KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

June 10, 2026

Minjee Lee

Hazeltine National Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: As you can see, we are pleased to be joined by our 2025 KPMG Women's PGA champion, Minjee Lee. Minjee, good to see you. Thanks for spending some time with us today.

I think to start, let's take a quick look back to last June when you shot 4-under 284 to win your first KPMG Women's PGA Championship and third career major title right here in Frisco. Almost a year later, what do you remember most about your performance that week?

MINJEE LEE: I mean, really the only thing that I remember mostly is the heat and the wind. I just remember it being such a grueling week, and for it to be kind of a long week, it went by really quickly, I think just because it was so hot, and I was really tired after every day.

Also I remember holding that trophy come Sunday. So it was very nice to have all my family and my friends there celebrating with me afterwards, too.

THE MODERATOR: Looking ahead to a couple weeks from now, what do you remember from 2019 at Hazeltine, and what are you expecting from that golf course.

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, obviously that's where Hannah won, fellow Aussie and friend. I remember all the Aussies going out on 18 when she won, and I remember that scene very vividly.

I mean, I don't really remember too much about the golf course. I remember the rough was a little bit thick, kind of like maybe more of a traditional style golf course that I really enjoyed back in 2019, as well. Looking forward to going back there in a couple weeks.

Q. I was wondering, we keep seeing the growth and the evolution of women's golf and women's sports in general. I was thinking, looking back, if you think of Karrie Webb or at the time you were starting, how have you experienced this personally, and what would you say is the biggest thing for you of this evolution, in a way?

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, so I was lucky enough to be a recipient of the Karrie Webb scholarship when I was coming up through the national program. I think I was able to experience what a major championship would look like as a professional.

At the time, Karrie was playing in the event, and we were able to see what kind of preparation goes into, like, a major championship. Also, it was my first major championship that I went to in that kind of -- I guess in that kind of experience.

I think we just had the opportunity when we were young and as amateurs to see kind of what she did, what kind of mentality she had going into these big championships.

It was just something that not many people would be able to get an opportunity to do at such a young age, so I think that really kind of shaped what I thought, like, prep and what kind of mental toughness goes into playing a major championship. I think it was just more the experience that we got to get.

Q. Minjee, I would love to know, for you personally, how your life changed, going from a two-time major champion to a three-time major champion, if that changed your mentality when you compete, and then also if your changed your mindset and goals going forward in your career?

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, I would say it probably didn't change my life in a way you guys would think. I think I'm still the same person as a two-time major champion and a three-time major champion.

But I think in terms of golf, I really didn't see it coming at the time, so I wasn't really having that great of a year heading into last year's KPMG Women's Championship, and also I just kind of went into the event, like, not having my "A" game, just trying to play each day as it comes, like I always do, especially because the weather was so grueling and it was so windy.

I feel like it actually helped me stay more in the moment and just put one foot in front of the other.

After obviously winning KPMG, it gave me a little bit more freedom to just play, and obviously coming off a major championship win, you're always going to be pretty high on confidence. So I think I was able to play that last season with lots of confidence and just kind of a bit more trust and belief in my game.

Q. Curious how coming in as a defending champion to this year's KPMG Women's PGA Championship, how has that affected your preparations for Hazeltine?

MINJEE LEE: Not too much. I always work pretty hard behind the scenes in terms of practice, and when I'm away from tournaments, you know, I've just been doing all the things that I can to be able to play my best. Obviously working hard in the gym -- all professional golfers will practice hard leading into major season. I don't think I've been doing anything too differently.

Hopefully once I get to the venue, I can have really great prep and just try and remember the course when I go out and play.

Q. Minjee, we've seen the evolution of the purses in women's golf, multiplied by two or three in the last few years. So I was wondering, I mean, what is the positive about that? Why do you think this is happening? And if you always consider -- felt like you were considered an athlete at the level you are right now?

MINJEE LEE: So for the first question about the purses, I think all of us are really grateful that our sponsorships and also just big companies are coming forward to help women's golf -- well, empower women's golf.

I think for the longest time -- I kind of came on Tour when that evolution was just starting, and I think a lot of us are really passionate about growing the game and women's golf, and I think a lot of companies are catching on to that, and I think we are just in a space where we are growing, but we're going from strength to strength and obviously want to leave the Tour in a better place than where we found it.

I think we're consistently trying to grow the game of golf in that space, and I think we're all just really grateful that a lot of people are starting to catch on to that.

Q. I think the other thing, too, it looked like every time we talked to Min Woo we mentioned you, and every time we talk to you we mention Min Woo. Is that getting old sometimes, or what do you enjoy about that? I know he is the first one to say that he has to do a lot to catch you as a golfer and he admires your career.

MINJEE LEE: I'll never get tired of speaking about my brother. I always love -- we're both quite competitive, but he's a little more competitive than I am outwardly. I think I'm just always going to be really proud of what a great young man he's becoming, and golfer, obviously.

I don't think I'll ever be tired of talking about Min Woo.

Q. After last year, as you've already mentioned at the beginning, KPMG last year was kind of a test of resilience and a test of dealing with the elements and not getting too affected by them. It looks like Hazeltine can be the same kind of golf course. What do you enjoy about the conditions of a KPMG PGA Championship, and how do you prepare yourself mentally for KPMG?

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, I think the grind of a major championship is kind of what I enjoy. I like playing hard, difficult conditions, and I think it brings out the best in me.

I think it's just very fun to play. We don't always get the opportunity to play a really tough and hard and mentally draining event and golf course, so I think obviously there is some fairness and also difficulty whenever we play a PGA Championship or a major championship.

I think that's what I appreciate most about these events. I think it's just always just a little more difficult how they set it up. So I think there's just another element of course management or something a little extra that you have to do in major championships. I think that's what really excites me.

Q. I'd love to know what you believe your keys to success at Hazeltine are. Also, you're now a little over 10 years on the LPGA Tour. How would you grade your career so far to this point?

MINJEE LEE: Obviously you want to be pretty sound in all parts of your game. I think from the top of my head, it was a ball striker's course, so obviously if you go in the rough, you'll be penalized.

I think in any major championship, your game has to be on. Obviously if your putter is running hot, that's really going to help you. If you look at the stats, your scrambling has to be on, as well.

I think in terms of golf, your technique has to be pretty sound, but I think mentally you have to -- I think you have to have a temperament where you can kind of be like a goldfish; if you have a bad hole, you've got to be able to kind of acknowledge it, forget it, and then tee it up on the next hole and try and better that score.

Obviously if you're having large numbers on a hole, it's obviously not going to help, so you've got to be able to minimize those soft mistakes or soft bogeys if they do come.

Obviously having a level head and having a pretty calm temperament would help, I think. It has helped me. That's just talking from past experience, just for myself.

Q. Now that you're past the 10-year mark competing on the LPGA Tour, how would you grade your career so far?

MINJEE LEE: Not long ago, I think somebody asked me, if you had to retire today, would you be happy with your career, and I said absolutely yes. I don't know how I would grade my career so far because I also said I know I'd be happy if I retired today, but that doesn't mean it motivates me to win more championships.

I think obviously I'm happy with all the things that I've done and I'm proud of myself, but I think I have a few more years in me. I'm not really thinking about that yet.

Q. I was thinking, a goldfish that can putt really well, and I think you proved that, even without a great performance at the U.S. Women's Open. Your strokes gained in putting was really good. My question is what are you doing to be that good at putting, and how important is putting in the majors?

MINJEE LEE: To be completely honest, I did not have my ball-striking on, so something had to be half decent. I obviously work hard in all parts of my game, but I think changing to the broomstick has really given me a lot of freedom, obviously, to putt well. I feel like I don't have as much -- I don't put as much pressure on myself for those shorter putts.

I think maybe that has given me a little bit more freedom to just putt. I think in terms of speed with the broomstick, I always thought that it would be harder to get the speed for the longer putts, but I think it just kind of comes with practice. I've used the broomstick for a little while now, so it's kind of become a little more second nature.

I'm not doing anything too much different. I think the stigma or the thoughts around putting for myself, I just think of it much more simpler than I used to, so maybe that has been the key.