THE MODERATOR: Welcome inside the media center here at the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro. We're here with Minjee Lee, not a winner of this event, as it's an inaugural event, but a winner at Wilshire Country Club. How cool is it to be back? You got that win here in 2019. Talk about being back here at Wilshire.
MINJEE LEE: Yeah, I mean, I really enjoy this golf course. I always like coming back. The bunkers remind me a little bit of home.
It's always nice to be back because we're right near Korea Town, the food is great, and obviously the hospitality of the event is always really, really great, too, so I'm looking forward to a good week.
Q. Got that win here back in 2019. What were some of the keys for you that week, and how cool was it to get that victory in LA this close to Korea Town?
MINJEE LEE: Yeah, I remember it being a little bit cooler than it was, but the condition of the course is really good. I mean, the greens, I don't think I've seen them better. I think maybe because of the rain over the past winter. Yeah, I'm really looking forward to the week. It is always nice to be back here.
Q. How does this course suit your game specifically?
MINJEE LEE: I think ball-striking-wise, that's probably where my strong suit is. I think it's a great course for good iron play. Obviously if your putter is hot, it's always going to help every week, but in terms of ball-striking, I think it's a very good course for me. Yeah, I like coming back.
Q. This will be your fourth event of the year. A lot of people have played a little bit more. How good has it been for you to get that time off, get some rest, get some things ironed out before this four-week stretch that began at Chevron?
MINJEE LEE: Yeah, for me I felt like I was on an ongoing loop a little bit. Eight years went by so quickly, and this is my ninth here on Tour. A lot of the girls probably wouldn't take the time off when I did, but I did. I feel quite good.
I've done a few things and had some time to myself to refresh after Asia, as well.
It's been good.
Q. Did you head back home to Australia?
MINJEE LEE: Yes.
Q. How nice was that to be home?
MINJEE LEE: Yeah, the weather was amazing, so it's always good when the weather is right.
Q. Speaking of that four-week stretch, come off Chevron last week, heading to International Crown next week. You're obviously a member of Team Australia. How excited are you to play for your country next week? I know that's not an opportunity Aussies get very often. How excited are you for that?
MINJEE LEE: Yeah, it's going to be great. I haven't really played with Steph too much and even Kempy, but we're all -- being Australian we're all quite tight. We're all really friendly. I think it'll be a good opportunity to get to know the girls a little bit better and obviously play a little bit more aggressively than we would usually, so I think it would just be really fun and also very competitive.
Q. This is your second International Crown, correct?
MINJEE LEE: No, it will be my fourth. I played all of them.
Q. How have you changed over the years from maybe your first International Crown now going into your fourth really as a veteran?
MINJEE LEE: Yeah, I was an amateur when I played the first one at Caves Valley. It was the first time playing with Webby and it was such a great experience for me then. Played the past two. I think one was in America and the other one was in Korea. All of them were really different experiences. The crowds in Korea are amazing, so hopefully we can get a good turnout at Harding Park, and I'm really looking forward to playing the golf course.
Q. Curious to get your thoughts on how the course has changed, how you've seen it evolve, and how it's looking for this week.
MINJEE LEE: Definitely this year it's playing much softer. Like I played the pro-am this morning, and pretty much a lot of my shots were either stopping dead or zipping back a little bit. Usually we get that first firm bounce and then it either rolls out or stops.
But this year I feel like we can be a little bit more aggressive, and we almost have to think about the spin, which the other years I haven't, and the fairways are not rolling as much. Some of the holes are playing a little bit longer.
I think it's just a different type of course we're playing in comparison to the last few that we've played, so just maybe a little bit of adjustment for how I would play the course.
Q. Speaking of that, obviously last year we had some rain here. I know it was a little softer on the weekend maybe, but how do you adjust when you've played somewhere before you've won, you know the course, you know the yardage books, but when you come here and you go, oh, crap, the conditions are totally different than what I'm used to?
MINJEE LEE: I think it's just on the day. Obviously you don't know how it's going to react before you play, so you play the first two or three holes and you kind of get the feel for how much the fairways are rolling and how much spin you're going to get on the greens. It's more just how quickly being adjust when you're actually playing in the tournament.
You can do all the prep and everything properly lead-up to the tournament, but you never know what the condition is actually going to be like. I think it's just the most important that you can adjust quickly and get the conditions as quickly as you can.
Q. We've chatted about Crown, but there's also an event you'll be defending at in a couple weeks at Founders Cup at Upper Montclair. You had a couple wins last year, and that was the first of your two last season. What are you looking forward to the most in that title event at Founders?
MINJEE LEE: Yeah, I think it will be really great. Obviously I don't know how the course is playing right now, but hopefully hard and fast. I'm not sure.
I just remember it was a little bit cooler there, too, so hopefully we get some good weather. I know always defending there's a little bit more pressure, so I'm just going to try and go out there and have as much fun as I can.
Q. You're also defending at the U.S. Women's Open at Pebble. A whole different style of golf will be played there in July. How excited are you to defend that title? I know that was really special for you to win at Pine Needles last year.
MINJEE LEE: Yeah, I'm not sure what it will feel like yet. Maybe the drive into Pebble, I will feel the feels. But I'm feeling great right now. Hopefully I can play well in the lead-up to the U.S. Open, but there's still a few months until we have that event, so yeah, hopefully I can get some momentum swinging before we play there.
Q. Obviously your fourth event of the year. Still pretty fresh into the season. What are some of your goals for 2023? Obviously winning majors and winning events are always up there, but personal goals maybe?
MINJEE LEE: Yeah, I think for me, I'm trying to get back to really sticking to my processes. Just trying to do everything that I can control. Obviously the result is important, but as long as I do my process properly and I'm able to evaluate myself on that, I think that's really my goal for the first few weeks.
Hopefully I can do that and have some good scores, too.
Q. Close to Korea Town, good food. What's your favorite restaurant? Is there something you have to go get as soon as you get into LA?
MINJEE LEE: Not a restaurant, but I always get bubble tea. I have a go-to place. It's called Tan-Cha. So I always go there.
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