THE 152ND OPEN

July 18, 2024

Min Woo Lee

Mixed Zone

Q. Talk about the experience.

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, amazing. My caddie and I knew it was going to be a tough day. Especially the back nine is really tough. Just made a quick double, which I thought wasn't going to be over the road, but it was just one of those things where it was one of the hardest holes on the course.

Managed to hit a lot of good shots on the back nine, the last four, five, six holes, and converted them.

I was getting close. My putts would feel like the putts I've just missed, where it read well but just left short. I just needed to hit it harder and they went in.

Q. (No microphone)?

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, I think just what I'm used to. Same as last week, I feel like I'm smashing the putt, and it's just coming up short. It's just one of those things where you just mentally have to hit it harder than you think.

Q. The wind changed it up?

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, completely changed. The front nine -- the way the ball was bouncing on the back nine was exactly the way the front nine was playing. It was very different to what I practised.

Yeah, it was a little flip. Going from a very easier nine, hitting 7-iron, 6-iron off the tees turned into 2-irons.

Same as the back nine. You normally hit driver, and now you're hitting 4-iron. So a very different change.

It was good. I didn't start well, but I would rather this wind than the other wind.

Q. It would probably be tougher the other way around?

MIN WOO LEE: For sure. That back nine into the wind, it's so brutal. The front nine, at least you can -- you're not hitting long irons in. You're hitting kind of shorter irons still. Yeah, it's tough. It's a tough course.

Q. What time did you get up?

MIN WOO LEE: 4:00. I went to sleep -- I tried to sleep at 8:00. Went to bed at 8:30. It was early.

I can't complain. I wasn't even the first group. I was first group one day like a couple years ago at St Andrews, and that was like a 3:00 wakeup. I don't know, it feels illegal (laughter).

Yeah, I guess we're used to it a little bit. That's a bit extreme, but it's The Open. It's supposed to be difficult.

Q. What are you doing with the rest of the afternoon?

MIN WOO LEE: Just hanging out, maybe go to the gym, hit some balls. Don't try to sit down too much. Just enjoy and have fun.

Had a good finish, so lunch will taste a little bit better.