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INTERNATIONAL CROWN


July 24, 2014


Na Yeon Choi

In-Kyung Kim

Inbee Park

So Yeon Ryu


OWINGS MILLS, MARYLAND

KELLY THESIER:  Good afternoon, everyone.  We would like to welcome Team Korea into the interview room.  You guys split your matches today, one win, one loss, two, points in the first day of play.
Inbee and So Yeon, you guys were the 3 & 2 win over Katherine Kirk and Lindsey Wright.  What was this morning like?  We have been waiting and talking so much about it, but what was that moment like when you guys stepped on the first tee and heard that National Anthem for the first time?
INBEE PARK:  It was really cool.  We always watch like soccer players and all the other players in the Olympics and in the World Cup, having, doing the national anthem.  We never really got to do it and it was the first time actually at the golf course that I heard that.  So it was really cool.  It felt like that I felt the responsibility, but at the same time I felt like we have the whole Korea on my back and I felt the support and it was really good day today.
KELLY THESIER:  So Yeon, I think south Korea might have had the most people with the flags out of any country besides the U.S.  Did you guys feel that support from the moment one?
SO YEON RYU:  Yeah, it was really great.  Even we were playing at the America but we have a lot of Korean fans out here.  So that means enough to encourage us.  But everybody had a Korean flag and they were really cheering us.  That was quite a big help then.  I felt like really I'm playing for Korea.
KELLY THESIER:  I.K. and Na Yeon, what's the emotion, was the emotion greater than you thought it would be kind of stepping up and playing for your country, or were there more nerves than you thought you might have on that first tee?
NA YEON CHOI:  I think that we were pretty nervous.  We were talking about like how nervous we would be on the first tee, but also at the time we felt a great feeling, too.  A lot of people were cheering for us even though they are not even Korean, some Americans or some Asians.  Actually some of my friends or fans, they flew to here for cheering me from Taiwan.
So I feel great.  But I feel a little bit like sorry to my team, we couldn't win today, but hopefully we have a better result the next few days and help support Korea.
KELLY THESIER:  Questions for any of Team Korea.

Q.  Inbee, we were talking a lot about the Americans versus Koreans going into it.  What's your reaction on the Americans getting shut out on day one?
INBEE PARK:  Well, it was obviously really an unexpected thing, but it's match play and four‑ball.  It's just anything could happen.  Taiwan is a strong match play team, so they had a tough team in the first match.  And, yes, it's good to see them with a good comeback the next few days and see them in the final.

Q.  Na Yeon, I'll ask you this and if your teammates wants to answer, that's fine.  Athletes in Korea get a lot of attention.  Perhaps they are under a lot of pressure because the country cares so much about sports and pays attention to its athletes.  Being in the lime light that way, is that something that adds pressure or is that something that motivates you?
NA YEON CHOI:  I think it's a little bit of both in everything.  I know a lot of Koreans care about the results, but I think more players, we're more focused on process and how we act on the course.
But after the round, I.K. and I were talking about our round today and we couldn't play simply as when we played a regular tournament.  So we thought too much about how we were going to make the par or how are we going to play aggressive for a birdie putt.  So many things were going on in my head, so we couldn't really focus on our game.
Hopefully tomorrow a little bit less pressure on the course and we can focus our target and our goal.
KELLY THESIER:  As you guys get ready for tomorrow's matches, I know your pairings are in, but did you talk about your strategy or have you guys been having a lot of meetings?  How has it been in the team room for Team Korea?
I.K. KIM:  Yeah, well, after the round, we had a few interviews and we had to pick a team and Na Yeon and I are going to play tomorrow together.  Inbee and So Yeon are a great team.  They had a great day today.
So even though we didn't win today, I think that we fought really well.  I think we gave everything that we have.  Sometimes it doesn't show, but, for me, it was a little strange, because I'm really good friends with both of them and it's competition.  But I think that we have to just kind of shut down some emotions out there and just play as well as we can tomorrow.

Q.  Inbee, you talked about this the other day, but you don't play match play that often and it is different.  In stroke play, you are a lot more focused on yourself, but it's more head on with the other team now.  Do you enjoy that?  Is that something that you have fun with?
INBEE PARK:  Yeah, I mean I do enjoy match play style.  I haven't played match play as a professional, but I played a lot of match play when I was a junior and amateur.  So I had good results in those tournaments.  I have a confidence in match play and I think it's just really exciting because you can really forget about the hole that you already played and you just try to go for pins.  It's a little more aggressive play and a little bit different than to what you usually play for.
I think it's the best thing is that we have teammates and two of us or four of us trying to coordinate to bring out some good results.  Yeah, because it's something different and unique, that's why it's so much fun.

Q.  Inbee, So Yeon had one of the best rounds out there today.  What was it just like playing with her?
SO YEON RYU:  I think we had a really great teamwork because I made two birdies at the first hole and third hole.  Then we were two up until the 8th hole.  But Lindsey made a birdie at 8, so we were kind of like dropping down to one up.  And then hole No. 9 is really a tough hole, but Inbee made a really great birdie then.  And that birdie gave us a lot of confidence.
It was really great motivation to jump up to 3‑up and 4‑up.  So I think that when we really need to hit some great shots, somebody was playing really great shots.  So I think our teamwork was really great about that.
KELLY THESIER:  You guys said you've been having a team dinner every night.  Have you been changing up what you've been eating or the same stuff every night?  What kind of stuff are you going for tonight?
INBEE PARK:  We have had two nights together, but we're sticking with Korean.  It gives us some good energy.
KELLY THESIER:  Sounds like a good plan.  Well, thank you very much.  Best of luck tomorrow.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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