MEN'S OLYMPIC GOLF COMPETITION

August 2, 2024

Min Woo Lee

Le Golf National

Quick Quotes

Q. Nice way to bounce back. What satisfaction do you take out of that today?

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, it was great. Played really good. But yeah just got off to a really good start and that definitely helps. Especially at a course like this, if you start average, then it's pretty hard to come back. So yeah, just didn't give up, really. And that was kind of the motto after yesterday. Yesterday was tough but tough days of golf happen. Pat on the back for not giving up and playing good golf.

Q. I want to ask whether the up-and-down on 1 or the tee shot on 2 --

MIN WOO LEE: The up-and-down on 1 definitely kicks off the momentum. But, it's nice, those rounds, it's nice when you just hole a couple of those long putts because it goes from 1-under to 2-under, or tied to 1-under. It's a massive difference on just getting one of those, sneaking it in.

Q. Was the tee shot important? Did that set in your mind on 2?

MIN WOO LEE: It's a daunting shot. I was saying on the first, when you're there, it looks okay. The pin is on the front and you can just hit it right. But when you're looking back at it on 2, it's pretty scary. It's only three, four paces from the water. It's just one of those course where is it looks demanding and it's tough and you've got to real really good shots. It was a great shot on 2.

Q. Did you think the eagle putt was going in on 3?

MIN WOO LEE: I thought it was going to turn a little bit more and it just stayed straight. It is what it is. I hit two really good shots going into the hole so again that's a very positive on what I'm trying to do with my swing.

Q. How long do you reckon put was on 4?

MIN WOO LEE: 4 was probably pretty similar to the second. Probably 35 feet maybe. Yeah, again, they are nice.

Q. And 16, you almost got the crowd going?

MIN WOO LEE: That was a good shot. It looked so pure. It was a good club for a pitching wedge. I hit it really good and it was into the wind so it obviously ended up being a good shot. Hit the pin and yeah, I thought it looked very close to dunking. So it was like a foot from the hole. I hit the pin a foot up. It was close.

Q. Do you feel like this is -- again, it's a bit unusual in that there's no cut so this is step one in a three-step process to get yourself back in the hunt.

MIN WOO LEE: Sure, the medal count is going to be tough to get to. I have to play really good golf the next two days. It just shows that I can shoot a low score, which is needed. It's a tough course again, so I don't know when the last time I shot under par was. It seems like it's been a while since Detroit so it's quite nice to show that I can do that.

Q. How is the mentality different, because fourth place might as well be 6th place. Does it strange your strategy or management? Is it all attack?

MIN WOO LEE: I think this course is a good example of not hiding too much. I hit a lot of drivers -- I hit a couple 3-woods today and ended up being really good and more sensible. So yeah, a little bit of your ego comes in, and you want to hit driver.

But yeah, I slowed it down a little bit and hit a 3-wood and made a lot of birdies on par 5s, as well. So I mean, yeah, obviously we're playing for World Ranking points which is pretty big in my position right now. Again, the medal count is a long way away, I feel like these guys are good. They are probably not going to slow down. So I would need to play even better than today. But two more rounds like this would be very pleasing.

Q. Are there risk/reward holes out there or is it just all risk? Seems like not too many --

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, you can hit driver, especially with length -- it wouldn't make that much of a difference, and it makes -- it's more of a risk, if I pull it just a little bit more it's in thick rough instead of decent rough. So it's one of those where you've got to just -- you don't want to hit a 3-wood and hit it bad but you've got to trust yourself and trust your swing and make sure you hit a good one, which I did today. These guys are obviously good. I need to sort out my driver still but these guys are good and they can hit driver if they want.

Q. I'm writing about Tom Kim, he's climbing up the board and you know the backstory, if he wins a medal. Can you imagine what that pressure would be like?

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, I mean, a couple of my other friends were in the Olympics the last two years, last couple times and they have -- it seems likes they have a lot more pressure than what I have and what other people have because it impacts their lives quite hard. So we've obviously seen the other South Koreans make it up to the ranks and kind of go backwards after going in the military.

I mean, it's a tough one. Obviously you play for your flag and your country and it's mandatory and you've got to do that. But yeah, I mean, hopefully he gets it done. I don't know, it's a tough one. I mean, obviously you feel like you need to do it for your country. He's definitely good enough to get a Gold Medal. He's a cracker of a golfer.