THE MODERATOR: Here with Minjee Lee at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give.
First time we've seen you since, I don't know, a pretty important win a couple weeks ago at the U.S. Women's Open presented by ProMedica. We were at Pine Needles. It was incredible victory. You just put the pedal down and never let it go.
Walk me through that win and what the last week or two has been like for you being a major champion again.
MINJEE LEE: No, it's been such a cool thing. Winning the U.S. Women's Open has always been one of my biggest goals, thing that I always dreamed about winning.
It was just extra special, and to be able to win at Pine Needles with Webby winning there as well, I think it was extra special.
Yeah, I had a really good week off last week. My coach and brother came into town and we got to hang out and do a little bit of training as well.
No, I feel like it's been a really quick turnaround, but here we are now.
Q. I think one of the most heart warming parts of that victory was Min Woo's social media post.
MINJEE LEE: Yeah.
Q. For you and your family and for you and him, what does it mean to, again, see you win another major championship?
MINJEE LEE: I mean, I think maybe for my brother it's a bit of motivation. He's at the U.S. Open right now, so I feel like he's really ready to go. He would really love a great week.
I don't know. I think they're just really proud of me and really happy for me. My dad has been in Perth and my mom probably was in Korea, so they have been up at odd hours of the day to watch it.
No, I think they were just really happy.
Q. What was the reaction from some of your fellow Australian counterparts? I've seen a lot of them out here this week. What's the reaction been like in general?
MINJEE LEE: I mean, super supportive. Everybody has been saying congrats and well done, so it's really nice. Yeah, everybody is just giving me hugs and really feeling the love. Q. This season has hit a little bit different for you. You have had two wins in the course of three weeks and then you come here to the Meijer LPGA. I know you haven't played here a bunch. What's been working so well for you in 2022? What's been different this year?
MINJEE LEE: I'm not sure what has been too different, but I feel like my prep hasn't been too different at all, especially over the off-season. I still did all my training and all my gym stuff. Everything has been kind of the same, but I feel like my ball striking has really come on this, I guess, time round.
I think -- I feel like it's been quite solid but not everything has clicked all together, like my putting and my chipping and my shots and driving, everything together.
But maybe the last two out of three weeks everything has come a little bit together, clicked together a bit better, so maybe that's been it.
Q. What about mentally? Been anything that's been just different? Do you feel different or you come into every tournament and you know every event you play you have chance to win?
MINJEE LEE: I mean, if you're striking the ball well and being really consistent I think mentally you're going to be in a good headspace. I think everything works hand in hand. I feel like I've been really happy, happy personally, so maybe that is what has made me happy on the course as well.
I feel like if you're internally happy then you're able to play a bit more freely and with a bit more freedom, yeah.
Q. Been here three times. Your best finish is a T16 in 2019. What is it about Blythfield? Walk me through the golf course.
MINJEE LEE: I played nine holes today, but I think maybe because of the rain it's playing a little bit softer, so the fairways just kind of stopping and not too much roll. Even the greens feel like a little bit more spin -- I mean, a little bit more spin, bit softer than usual.
But I feel like there is a lot of holes that you can really be aggressive on here, so I think the scoring will be quite low this week.
Q. It generally is out here, and just specifically a couple holes out there. Aon Risk Reward you're obviously the leader, but the par-5 14th is that risk-reward hole. What are your thoughts about that hole and why is it such a good test of whether to go for it or layup?
MINJEE LEE: I actually played it today, so there is a bunker on the right and there is also a water hazard on the left, so I think just driving it. If you get it on the fairway obviously you can go for the green.
You probably have -- I had hybrid in today, but maybe between, if it's downwind, maybe 5-iron to a 5-wood.
The green is also quite undulated so there is a run-off on the front, on the back left as well, so I think it's just a good hole in general for a risk and reward hole.
If you're not going for it it's still kind of a hard pitch shot in. In terms of that, I think there is a risk there, and obviously if you go for it and get it on the green and can make a two-putt or a one-putt, it's the reward, yeah.
Q. There are a lot of players, a lot of major winners like you, so do you think this is a good preparation for the three majors coming up?
MINJEE LEE: I mean, I definitely think so. I think regardless of being preparation or anything like that, I think we come into every tournament trying to win and play our best, so I think either way it's going to be a great week.
Obviously it's following up to KPMG, so I think the field is very strong this week.
Q. Talking about majors, I wanted you to talk a little bit about Evian.
MINJEE LEE: Evian? Yeah.
Q. How important was that for you?
MINJEE LEE: I feel like just monkey off the back. I really didn't -- I didn't really think about it going into the tournament. Like I was kind of -- I was kind of coming off Dow and it was really kind of a fun event and I just had really good memories with Yuka, and it was -- I went there and my clubs didn't actually come until Wednesday and I was like, oh, God.
No, I felt really happy there. Obviously it's great there, just the views and just, you know, the atmosphere. It's really lovely. So I was just in a really good headspace.
I just wanted to have a good week, and obviously being so far back on the final day I was just like, let's make as many birdies as I could, so I was kind of more in an aggressive mode than like at U.S. Open I was kind of keeping the lead.
So it was a little bit different situation. I still had a great week and it was really fun.
Q. Any specific moments that week and on the course? You were saying being aggressive, making --
MINJEE LEE: On the golf course?
Q. Yeah.
MINJEE LEE: I just think my tournament really started on the playoff hole, so I just remember what it felt like just to hit that shot in, the second shot in, just what it felt like when I holed that last putt to win. I think that was just extra special for me.
Q. When you win a tournament as big as the one you just won, what's the mix of fatigue from the long, grueling week and the energy you pull from it? What's that mix like?
MINJEE LEE: I mean, you kind of come crashing after that adrenaline high, I think. I had two days off and felt like I never really got off that until the end of the week.
You know, it's just a really, really tough week at the U.S. Open. That extra pressure, all the fans, you know, obviously it's nice to have great -- like a big fan base and the crowds, but I feel like those extra eyes give you a little bit more pressure.
So I feel like it just kind of builds and builds and builds until the end of the week, and afterwards I was really tired going back home.
Q. You talked about the ball striking has been good this year; went up a notch. What would you put your finger on? What's the little thing that clicked?
MINJEE LEE: I feel like I've always been quite a good ball-striker, so that has been a big part of my game which has really helped me.
I'm not really sure. I knew it was already good so I think maybe just a little bit more belief that I could really pull it off every time I played.
Also, like my driving, I'm hit ting it a little longer so I obviously have a little bit shorter clubs into the greens, so I'm sure that that has really helped as well.
Q. How much more confidence does it give you, too? If you look at the season you've had two top five, two wins. I don't know if you've had a finish outside the top 30. What kind of season do you feel -- how do you feel about the season so far? Obviously it's been a super successful one, but are you still pushing, there's still more things you want to try to accomplish?
MINJEE LEE: Yeah, for sure. I haven't quite reached all my goals yet, so I'm not going to ease off on my training or anything. I'm still going to work extra hard.
I think winning the U.S. Open has been great and it's really cool, but I still have a few things that I want to take off my list.
Head down, bum up still.
Q. You've won your last two stroke play events. How do you describe where your game is? Is this the best you've ever played?
MINJEE LEE: Probably in the best kind of place I think like in terms of -- like I'm still working on everything. I put so many hours just to put myself in those kind of situations, so it feels like it's in a good place right now. I feel pretty solid. I still feel like I have a few things that I want to sharpen up.
Yeah, I don't know. I'm still very motivated to get better.
Q. Coming back here, I was just looking at your trips here, and it looks like only once in the last four tournaments here. Why did you come back this season?
MINJEE LEE: I mean, really I don't have anything that I don't like about this place. It's just the scheduling has not been right for me. This year it seems to be good. I took obviously ShopRite off and then I've got two events this kind of stretch left, so it just happened to fit in my schedule this year.
Q. Have you practiced yet out there?
MINJEE LEE: I have. I played nine holes today.
Q. Did you hit 14?
MINJEE LEE: I did.
Q. What did you think of it? That's our Aon Risk Reward hole.
MINJEE LEE: Oh, yeah, what I said before about it. Yeah.
Q. I was late to the party.
MINJEE LEE: Do you still want me to answer it?
Q. If you want to.
MINJEE LEE: I think it's a great risk-reward hole. I don't know if I have anything else to say.
Q. How do you feel about leading the challenge right now? How do you manage that? How do you feel about that?
MINJEE LEE: I mean, obviously good. I haven't actually thought too much about it because I go into every hole trying to play the best way I can. Obviously the par-5s I can be pretty aggressive, so every Par-5 I try to play aggressively and make a birdie.
I'm sure everybody else does, too. It just happens to be one of the Aon Risk Reward holes, so I'm happy to be able to be leading so far in the season, because I'm an Aon ambassador and it's special.
Q. Here at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, they put a heavy emphasis on giving back to the community. Playing in events like these, I feel like you tee it up week in and week out. You doesn't always get to see the palpable impact you make in the communities. What does it mean for you this week in particular to get to see that impact?
MINJEE LEE: I mean, as players we try to do the best that we can to give back, but I'm not really sure that we are able to see what the sponsors do to give back.
It's just great that Meijer is able to have that kind of thing. I think it's special that we're able to be a part of it.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Minjee. Good luck this week.
MINJEE LEE: Thank you.
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