Q. (In progress.)
ILHEE LEE: I was hitting really, really good. Didn't really miss tee shots. Made a lot of putts, so, yeah, it was really fun.
Q. I think it's awesome that you remember where your last best score was out here.
ILHEE LEE: Of course. Of course.
Q. Keeping track of things. That was a long time ago. What's been up with your golf game and what have you been up to since then?
ILHEE LEE: I had my shoulder injury 2019, so I was struggle with my shoulder injury. But I started to play a little bit in 2021 and '22, so since then I was really play like five to ten events a year.
This is my 200th LPGA tournament, so this is pretty special.
Q. Can you just describe the emotions playing this week with it being your 200th start like you mentioned?
ILHEE LEE: Yeah, it was long journey, yeah. Injured, had to stop playing. Can't be helped.
Q. I guess how amazing is it to see the work you've been putting in, to sign your scorecard that said 8-under and see the results?
ILHEE LEE: Yeah. Yeah, I've been actually putting into -- put more -- I was actually working more on my life than actually like hitting a lot of balls, because of the injury and also my life is the most important thing. What I like, what I would like to do in my life in the future, in ten years. So that's more important for me.
And of course golf is fun. That's why I'm here playing. It was extremely fun playing today. Nine birdies today.
Q. Just a couple, right?
ILHEE LEE: Yeah.
Q. Lastly from me, how do you think your journey has helped you with your golf game to set expectations, and like you mentioned, realize there is more than just golf? How do you think you got to this point?
ILHEE LEE: I realized that the result is something that I cannot control. It's going to be there. I'm just trying my best.
Yeah, that's how I play now. I used to try really, really hard every single things, but now, yeah, I just go with what I have right now, yeah.
Q. Just curious, this is your 200th LPGA event. What led to you enter ShopRite? Why start playing this time of year basically?
ILHEE LEE: I play last week in U.S. Open. It was extremely fun. Beautiful golf course. And then this golf course, I know this golf course pretty well and I have amazing housing people here.
I'm staying with them since 2010. I don't stay with them this week but I really love to see them here every year.
Yeah, they're out here all day and tomorrow and day after tomorrow. Yeah, I love to see them. That's why I'm here every year.
Q. Right. I think I read something, if the internet is to be believed, when you first joined the Tour in 2010 you didn't speak any English and you lived in private housing to learn the language, which is I guess how you met them basically.
ILHEE LEE: Yeah, that's true. Yeah, I didn't speak any anything back then. After three to four years it's starting to become really close because we can talk a little bit more.
Now we're like a family.
Q. What expectations did you have when you showed up to play today? Did you have any expectations at all?
ILHEE LEE: Like I said, I don't have expectation. I just play golf. I just come out, have fun. That's all I do.
Now I know the results is something that I can't control.
Q. And lastly from me, was there a point in the round where you said after a couple birdies, hey, I might have something going on here or this could be a good round? Was there a point at all?
ILHEE LEE: I've been there so many times and ended up really bad a few times. I mean, it doesn't matter. It's just start. Birdie? Oh, that's good. Next hole. Birdie? Oh, that's good. Next hole.
I didn't even know I was 7-under par through 17. Then I looked at the scoreboard on 18 and actually wanted to make that last chip. That would be my best best score. I tied best score.
But just missed it by a little bit to the left. I was happy.
Q. You said you think a lot about the future. What do you want to be -- you said ten years from now. What do you want to be doing ten years from now?
ILHEE LEE: I want to -- the biggest goal to me is I want every golfer to enjoy golf. For me, I'm enjoying golf. I want like all the golfers enjoying golf, have fun out there, not stress about it. Yeah, everyone is to be happy out on the golf course.
It's my goal. (Laughter.)
Q. What do you think you'll remember most about today's round? Like how you mentioned in 2015 you remembered that Kia Classic round and you probably think back to some of the memories, not even just golf memories about it. You keep track of those rounds, how do you think you'll remember this round specifically?
ILHEE LEE: It's funny. I didn't even think about it until 18th hole, and then Liqi asked me old I am, and I said 36, turning 37. She's like, I just turned 19.
Then I realized, oh, right, this is my 200th tournament on the LPGA. She was like, wow. So I didn't think until 18th hole, until she asked me those questions. And then, yeah, after that I was like, okay. I look at the score. Oh, okay, I want to make eagle here. Yeah, so yeah. I didn't really think that much. I didn't -- yeah.
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