U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN

May 31, 2025

Minjee Lee

Erin Hills GC

Quick Quotes

Q. Was it 1-under?

MINJEE LEE: Uh-huh.

Q. Did it feel like something better than that? I feel like today is a lot tougher.

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, I feel like I missed a few opportunities that I did have, but I think overall the pin placements were a little bit trickier today.

Didn't feel like it was all that windy, but it was windy for the pin placements that we had, if that makes sense. It was like we couldn't quite get to like some of the pins so we had to play --

Q. Is there an example of that that stands out?

MINJEE LEE: Like No. 2, like you can't really go for it. It was into the wind -- oh, no, it was downwind today and it was the front pin.

Q. What did you hit off the tee there?

MINJEE LEE: Hit 3-wood and hit like a lobby in, but it's still --

Q. Just driver, not...

MINJEE LEE: It was like right-left, more right-left than downwind. Maybe a little longer players could've got there, but not kind of where I was. Yeah. We did think about after because one of the girls' balls rolled onto the green, on and then --

Q. Behind you?

MINJEE LEE: Yeah. I was like, oh, maybe we could have got there. She's a little longer than I am, so...

The pins were trickier today.

Q. Sure.

MINJEE LEE: Almost felt like Sunday pins; maybe tomorrow be even harder.

Q. Is there a course that you guys go to or even a test that you go to that can test you -- prepare you for this?

MINJEE LEE: I don't -- no, I wouldn't say that any course could really like prepare you for like the same conditions as like a major, or say a U.S. Open. It's the same for the British Open. I think Evian you could like prep. It's not as --

Q. (Indiscernible.)

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, we play at the same course every single time so it's like you know where to go. But, no, because U.S. Opens always go to different venues, Lancaster is the only repeat I've done so far in all of my rotations.

Yeah, it's just --

Q. Does that make it more exhausting?

MINJEE LEE: It's 100% more exhausting like mentally, physically. It's just such a long walk this week. I don't know, for fans it's probably even worse. But it just feels like uphill after another uphill. So, yeah, I just think it's just grueling.

And it should be. It's a U.S. Open and our top major.

Q. We've had a little bit of like every kind of weather here in Wisconsin.

MINJEE LEE: Yeah.

Q. How is the sun being out today affecting your game or changed your game plan?

MINJEE LEE: I think it's much firmer now. The last two days it was a little damper, so I felt like the balls stopped a little bit quicker on like the first bounce.

But now they're kind of rolling out to what we think it should I guess. I think with this like consistent wind all day it's going to dry out even more. Tomorrow is meant to be nice as well.

I think it'll be a true Sunday test.

Q. Did you have any approach shots I guess that you carried to the hole that bounded through today from the firmness?

MINJEE LEE: No, because I was better than that. My caddie and I, we spoke a lot about where to leave it. Just after the first few holes you get a gauge on how the course is playing.

Q. I only ask that because I've watched a lot of women land it at the hole today and it just goes through.

MINJEE LEE: I do think because it's maybe a little warmer the ball is flying. I feel like my ball was like flying longer than obviously yesterday morning.

Yeah, just feel like sometimes the wind kind of drops when you're hitting, so it's like you play for the wind but it doesn't -- it goes over, it's into, or whatever, side wind.

Q. What are you going do tonight to prepare for tomorrow?

MINJEE LEE: I think just a good sleep and I think we'll probably most likely be in twosomes tomorrow, so probably like an afternoon tee time maybe. Just have a nice relaxing morning and come out and prepare.

Q. And then how is it being here in Wisconsin playing at Erin Hills as a past champion?

MINJEE LEE: I mean, returning to any U.S. Open being like a previous winner is always cool. Also I'm a little biased because I love the U.S. Open and I love the challenge. I just love how the USGA sets up the golf course. It's probably my favorite place to come back to every year.