from those last couple of holes. The last five there was good in those conditions.

MIN WOO LEE: Made a birdie on 16, which was unbelievable. The pin position was back right, so that's probably one of the tougher pins on that hole, so I made a really nice putt there, 15-foot putt.

It's brutal out there. The wind is getting up now, and you have just got to hit good shots. Some of the holes, like 13, straight left-to-right wind off the tee, and you are trying to hit a draw, and it's just hard. Leak it out a little right, and it's gone 40 yards right of target, so, again, you've just got to grit it out.

Q. Practice all week. No rain, basically. Softer today, wasn't it, the course?

MIN WOO LEE: I think, especially just around the green, the grass was a bit thicker, and I think in my head I feel like it was going to bounce extra extra bit like on 6, and then it just gets stuck straight into the hill. And the grass was a bit sticky. Those things you learn. The course is in absolutely good condition. It bucketed down all night, so good job to the superintendents.

Q. Last question. When you got a three-footer, you nearly beat the ball to the hole. Why is that?

MIN WOO LEE: Those three-footers aren't easy, but when they're looking like they're in, might as well walk them in. Then again, on 6 I tried to walk it in, and I missed. It can bite you in the butt too. I hit some good putts, and that's probably the only hole that I messed up.