Q. 66 today, highlighted really by the hat trick as you made the turn at 4 and 5. You were on point with keeping it in the fairway, on point with the irons, but what kind of clicked in halfway through this round?
MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, no, I just hit it really close. Nearly holed it on 3. And that was really good shot. Clipped the hole. Felt really good over the ball. Just really good numbers and rolled some putts in. Today was solid again and hopefully two more of them.
Q. It's funny because after you look at your scorecard today you see the string of birdies and pretty much a clean day until we get to the last. What stuck out was the par you made at 7. That was not an easy shot to get it to that putting surface. Did that put a jump in your step, you feel you got one there?
MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, it was probably one of the tougher tee shots today. Again, that's, I love this course because it shapes holes, like the hole shapes to a shot and that's probably one of the tee shots that doesn't shape for me. I nearly -- I mean hitting a cut with a driver, I nearly got to start it over the bunker, which you don't really want to pull it left.
But those are shots that I have to trust and I've done it before, so it's just when you're in the moment, you got to really commit to it. Yeah, it was a great shot out of there. I could have hit an 8-iron to get it closer, but I thought first things first, get it over the tree. It was pretty lucky to get it to that spot, so yeah, hit a really nice shot and just 2-putted it.
Q. Played some wonderful golf already this year, no surprise with this leaderboard. Big narrative as we come into this championship every year is this golf course doesn't suit any particular player. It's hard to feel comfortable around here. You reside in the desert now. I would argue that over the last few years of this golf course you're comfortable around this golf course, so why have you been able to find a level of comfort at THE PLAYERS Stadium Course with a lot of great players in the world have not been able to do so?
MIN WOO LEE: I think I'm not sure why, but I think my 2-iron, I'm using that a lot and it's a pretty good weapon of mine. So I can kind of draw it and hit it straight and it goes a long way. When I hit it good it goes, ends up going a long way. That helps. Then you have short clubs into holes, so, yeah I would love to hit 2-iron everywhere but obviously you can't, some holes and, yeah, I think that's it. The 2-iron.
Q. In contention two years ago here. What did you learn from that and how are you different now than you were two years ago?
MIN WOO LEE: Big learning curve. Especially the fourth hole, that's probably one shot that I regret in my career. It was a wedge that I got steep on and it's been the narrative for a long time. My approach play, you know, I just see the ball flight coming in low and I get a little bit too steep. It's nice to actually just hit it up in the air and trust it. That's a big part of why I'm getting a little bit better with my approach play. Yeah, just I think a bit more level-headed and a lot of learning between then and now. Obviously Scottie won that tournament and he played really good and just, yeah, learned to be in that final group, yeah.
Q. Forecast for tomorrow is gusts up to 30. What do you think it will be like playing this place with that sort of weather?
MIN WOO LEE: It will be tough. We got the text message yesterday from the TOUR saying that they're going to adjust the course to it. It is, again, it's a tough course even without wind, and it's intimidating. There will be holes where obviously it will be downwind and some that are into, so there's going to be holes that could be easier, but holes that could be a lot harder. Again, just hopefully keep playing good golf and see how it goes.
Q. You moved to Jupiter?
MIN WOO LEE: No, Vegas.
Q. How was that all fitting into your schedule and the move? You moved from --
MIN WOO LEE: From Australia. Yeah, Vegas is awesome. I play out at Summit, and I got good friends there, Kurt Kitayama and Collin Morikawa, so we have a lot of games together. It's good to have top players near you. It's good. Obviously there's elevation change, which is kind of the not the best. I would rather be at obviously sea level, but Vegas is a great place. I just got a house there. So just slowly getting into living normally in America. Yeah, very exciting. Can't wait to go back.
Q. The golf out here on the East Coast, is it going to take -- you've gotten used to it. What do you like about it and the Bermudagrass, just playing East Coast courses?
MIN WOO LEE: Again, probably the sea level helps. I feel like when I was over on the West Coast, other than like Pebble, the ball was going a long way. So it's nice to -- I mean it still goes a long way, but like with mid-cool weather it's closer to the number. So again, you can be a bit more comfortable over the ball. It's nice. It's not too hot, so it's great and can't complain. This course is amazing.
Q. How many holes, I know it changes depending upon the conditions, but how many holes do you think you tee off with a 2-iron?
MIN WOO LEE: A handful. I would say six or seven probably.
Q. Is that more than maybe another course you would play on TOUR?
MIN WOO LEE: I think so. Other than The Open Championship or I think, yeah, it's probably why I can get it in play more often and have more birdie opportunities. Yeah, for sure.
Q. Can you talk about why you think it's such a weapon this particular golf course?
MIN WOO LEE: Well if your 2-iron goes 300 yards it's pretty good. Yeah, I just love the club. I can step up on the tee and hit a little draw and again, if it just gets past, it gets past some hills and bounces off hills, it goes a long way. It can nearly go as far as 3-wood or a driver sometimes if it plugs. Instead it rolls all the way. So it rolls 50, 60 yards sometimes.
Q. Is this a new one?
MIN WOO LEE: No, I've had it for a long time now. I've kept it for a while. I've used a 5-wood now and then especially on the West Coast when it was cold and wet. It's a perfect opportunity to use it.
Q. Is 14 one you use it on? There's a divot on the on the tee box. We're trying to figure out who it's from?
MIN WOO LEE: No, I didn't use it on that tee. No, not me.
Q. 6?
MIN WOO LEE: 6, I used a 4-iron today. It was downwind. The pin was on front right so it was a bit tricky. There's a couple trees on the right where you don't want to be too close, so I hit 4-iron and ended up being a long way back. 2-iron can just get kind of sneaky close to have tree trouble.
Q. Driver's obviously maybe your biggest weapon. Do you enjoy showing the restraint this week and playing your way around the course?
MIN WOO LEE: For sure. Yeah, it's just a variety of shots. I love how I can step up and hit that 2-iron, but there's holes where you can hit driver and bomb it down there. So it's cool.
Q. What is it about the feel of the tournament, apart from the golf course that seems to resonate with you?
MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, a lot of support. Even early in the morning at 8:00 there was a -- the whole tee box in the morning was full, and I think it's it has a special feeling. You want to play well for yourself, but play well for others too.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports