MEN'S OLYMPIC GOLF COMPETITION

August 1, 2024

Min Woo Lee

Le Golf National

Australia

Quick Quotes

Q. How do you reflect on that?

MIN WOO LEE: It was pretty garbage but I was saying in the other interview, sometimes you're going to go a little bit backwards to go forwards. Working on a couple things and there was a lot of good out there.

But it's just unfortunate as a player. You always want to play your best but sometimes the results don't show that, especially at a course like this where it's pretty tough and penalising. I felt like I was in all the penalties today. Didn't drive it anywhere near as good I normally do. Normally I'm striping it lately. Hitting it pretty good off the tee but lots of water and lots of balls missing. Had to just kind of battle through that and yeah, it's quite tough when you're in thick hay most of the day.

Q. Hitting in the water on the first, sort of a tough start?

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, I didn't let that get to myself but just fighting a couple things in my swing today. Yeah, just going to clean that up this afternoon on the range.

It's nearly embarrassing. You work so hard. I striped it yesterday. You'd thought I could shoot 10-under yesterday. It's just a sport where that happens. It's not like I was nervous or anything to produce those swings but just not comfortable when I was out there.

But it was a real -- I never really feel it on the first hole but emotionally, I felt it on the first hole when I got a announced. I think that just shows how much it means to me and yeah, it was pretty cool. I nearly had a tear in my eye which is not normal. It was quite cool to get announced like that. I was pretty impressed with the crowd out here early on. I think it was really good.

Q. Take the score out of it; the experience itself, what was that like for you?

MIN WOO LEE: I think just what I said. Even majors, you play for yourself, and I guess it's my first Olympics, so it's a little different. But going through the majors, you kind of get used to it. But yeah, it's not like I was nervous. I just had kind of like a tear in my eye because I made the team and I'm representing Australia, which is weird, I guess. I didn't know I was going to react like that.

But it was pretty cool. I think that just shows how much it means to me and yeah, I felt pretty embarrassed out there just playing average golf but hopefully I can turn it around the next few days.

Q. So what do you do now? Obviously it's a long way back:

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, I think I just go out there and hopefully play some better golf. It's tough. It's tough. I mean, normally I'm playing a tournament with two days, and after you start like that, it's pretty tough to make a cut or play good golf.

I mean, we've got three days and hopefully I can do something to turn it around. Hopefully I can shoot a low one out there and just get myself a little bit back in it or some good moments going into the next tournament.

Q. The crowd, how much do you think it means?

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, it's great. I think golf is becoming bigger and better. Again, I was very surprised that the crowds were going to be this big, especially early on from the first hole and throughout, really. I think that just shows, I don't know, when I came here last time for The French Open, it didn't feel like a golfing country. And now it feels like they have just learnt, two of the guys representing France, two really good ambassadors for golf. I think it's massive.

Q. Were you nervous out there? Did you feel anything?

MIN WOO LEE: No, I wasn't nervous out there. I was pretty comfortable. Just didn't really produce good shots. But yeah, I was pretty emotional on the first hole.

Q. What kind of crowd were you expecting?

MIN WOO LEE: Not as big as today. They were very respectful.

Q. What got your attention people-wise, when you came over the bridge and on to the tee?

MIN WOO LEE: I guess a lot of Aussies were out there, which is amazing. I was really proud of that. Didn't let myself down too much because you know there's a long way to go and a lot of the Aussies knew the score that I was on and I had a long way to go. Hopefully I can clean it up and go tomorrow.

Q. Why did the emotion hit you?

MIN WOO LEE: Just playing for more than myself. I really don't know. It's the first time on a first tee I felt teary, which is funny, but I don't know how to explain it. I think just a lot of people say, why is golf an Olympic sport. I think for myself, I know why. That's a good showing of why we try to make a team like this.

Q. Have you had any moments with athletes from other sports where you feel like you want their acceptance, like you're a jock, too?

MIN WOO LEE: I've really enjoyed being in the Olympic Village. Golf is a lot more popular than I thought. A lot of people asking for swing tips and showing me their swing. And just being around them was pretty cool. Just to learn their sport a little bit and mostly the tennis -- Aussie tennis crew. They are good people. They are good ambassadors for their sport.