I do my best under pressure, says Lee
Australian world No. 2 confident ahead of title defence at this week's Evian C'ship
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EVIAN-LES-BAINS (France) • Minjee Lee is planning to make it a double delight at the Majors in as many weeks for Australia when she takes part in the Evian Championship.
Coming just days after Cameron Smith became the first Australian man since Jason Day in 2015 to win a Major when he sealed the 150th British Open by a stroke, defending champion Lee is confident she can add to what has been a banner week for her countrymen on the international sporting stage.
She may be the world No. 2 behind South Korea's Ko Jin-young, but in terms of form, she has all the momentum behind her.
Lee, 26, won her second career Major last month when she secured the US Women's Open and with two wins and three top-five finishes on the LPGA Tour this season, she tops the circuit's prize money list at US$3.3 million (S$4.6 million).
She was also joint runner-up at the Women's PGA Championship last month - the third Major of the year - and her confidence is at an all-time high.
"I'm quite confident I can compete on the biggest stage and I feel like right now I can contend in every tournament I play in," she told news.com.au yesterday.
"In terms of that, I feel like I am in a very confident space right now. You know, I still want to be humble, stay humble. But I want to think that I'm hard to beat right now."
Lee will have a target on her back as the defending champion but the increased spotlight is making her more motivated.
"To perform under pressure, I think that's sort of where I do my best," she said.
"You do have to focus a little bit more on smaller details, so that's where I kind of excel."
American Jennifer Kupcho appears to be her biggest challenger. The world No. 9 is also in a rich vein of form, having won the Meijer LPGA Classic last month before partnering compatriot Lizette Salas to capture last weekend's Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational.
Kupcho has not looked back since breaking her LPGA duck by securing the season's first Major - the Chevron Championship - in March and the 25-year-old is seeking to become the first American since Juli Inkster in 1999 to win two Majors in a single campaign.
She is also familiar with the Evian Resort Golf Club layout, having finished tied-second here in 2019.
Meanwhile, Swede Henrik Stenson was yesterday stripped of his Team Europe Ryder Cup captaincy amid media speculation that he is set to join the lucrative LIV Golf Invitational Series.
According to reports, the former British Open champion has contractually committed to the Saudi-backed breakaway competition.
Ryder Cup Europe said it is not possible for him to continue to be captain as he will not be able to fulfil contractual obligations following the decisions made "in relation to his personal circumstances".
A new captain will be appointed.
The Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy will host the next edition of the biennial event starting in September next year.
The next LIV event will be staged next week at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, with the series on Tuesday confirming its 48-man field with three spots reserved for players to be named later.
England's Paul Casey, another European Ryder Cup stalwart, will make his LIV debut in New Jersey.
REUTERS
EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Day 1: StarHub Ch204, 5pm
