PORTLAND CLASSIC

July 31, 2024

Andrea Lee

Columbia Edgewater Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, here with Andrea Lee at the Portland Classic, former champion of this event. How excited are you to be back here this year?

ANDREA LEE: Yeah, I mean, I love Portland. I love coming back here to Columbia Edgewater. It's obviously one of the more special places in my heart, first LPGA Tour win.

And, yeah, just a lot of good memories here. Really looking forward to this week.

Q. When you think back to your victory, what comes to mind first? What did you think of, maybe the emotions? Anything specifically that happened that day?

ANDREA LEE: Yeah, I think I said this before, but just being able to have my dad there at the 18th green, it was just a special moment between us. Very emotional obviously. He sacrificed so much, him and my mom, for me to be able to get to where I am.

So I think just the emotions on the 18th green are something that I'll never forget and was definitely one of my core memories of my life.

Q. If I remember, you had another great finish the year after that. Anything else that stuck out about that year, the run you did?

ANDREA LEE: Last year? Yeah, I mean, I played great. I think I shot 6-under the first day and I was like, oh, maybe I have a chance to defend this week.

Obviously Chanettee played great last year and kind of ran away with it, but I still had a good finish, top 10 finish. So I think it was a pretty good run trying to defend my title last year.

I really love this golf course. Obviously I'm a little biased. Yeah, always look forward to coming back here and a lot of special memories.

Q. What do you think specifically about the course maybe complements your game?

ANDREA LEE: I'm not sure really. Feel like it just suits my eye. I like the tree-lined golf courses. I feel like the conditions here are always pretty good. The greens roll pretty true.

Yeah, just suits my eye really well. I think I just play really well out here and have a good time.

Q. What about Portland do you like the most? Any stops you always make, like a coffee stop, food stop that you while you're here that you just look forward to every time?

ANDREA LEE: Yeah, so my dad a he or she this week again. Yesterday we went to Salt & Straw. I feel like I go to Salt & Straw a lot. There is a location down in Manhattan Beach now, but this is the origin of that place, so we always try to go there.

I went to Blue Star Donuts this morning. Those are really good.

And then just try Proud Mary's for the first time. It's like an Australian breakfast place. I would highly recommend.

Q. You're in a familiar Solheim position, seventh, very close race. How much is that on your mind as we're getting closer to the team being finalized?

ANDREA LEE: Yeah, obviously a huge goal mine to make the Solheim Cup team. Playing in Spain last year was one the special weeks in my entire career, something I always wanted to do, represent Team USA on the Solheim Cup team.

And I'm not trying to think about it too much. I know there is only a few events left until the team is finalized. Just going to go out there and try and play some good golf and hopefully the results will just kind of happen.

Yeah, just going to give it my best and give it my all no matter what.

Q. Are you going to try and tell Grant to not tell you what the math is down the stretch?

ANDREA LEE: Yeah, that's a running joke, inside joke we've had the last year. I'm like, Grant, just don't tell me what I need to finish if it comes down to it.

Hopefully that doesn't happen again this year.