Question: What a great score today. You must have really enjoyed the golf course. What were your strengths out there?
Answwer: “I focused on every shot today because I didn’t have a bogey today. I had a little bit of a cold yesterday morning so I had no expectations for today and this week.”
Q: Last time you played at Royal Melbourne (at the 2012 Women’s Australian Open) you missed the cut. What have you improved since you last played here?
A: “I was not sure about coming here until last minute because I know this golf course is really tough. But I decided to come at the last minute. I know this golf course is tough so I told my caddie ‘I want to be middle of the green, I don’t care where the flag is.’ I think that’s very, very important to play this golf course so now I know how to play this golf course better than last time I was here.”
Q: Did you have many practice rounds before you actually played today?
A: “I played 13 holes on Monday and six holes Tuesday and full round yesterday.”
Q: Your five birdies, were they from close range? Any chip-ins or anything exciting out there?
A: “A couple of crazy putts I made. Fifteen, par-four, I hit it too far but that was 25 feet and then 13 hole, par-four, that was a big one too.”
Q: Any big par saves?
A: “My second shots hitting from the fairway to the green worked good today, so that’s why I had no problem to make pars today.”
Q: What made you decide to come to Australia at the last minute?
A: “Because I just started working with Sandra Haynie, my coach. We worked before I come here and then she gave me lots of confidence I can do this, so I decided to come.
Q: Is she in Korea or is she in the States?
A: “She’s in the States. She’s in Dallas.”
Q: Ilhee, what’s been happening for you on the LPGA? You won a tournament in 2013. Have you been improving?
A: “It’s good to see how improved my golf is this year, this week because I was here 2012. How I see the golf course at that time and now, I see a totally different golf course. It’s really, really fun to see how much I improved since then.”
Q: Is the golf course now less intimidating to you?
A: “Than then? Yes. Thirteen hole, that hole in 2012, that hole is very narrrow and tough, but now I can see big fairway.”
Q: Is it because you’ve improved your ball-striking or is it you’ve got greater distance or got greater ball control?
A: “There’s a bit of everything. I see the right thing first, I see how I manage the golf course better and then my drive’s better than then and swing’s got better, putting’s better, everything’s much better than that time.”
Q: We see so many other Koreans doing well. You’ve obviously won tournaments on the LPGA Tour as well. Are you driven by what they do? Do you want to be as famous or successful as your countrywomen?
A: “I know there’s I think seven (editor’s note: there are actually five Lees in the field) Lees playing this week right? It’s not all from Korea, but still, lots of Lees. I want to be the most famous Lee, that’s my goal.”