Haunted by Slowplay Warnings: Andrea Lee Reveals ‘Stressful’ Mental Pressure Amid Major Championships

The second women’s major is heading towards its end! After a thrilling penultimate round of the U.S. Women’s Open, Andrea Lee and the Australian pro-Minjie Lee have joined Wichanee Meechai on the top of the leaderboard with a total score of 5 under 205. Andrea Lee put forth an impressive performance on the course and finished the round with a score of 3 under 67. However, her Saturday round met with an unexpected hurdle, as the 25-year-old received multiple warnings for slow play.

During the post-round presser at the Lancaster Golf Club, the LPGA pro reflected upon the issue and how she dealt with the warnings that were given to her, “Yeah, I mean, it’s obviously not great to be on the clock during a major championship. It was a little bit stressful. But I just tried to pick up the pace a little bit, have my caddie walk out faster than I did so he could get to the ball quicker.”

During the third round, Andrea Lee got her first warning at the par-5 13th hole. Even though she tried to keep calm, being put on the clock did affect her game. And because of the stress, she addressed how she lost out on scoring a birdie: “I felt like on the par-5, it felt a little rushed. I had like a five-, six-footer for birdie and just didn’t quite feel like I had enough time to read it, and I just kind of went over it, and it didn’t break at all the way I thought.” The Los Angeles Native chose to power through like a true sportsperson and stated, “It was a little stressful, but honestly, it’s part of the game, and you just have to play the game and just pick up the pace a little bit.”

While staying on the topic of stress being a part of the sport, Lee was asked, “What’s the most pressure that you’ve felt on a golf course, and what did you learn from it?” to which she responded, “That’s a great question. I think my first LPGA win in Portland just coming down the stretch, I had I think like a one-shot lead going into 17 and my heart was just racing.” The LPGA pro won her maiden victory on the Tour back in 2022 at the AmazingCre Portland Classic.

During the first round of the Portland Classic, she carded two bogeys and finished the round at par. However, in the next three days, she persevered and went on to score 3 sub 70 rounds (64, 67, 66). Reflecting on the pressure she felt and the learnings she got from her first LPGA win, she said, “I think I had a poor start but managed to finish strong and get the win by one shot. I learned a lot from that week, and hopefully that’ll help me going into tomorrow, just those emotions and how to control them.” Lee admitted that she was fairly exhausted after the third round. She went on to share how she would relax and unwind before the final round.

Andrea Lee is happy to have her parents during the U.S Women’s Open

Andrea Lee shared her Saturday night plans: “I’m going to have a big fat dinner, probably a steak, and then I’m going to go straight to bed.” The Lancaster golf course turned out to be a challenge for prominent players like Nelly Korda, Rose Zhang, and Allisen Corpus. Even Lee expressed the effects of the challenging nature of the course: “This course is taking a lot out of me this week, and obviously there’s one more round left, so I’m just going to go get as much rest as I can.”

The presence of Lee’s parents at the second women’s major also acted as a source of relaxation for the 25-year-old, who shared, “I have both of my parents with me this week, which is really nice. My mom doesn’t come out to a lot of events. I think her last one was probably Pebble Beach last year, so last year’s U.S. Women’s Open.”Will Andrea Lee be able to win her first major and lift the Semple Trophy at the Lancaster Golf Club? It remains to be seen.