Python 3: Beats 100%. Easy solution.
```python3 []
class Solution:
    def minimumPairRemoval(self, nums: List[int]) -> int:
        ops = 0

        while True:
            if nums == sorted(nums):
                return ops

            s = []
            for i, _ in enumerate(nums[:-1]):
                a, b = nums[i], nums[i + 1]
                s.append(a + b)

            mi = s.index(min(s))
            nums[mi:mi + 2] = [s[mi]]
            ops += 1
```
['Python3']