THE 154TH OPEN

July 17, 2026

Min Woo Lee

Mixed Zone

Q. That was a big putt and a big fist pump and a big roar.

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, just felt pretty good over it. Obviously I didn't have a choice of missing it, so I thought today I was a bit tentative on my putts, so I gave it a go, and it still just got to the hole.

Yeah, I hit a -- I felt like I deserved a birdie on 17. I hit a really good putt, and it just broke off. If I was one in front of the cut, I probably wouldn't have hit driver and hit two long irons into there, but sometimes you're just, when you're back against the wall, you've got to hit driver.

It turned out really good. I hit a really good pitching wedge too, and I thought it was closer. Yeah, just very happy with it, and on to the weekend.

Q. I know you want to be contending for tournaments, but you can't undersell how important it is to eke out something like that and make the cut in a major. Is that a fair assessment?

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, today was tough. I don't think we made a handful of birdies for our group, and I'm playing with two top-class players. It's just tough out there. Greens got a tiny bit bumpy, which is expected, but it was just tricky to get the wind right, and I didn't have my B swing, A swing. It was a bit of a grind.

Q. Do you feel like you're starting to slowly and gradually work out how to play these majors and get the best out of yourself?

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, again, it's just a few holes that you need to make it go your way and not the other way. I think it's very easy to lose concentration or lose motivation.

Today I think, before me, I would have just given up a little bit, but I had faith in myself. I've been hitting it good, and I've been putting it well. Just nothing really dropped today. So I didn't give myself enough chances.

Yeah, I just felt like I've been playing really good over the past few weeks. Yeah, just making cuts is not the big picture, but moments like that when you need to do, I think that will help in the long run.

Q. You've still got obviously the weekend to come, but you see someone like Lucas have that sort of round today, it's possible to get out there, particularly if you're off earlier?

MIN WOO LEE: For sure. Yeah, I'm excited. It would have been a bit of a bummer to pack my bags and go home.

I felt like I deserved to make the cut, but yeah, I'm just happy with myself. I'll do a bit of practice and debrief a little bit, but yeah, I'm excited for tomorrow. Hopefully we get good conditions in the morning and can put a low one there.

Q. Were you following Lucas this morning before you came to the course, what he was doing?

MIN WOO LEE: Yeah, I was watching some coverage, sure. It seemed like he didn't miss a putt. Lucas is a great putter and one of the best putters in the world. You know, if you hit it somewhat close, you can hole putts, and that's what he did.

Q. Just on that final putt, we watched the replay on the TV here, did you notice it bounce? Did it go a few feet after?

MIN WOO LEE: That's what I mean, like just getting the pace right was just from a few of those bumps. Me watching Hideki and Ben putt, I could definitely see across the way that it was bumping.

I think it's harder to adjust when you're out there and you think you just kind of hit it a bit soft. I don't know, I'll see the coverage and see the putt, but I felt like I hit it hard, a putt that you can't leave short type of putt, and it still just got side door. Yeah, it must have bumped a little bit.