Minjee Lee’s leap into the top three in the world will be on display in Singapore later today when the HSBC Women’s World Championship begins; she is playing in the same group as the top two, Ariya Jutanugarn and Sung Hyun Park.
Lee, 22, told the media today that she “definitely” had her sights on being world No. 1.
But the Royal Fremantle product added that she had more process-orientated goals.
“I mean, it's in the back of my mind, but I have like more statistical goals that I like to meet, and in meeting those, I think it will eventually get me to world No. 1,” she said today.
“So I don't really think like, ‘oh, my God, I have to get to world No. 1 like next week’. I think that's too much pressure on myself. So I just like to take every week as it comes and try and do my best every week.’’
Lee, a four-time winner on the LPGA Tour, jumped from No. 7 to No. 3 after finishing runner-up in Thailand last weekend.
Asked what most pleased her about her rise, she said: “What am I most happiest about? Probably my maturity level. I really know what I need for myself now and what works best for me. I think in figuring that out a little bit, I got to settle myself down a little bit more on Tour and I sort of know where I stand and what I need to improve on to try to make it to world No. 1.’’
Lee tees off at 1.20pm today in the last group.
Fellow-Australians Su Oh and Sarah Jane Smith also are playing in the limited-field event at Sentosa Golf Club for a prize pool of $US1.5 million.