WOMEN'S OLYMPIC GOLF COMPETITION

August 7, 2024

Minjee Lee

Le Golf National

Quick Quotes

Q. Well played, back nine anyway.

MINJEE LEE: Yeah.

Q. So tell us the story of the grand recovery.

MINJEE LEE: I didn't really hit it close enough to really make that many birdies on the front nine. I mean, I wasn't hitting it terrible, but also was missing some fairways, which I was in the rough. And obviously if you're in the rough, it's a little more penalising to get them on the greens and really hit them, like, close.

So, yeah, I was pretty much scrambling for most of the day, trying to make up-and-downs, and made some, missed some. And then just really gave myself a bit of a nudge and thought I had to make a few birdies coming in and see where -- I just didn't want to be over par. So four birdies in the last five, so I'm happy with the finish.

Q. Was there any particular shot or moment when you thought it's clicked for me now?

MINJEE LEE: Not really. I kind of had a -- it was not -- I wouldn't say an ugly birdie, but it was a hard-fought birdie on the 14th, and then made a good birdie on 15, 16, kind of the tougher holes out there, and a really nice one on 18.

So just a strong finish. So it was good.

Q. And the course, it seemed to play a little tougher this morning, or maybe the wind dropped a little this afternoon. You weren't out there this morning, so you do not know, but --

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, I guess it's not really a big, like, change in the -- like obviously it's not --

Q. Yeah, sure.

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, you know what I mean.

But like right now it feels like it really dropped down like the last maybe two holes. But I think for the most part, it was kind of similar to maybe the morning. I'm not really sure. You guys could probably tell me.

But, yeah, because, I mean, it was fine. The conditions are really lovely now. But I think overall, it wasn't the toughest conditions that we're probably going to have. So yeah.

Q. Getting to where you are now makes you feel like you're well in contention?

MINJEE LEE: At the moment I don't feel like it because it's the first day. Maybe it will feel like -- maybe it will feel a little different after tomorrow, to feel out where I am on the leaderboard and where I sit at the halfway point maybe when everyone's done tomorrow. But at this point, yeah, I don't really feel like anything really.

Q. The Olympic experience, you've lived through it a couple times now already, but how does it feel? How does this feel, and how does it compare with your everyday work?

MINJEE LEE: I mean, the crowds were so amazing out there today. Because I was playing in front of Celine, they were literally chanting her name like most of the holes when she was -- I mean, she is having an amazing day today. So like a lot of "Celine" chanting and clapping and stuff like that.

So just the energy is really amazing out there. And they all have been really supportive of all the players, I think. So it's quite nice to have that kind of experience after the inaugural in Rio, and obviously Tokyo was COVID edition. So a little bit different every single time I've played the Olympics, really.

Q. Because the crowds, there weren't many crowds in Rio, and there was none in Tokyo. So this is probably the first time you've played in front of a crowd like that at the Olympics.

MINJEE LEE: Yeah. It really feels like what I imagined the Olympics to be.