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THE GREENBRIER CLASSIC

July 5, 2015

Danny Lee

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WEST VIRGINIA

MARK STEVENS: We'd like to welcome our 2015 champion of the Greenbrier Classic, Danny Lee. Congratulations. Very exciting finish. Take us through the playoff, give us some thoughts and we'll have some questions.

DANNY LEE: Well, after I finished at 13-under, I was just trying to calm down. I was so nervous. My head was blank, and I was just trying to breathe. As soon as I stand on the 18th tee box, first playoff, I felt ready. I felt like I could really win this thing, and I hit a good 7-iron, a little bit short left of the cup, and I had the exact same putt on the 18th, so I knew where I had to hit it, and I hit it there, and it went in. It was amazing.

MARK STEVENS: Also you shared a little piece with me about your caddie or somebody put something in the wishing well right before the playoff. Can you explain that to us.

DANNY LEE: I don't know what he did, but I was second off, you know, how they give you the paper on the first playoff hole, and he put it there so I can win it.

MARK STEVENS: He put the piece of paper in the wishing well?

DANNY LEE: Yeah.

Q. You've been through a lot of swing changes. I think you changed the grip on your putting, coaches and everything else, you got your card, you lost it. Do you finally feel like you've found the place that you were looking for?
DANNY LEE: Yes, I really do. Meeting my new coach, Drew Steckel, has -- it was a big life changer, I should say. My swing got so much better. I never really was happy with my golf swing when I was young. I mean, I'm still young, but when I was a teenager. I wanted to swing like Tiger Woods or Justin Rose, that kind of swing, and I've probably gone through 100 coaches, and meeting Drew Steckel was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Q. When did you start with him?
DANNY LEE: Right after Puerto Rico, I finished second and I didn't really like the way I was swinging, so I started working with him, I'm pretty sure, at Bay Hill.

Q. And then also, what's your caddie's name?
DANNY LEE: Kurt.

Q. Last name?
DANNY LEE: Kowaluk.

Q. You followed David's tee shot or you preceded his tee shot by pulling the ball left, but you had a better shot at it, didn't you?
DANNY LEE: Yeah.

Q. Talk about how you approached that hole after David was in big trouble.
DANNY LEE: Yeah, I thought when I walked up there, I thought it was my ball, and I was thinking, that's going to be a tough one. Unfortunately it was David's ball, and I don't know how my ball got left side of that tree. It was just a really tough shot from there, from where David was, and I just had an easy 7-iron, hit it over the tree and put it in the fairway, but David looked like he had to hit a low, strong draw that just caught the top of the lip of the bunker and just stayed there, unfortunately. It's very unfortunate.

Q. When you won on the European Tour, were you 19 or 20?
DANNY LEE: I believe I was 18.

Q. What was your thought process entering this season that led you to play as many events as you have played up until this point, and have you gotten tired yet?
DANNY LEE: No, I never get tired of playing golf. I mean, it's my job, and I just love doing it, and I'm just happy to be out here every week. But the reason I played so many events was I was really trying to make it into the Presidents Cup this year. It's back in Korea. That's where I'm born. I kind of feel like I was playing good but not good enough to win a golf tournament, but this week for some reason I just felt right. I was hitting my driver really good, my irons really good. Putting has been pretty good this year, so I have a lot of faith in my putting.

Q. Just talk about how much of a life-changer this is. You get into the British Open.
DANNY LEE: I don't know why everybody is saying it's a life-changer. I mean, it is a life-changing putt. I'm just very excited to play in another major, have another opportunity to go out there and play, try my best. But U.S. Open was a little bit tough for me. I got my ass kicked there. (Laughter.) Hopefully I'll do a lot better at this one.

Q. You won your way into the Open Championship, so that maybe more than anything could be the life-changer for you, getting into that event.
DANNY LEE: Yes, I mean, it's very lucky that they're playing at St. Andrews, and I always wanted to play there, and I get to go over there. I cannot wait.

Q. Your reaction after you make the putt and then David has got the pressure, he makes it, and you think, okay, now we'll go back to 17. Your reaction after his putt goes in?
DANNY LEE: Man, I knew he was going to make it.

Q. Throughout the whole weekend it seemed like there wasn't really many people following your group. Did it seem kind of strange that you're playing pretty darned good golf and there's maybe 10, 12, 15 people following you up until the 16th, 17th hole this afternoon?
DANNY LEE: So what you're saying did that help me?

Q. Did it help you? Did it hurt you? Did it let you stay calm? Did you get kind of nervous towards the end?
DANNY LEE: I actually like a lot of people following me and cheering for me, but unfortunately I only had 15 -- I didn't count how many were following me, but I just -- all I can say is thank you for following me and cheering for me. There's so many great fans out here.

Q. You're the first person billed from New Zealand to win a PGA TOUR event since 2005. How does that feel?
DANNY LEE: I don't know, I wasn't thinking about that kind of stuff, but it feels pretty amazing. It's my first PGA TOUR victory, and it feels pretty amazing.

Q. What jacket size are you, and what jacket size is that?
DANNY LEE: I usually wear medium, but I think this is extra large.

Q. Did you get that ring, too? Is that part of the --
DANNY LEE: I don't know. It's pretty. My finger is pretty thick. I need to readjust this ring, I think.

Q. You're from New Zealand, but you're of Korean descent and a lot of youngsters of Korean descent has won the past few years. Sort of a source of pride I take it?
DANNY LEE: Yeah. I'm pretty sure everybody is working really hard, and when we really work hard -- there's so many talented golfers in Korea and New Zealand, it's just so hard to come over all the way here to America and play. Making it to the PGA TOUR is not an easy thing to do, and I just wish that a lot more New Zealand or Korean younger golfers come out here and play on the PGA TOUR. It would be pretty nice. That's all I can say.

Q. A lot of talk about getting into St. Andrews, but what are your thoughts on getting back to the Masters for the first time since you were an amateur?
DANNY LEE: I mean, it's an ancient place for a golfer. I really wanted to go back there, which I am next year. I'm just very excited.

MARK STEVENS: You're a New Zealand resident so you would qualify for New Zealand in Olympics, correct?

DANNY LEE: Yes.

MARK STEVENS: Have you given any thought to that?

DANNY LEE: I haven't really think that far ahead yet, but I think it would be interesting. That's going to be the first one ever, isn't it?

MARK STEVENS: Since the early 1900s.

DANNY LEE: Yeah, it's going to be interesting.

Q. Was there ever a point in your struggles over the past couple years that you thought you wouldn't be sitting here with a trophy?
DANNY LEE: Yeah, I think three years ago when I lost my PGA TOUR card, I think that was 2012, I was going through a swing change, and I just played horrible that year. I didn't know how to hit a golf ball because there were so many things, so many thoughts and things in my head, and I was putting it poorly, as well. I was going through a rough time, but my parents were supporting my really hard. They always give me the courage and give me strength to go back out there and try again and try again, no matter how bad I play. Without my parents, I don't think I would make it here.

Q. You've played a lot of courses this year. How does this particular course measure up to everything that you've been doing so far this year?
DANNY LEE: For some reason I just read the greens really nicely here. I feel like everywhere on the green I just feel like I can make every putt, so all I was trying to do is hit the fairway and just trying to get it on the green somehow and try to give it the best chance with my putter. I think this course really suits my game.

Q. What did you think about the mountains, the hospitality, the people here in West Virginia?
DANNY LEE: It was just amazing. It's phenomenal. It's my fourth time playing here, and I liked it every single year. Only one wish I had was if I had a girlfriend, it wouldn't be as lonely in the room. (Laughter.) I just love it here, yeah.

MARK STEVENS: Well, on that note we'll call it. Congratulations, Danny.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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