THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 11, 2023

Min Woo Lee

TPC Sawgrass

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome Min Woo Lee to the interview room here at 2023 THE PLAYERS Championship. 6-under, 66 today in the third round. How pleased are you with that?

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, it was amazing, amazing day. Just coming on 17 and 18 and hearing the crowd chant, and that's all I'm asking for. Yeah, just had a lot of fun today. Did a lot of the right things, and hopefully I can do it again tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Great. We'll take questions.

Q. Was there any particular point in the round when you noticed that the crowd started embracing you a little bit and with the "Woos" and I mean 17 you seemed to really enjoy it. But did you notice a point in the round where they really kind of got behind you?

MIN WOO LEE: No, I mean from the start there was a lot of people that were going for me just because they're probably nice people and they want me to do well. It's really special to get that chant. I had that same thing at Aussie PGA last year. It's even cooler here on 17 at Sawgrass; you can't ask for anything more. I love playing in front of a crowd, and I love entertaining them. So I hope they had a good show today and hopefully I can do it again tomorrow.

Q. You barely got in here through the World Ranking after the Honda, correct? Why was it important for you to be here, and what were you expecting out of the week?

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, I mean it's one of the biggest regular season events, and it's obviously considered the fifth major, and it would have been guttering to come 51st in the ranking and not get in. So I think it ended up being one eighth of a shot with the ranking points. Things did favor in my way, and you got to make the most of it. Like I said, I wouldn't have known that this course was really nice for me. I love to shape shots and hit good tee shots off the tees and, yeah, I really love playing here.

Q. What were you expecting I guess based on your knowledge? Have you seen this on TV before?

MIN WOO LEE: I just know it was scary. I mean Sawgrass is scary. There's a lot of times where people have faltered and you don't want to be one of those. But as long as you can control your emotions and go out there and have fun, which I did, it was fun playing really good golf.

Q. Tomorrow could be your biggest day as a golfer so far in your career. How do you prepare for that, and what do you take from today's round that could help you tomorrow?

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, tomorrow could be the biggest day of my life, but I'm going to go out there and have fun again. It's been the motto for the last three months. Not taking it too seriously. I like to have fun and interact with the fans when I can. Unlike others, you know, they're very serious. So, yeah, I'm just out here enjoying my time, and like I said, I just crept into this tournament and making the most of it and soaking it all in.

Q. Can you take us through the hole-out eagle on No. 1. What did you hit and what were your thoughts as it was traveling through the air?

MIN WOO LEE: Piped my driver down there. I had, I think, 112 in, something like that. It might have been less; actually that might have been in yards. I had a 55, a little bit on the downslope, and my caddie Stew and I were in between hitting a 50 and 55, and luckily I thinned a nice 55 in there and one-hopped and back-spun in the hole. So it wasn't a perfect shot but it looked good on TV. I saw it just before I -- I won't say I thinned it; keep it between us.

Q. Playing well this week. Does that make you feel like you belong here? You've sort of said before that playing on the PGA TOUR this year through Europe is one of your goals, but you could also do it through special temporary membership. Do you feel like you belong out here?

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, I obviously played the majors last year and played really well in them. I definitely feel like I had the potential to be up there. Obviously guys are playing really good and have such good stretches. But, yeah, I was just hoping for a week like this and to play really good golf and not too many mistakes. So a lot, every golfer is looking for a week like this and hopefully I can play well tomorrow.

Q. Explain the pickle juice reference on your Twitter page, please.

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, so it was a funny story. I've come a long way since last Sunday. I had allergic reaction on my face, and I had my eyes half swollen, and I got to the course on Sunday from Bay Hill and I hit about four balls on the range, and I said, no, I can't do this. I was going to play nine holes, and I said I couldn't do this. Went back, and yeah, it's -- so I wanted to stop what I was taking and what I was eating and electrolytes was one of those things. Didn't have many electrolytes; didn't have any electrolytes from Monday to Thursday, and therefore had a cramp on 15. That's where the pickle juice came from.

I didn't really know what pickle juice did, but everyone on media just said have pickle juice. I didn't have it, have pickle juice, but I had a lot of coconut water and a lot of electrolytes after that. I learned my lesson.

Q. Are you ready for tomorrow?

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. It's obviously going to be a challenge. Scottie's playing really good, but I'm just going to go out there and have fun and hit the best I can. It's going to be a challenge, but I'm going to have fun.

Q. How badly did you want that putt to drop on 17?

MIN WOO LEE: Oh, it was, it was looking so good. I mean, I was going up there thinking and talking to my caddie like how can I stop this. And I managed to hit like 99 percent of a perfect putt. When I got on to the apex where it was going down, it was like inside left and it was looking so good and it just crept right and that would have been nice. The roars would have been pretty crazy. But, yeah, it was good.

Q. Obviously you'll be with Scottie. What's your impression of what he's done over the last year or so? Seems like he's always right there, and what do you --

MIN WOO LEE: Scottie? Yeah, I mean the top three guys in the world, they're just, they're unbelievable, aren't they. They're playing week in, week out such good golf, and that's where I want to be one day. He's just, I guess, so comfortable being out here and he's found his craft, and that's where every player wants to be. But, yeah, it's pretty special what they're doing. Hopefully I can take him down tomorrow, but it will, it would be a big effort.

THE MODERATOR: Okay. Thanks, Min Woo, and all the best tomorrow.

MIN WOO LEE: Cheers, guys.