U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 19, 2014

So Yeon Ryu

Q. How happy are you with the round today?
SO YEON RYU: Oh, yeah, absolutely. Actually, 1-under is really a great score, especially today I was just so nervous. My hands were so shaky and my body was really tight. I went to the past champions dinner on Sunday, and I realized how I wanted to become a U. S. Open champion and how honored and awesome it is to be playing in the U. S. Women's Open. I think that makes me more nervous to start up the round. So I thought -- honestly, before I started round, I thought, oh, maybe feels like I cannot play well today. But actually 1-under is a pretty awesome score, so I'm really happy with my score.

Q. How long did it take you to calm down?
SO YEON RYU: I didn't really calm down. I was still nervous at the whole 18. I know I should find the reason, but I didn't really calm down. But the really good thing is today our group, I'm playing with Karrie and Lexi, and the score wasn't really the best, I think that helped me be more relaxed. If someone shot 8 over or 9 over, it can feel honestly more tough, the course. But my fellow competitor was playing really well. So that helped me a lot.

Q. Is 1-under as good as you could have gotten?
SO YEON RYU: Actually, I had more birdie chances, but I missed it a lot. But 1-under is still really great score. If I think about, like other way, I'm for sure today the USGA made a course be more easier. I think easiest as they can. So I was a bit disappointed to miss a couple birdie putts, but it was still a great score.

Q. You were saying how being a past champion helps you in your confidence. But you just said that, having been in the champions dinner last night, in a way that, made you more nervous?
SO YEON RYU: Yeah, yeah, because feels more -- I mean, I already felt like so honored to become a U.S. Women's Open champion. But 1962 champion was there and even 1970 champion is there, 1980 champion is there. So many U.S. Women's Open champion is like the world's greatest golfer. So that makes me feel I can be world No. 1 player some day, and that kind of gave me a lot of motivation. And if you really want to play well, it can be maybe more nervous, I think that's why I was nervous.

Q. Your expectations now higher having won a Major championship? Is that a goal for you?
SO YEON RYU: Yeah, absolutely. Actually, we took a picture all together. Then kind of like multiple winner was sitting at the like front and single winners were standing off side. And I was so jealous, and I thought some day I really wanted to be a multiple champion.

Q. Did the course get harder on the backside, do you feel?
SO YEON RYU: The thing is, I think last three days the wind wasn't really going. Gust wind makes us a bit hard. Wind sometimes blowing and stop, blowing and stop, so it's really hard to choose a club.

Q. You said the course was easier today, set up easier?
SO YEON RYU: Yeah, because they moved up the tee a lot to the 4.

Q. Only three scores under par.
SO YEON RYU: Yeah, yeah, actually today my game wasn't really best game, because my shot wasn't really that great. So if I feels like easy -- maybe today course setup is easiest way. I thought maybe other player felt more like easy than me, because my condition wasn't that great. So I'm for sure that other players also feels like this is easiest way.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports