Lily Muni He might always look effortless, but there’s nothing effortless about being Lily Muni He. She moves through life with an assured grace of someone who has come into her own, yet her journey to becoming one of golf’s rising stars has been anything but simple.
At just 26, He has spent more than two decades immersed in the game of golf, navigating the highs and lows of a sport that demands precision, patience, and resilience. “It was the feeling of working hard, putting in effort, and accomplishment that made me fall in love with the game,” she recalls. “Nowadays, what fuels my passion is still the challenge — the challenge of trying to get better, overcoming difficult periods, and chasing after that feeling of improvement.” She smiles, “I just enjoy the grind of it.”
The year was 2019.
He had just started her rookie season on the LPGA Tour, her lifelong dream. Despite working tirelessly in the off-season, she found herself struggling to perform, missing multiple cuts and ultimately losing her tour card. Determined to prove herself, He returned to Q School, a two-week qualifying competition that can make or break a professional golfer’s career. “It was stressful, but I put in eight really good rounds and came out as the medalist of Q School,” she says, pride evident in her voice. “Getting my full tour card back that way felt so good. After a tough year, it proved to me that I was capable of being on tour again.”
“In golf, you’re competing against yourself as much as you are against your opponents,” she explains. “There are so many uncontrollable variables: the weather, how other people play, or an unlucky bounce here and there. Learning how to separate what’s within your control from what’s not – and detaching from the outcome – has helped me approach every shot and every round with a positive mentality. People always say golf is not a game of perfection because, even if you break the course record or win a tournament, you would have made some mistakes along the way — they’re just inevitable.”
In golf, the ultimate goal is to win by scoring the fewest strokes. But when it comes to style, Lily Muni He is all about scoring big. The golfer treasure hunts on Etsy for unique, vintage gems that carry their own story. “About two years ago, I found a vintage Fila golf jumper. It’s beige with a navy stripe in the middle and says ‘Fila Golf,’” she shares. She also loves to experiment with colours — and her all-red Ferragamo look for the F1: The Movie premiere speaks for itself. “Confidence plays a big part in dressing for me. I stick to whatever makes my heart tick.”
When asked about what makes her feel confident, the golfer answered immediately without a second thought: “A good support system”, a network comprised of family, friends, and her boyfriend, Alex Albon, who the world knows as the Thai-British Formula One sensation who drives for Williams Racing. But to He, Alex is her sounding board, her inspiration and her biggest supporter. “Being with Alex through the lows of his career has taught me so much. It’s shown me how to deal with tough moments in my own career — keeping my head down, working hard, and staying focused until I come out the other side as well,” she shares. “We’re so invested in each other’s sports that everything he’s been through, I feel like I’ve been through too, and vice versa.” She pauses and smiles. “We inspire each other.”
That inspiration also lends itself to competition. It’s no surprise that Lily Muni He and Alex Albon are fiercely competitive. But what He began to share next had me in stitches. “One of the first things we did when we met was a cooking competition. We rented this big Airbnb in LA, and George [Russell] was there too. Alex and I cooked, and George was the judge. Alex won, which I told him was completely unfair!”
This competitive streak doesn’t stop at cooking. “We’re also ridiculously competitive with phone games. Honestly, I try to gatekeep the games I find on the App Store because the second Alex discovers them, it’s all about beating my score. A few years ago, we got hooked on Subway Surfers. It got so out of hand that I was ranked #1 in the US, and Alex was #1 in the UK,” she recalls, erupting in laughter. “We’d sit there for hours – literally three hours straight – playing without dying. It got so unhealthy we agreed to stop playing.”
He’s playful nature and competitive spirit naturally raises the question: how would she fare on an F1 race track? “I’ve been in regular racing cars with Alex on track, and there was once when he pushed really hard for a lap. I’m like, “Oh my gosh, that’s enough! That’s too fast!” Then afterwards, he tells me, “You know, that was slower than our safety car.” My jaw just hits the floor. It definitely gave me a deeper appreciation for the raw talent they have in F1.”
But talent alone isn’t enough — something all professional athletes, including He, know all too well. “I think finding the right motivation and reason for loving your sport is so important. It’s easy to get caught up in achievements, rankings, media attention, or sponsorships. But when you focus too much on those things, it can make life miserable, even if you love the sport,” she says. “I’ve learnt to define success in my own way: it isn’t just about results, but enjoying the process, the journey, and overcoming challenges.”
Photography: Oscar Chik
Styling: Foxla Chiu
Interview and Text: Kaitlyn Lai
Makeup Artist: Eddy Liu
Hair Stylist: Kei Takano using Bumble and Bumble
Fashion Assistant: Yoojin Choi
Producer: Kaitlyn Lai
Production Assistant: Derek Wong
Location: Raffles London at the OWO
Editor
Kaitlyn Lai
