FORD CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY KCC

March 31, 2024

Mi Hyang Lee

Seville Golf and Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Mi Hyang Lee. Mi Hyang, just walking away from today, how proud are you of your effort over the last couple days here in Arizona?

MI HYANG LEE: So of course it was really tough start for us. Was so cold and chilly and so rainy. I never worry about this rain in Arizona. I never, last ten years. So it was really like new experience for me.

But, yes, I just make one bogey and then really good recovery from par. Like par-3, a lot of bunker shots. Yes, I glad finish, make Top 5. Yeah, it's really great experience to me.

Q. What does it mean to walk away with a Top 5 finish?

MI HYANG LEE: Better than top 10, of course. But also just Nelly is play so well. It's incredible. I mean, 20-under par, but still 17-under is still not bad score to me as well.

Yes, more really look forward to Chevron because I really good paces now, so will be Top 5 get me the lot of confidence.

Q. When it comes to kind of the state of your play currently, how comfortable are you in your game and what are you working on looking ahead to the first major of the year?

MI HYANG LEE: So I learned a lot last years when I play. I mean, little struggling. It was a hard time. I tried to more focused one shot at a time and then just one moment and more talk with my caddie. So really thanks to my caddie. He a lot helped me be more patient on the golf course.

So of course the Chevron, the golf course, Carlton Woods is really hard golf course, so I think I need more patient as well. Should be good practicing.

Q. What does it mean to you to kind of look back where you were two years ago in your game and to be where you are now?

MI HYANG LEE: Oh, I know. I think my world rank was over 300 two years ago. Yeah, after I got injured, no playing, and then my mental was like burnout, so was really almost like quit golf. I mean, I really didn't want to play golf. Just a lot of great -- my friends on tour, they lot helped me. I really proud of I'm here now, my position, yeah.

Q. What was the injury that really you think held you back a bit?

MI HYANG LEE: I couldn't walk almost two month. It was little disc. So I did a lot of treatment and I went back to Korea and took MRI and CT and everything, take some like physio I think as well.

Yes, but just lots of doctors tried to help me and trainer as well. So I worked hard. More working out as well.

Q. Playing in an event like this, being able to grind it out in these kind of conditions, with what you've gone through coming back from injury and getting back to the top of the your game, do you have more perspective on what that means to still be out here and playing professional golf?

MI HYANG LEE: Yes. So that mind is really changed. So before when I got injured I -- most time I had a stress because if I didn't make a top 10 or Top 5 -- I wasn't even happy if I make top 10 because I really wanted to more play well.

But now I'm really happy that I'm playing this event, each tournament, because I couldn't play last two years. So, yes, now I'm really glad to make this tournament and glad to make the cut and then just playing with another great players here.

So, yeah, really thankful.