AIG WOMEN'S OPEN

July 31, 2025

Minjee Lee

Quick Quotes

Q. Nice way to finish a pretty up-and-down round where it felt like it was hard to get any momentum.

MINJEE LEE: No. I mean, it was difficult, setup a little differently than what I thought it was going to. I think the wind will probably get up in the afternoon, and it will be the same for everyone.

The tees were up a little bit, but some of the holes it made it harder because you couldn't hit driver off the tee. So you were hitting less than like 3-woods or 7-woods off the tee. Like 10 was up. And maybe like 15 or 16.

It was 7, one of the holes was kind of tough because usually the right side is okay, but because I went a little bit further right, trying to not go into the bunkers, it was like kind of dead. It was just little things like that. It was playing a little different. The wind was similar to maybe like the first practice day and maybe the pro-am day for me, the Tuesday.

So a little different yesterday than we played in directionally, so I think we'll get a mix of both those winds the next three days.

I don't think I'm going to complain with a 2-under start. Some of the holes are just beasts out there. Sometimes you've got to take what you get and just make a bogey and get out of there and reset, try and make better score on the next hole.

It's a major championship. You're going to make bogeys. Just try to keep your emotions in check and take it one shot at a time.

Q. Is that your experience talking there? Maybe a couple of years you've been here?

MINJEE LEE: I feel like I rambled on, but I definitely said a lot of good things. I definitely think now that I'm saying it out of experience, played a couple of these now, a few of these over the years. Yeah, definitely.

And the wind is such a big factor here. You've just got to be patient and try and take your birdie opportunities and take your par opportunities as well. If you make bogey, it's okay.

Q. How do you find the long putter in the higher winds? It can be a bit more difficult, can knock around a little bit?

MINJEE LEE: A little bit. I had plenty of practice at KPMG. It's a little bit different because it's not super consistent. Sometimes you get gusts here and there which kind of knock your balance off. Try and keep pretty planted, but it's going to be hard for everyone. Everybody's putter moves around in the wind.

Yeah, I don't think necessarily it's too much one way or the other. So, yeah.

Q. Pretty brutal couple of lip-outs there on 13 as well. You immediately bounced back. Is that something that Mikey helps with as well?

MINJEE LEE: That was a little bit of a silly mistake. Kind of misjudged the speed down that little hill and then had three or four feet back up the hill for par.

No, I just think sometimes I'm going to make a mistake, but like you said, bounced back pretty well. Just trying to keep myself in it.

Q. You looked so much more relaxed and happy in the practice round walking around the golf course. How did it feel getting the KPMG monkey off your back? How did that help you have fun and enjoy golf?

MINJEE LEE: I think not a monkey off the back. That was more for my first major. I think that one just kind of set me on the -- I guess my mindset was a little different after I won. I knew I was doing the right things. I just had to kind of keep doing the things that I have been doing right. I think just kind of that.

Week to week, it was getting better and better. I think just with that win gave me a lot of confidence. I'm just trying to ride the momentum as much as I can. I know I've got the game, so it's just kind of putting it all together day by day.

Q. A lot of momentum generated from the 2-under to start this week. What do you take from this and apply to the next three rounds?

MINJEE LEE: I think I did a lot of things well, a lot of good things today. I think the wind will only get stronger. So I'm going to probably have tougher shots. Keep practicing those knockdown shots and try to get my driver to start on the right lines and just try and picture it in my mind very well and try and execute.

Q. It's a big break going from early to late. What do you do to kind of switch off? Do you go and explore a little bit, go back and sleep? Obviously an early start tomorrow.

MINJEE LEE: No, I've walked around the whole town already (laughter). I'll just workout and go have some lunch and probably just take a nap today. That's going to be all of today, and then tomorrow I'll go and have some brunch and start my day.