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FRYS.COM OPEN


October 12, 2014


Sangmoon Bae


NAPA, CALIFORNIA

DOUG MILNE:  Sang‑Moon Bae, congratulations on your second career PGA TOUR victory here at Frys.com Open.  You started the day with a four‑shot lead and came away with a two stroke margin of victory, so congratulations on your win.  Just a few comments about that.
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Yeah, thank you so much.  It was a really, really good game.  The course wasn't easy.  The greens were so fast, a lot of three‑putts, and a lot of bogeys.
But I know how well I did this week.  I hit the ball really solid and swinging really good, so I'm very happy and still excited.
DOUG MILNE:  We're coming up on a Presidents Cup year, and obviously with it in South Korea, does a win like this, is that something that might get you thinking about the Presidents Cup?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Yeah, thinking about the Presidents Cup, I really wants to play next year in Korea, my country, and also I really want to play Olympics two years later.  It's my goal.

Q.  The second shot on 18, you went for the green in two.  Why did you do that?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  I had a really good number, only 240, 50, to the hole.  I had confidence pretty much, so I hit a really good hybrid.  It wasn't a hard shot in.

Q.  When you missed the green long on 16, that was an important par not to lose another shot.  Was it a difficult chip, or were you happy with the way you chipped that?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  I think it was the hardest chip shot on Sunday, I mean, today.  It was really really good up‑and‑down.  If I made bogey that hole, I think I lose focus next hole, but I hit it really good from off the green, fourth shot.  It was good.

Q.  What made the course so much more difficult today, and how were you sort of emotionally when you made those bogeys early in the back nine?  Were you getting nervous or worried at all?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Yeah, only a little bit, but mixed emotions.  Sometimes I felt like excited too much and sometimes nervous, and sometimes a little lose focus a little.  Winds were a little strong out there, a little different than the first three days, and club judge and tee shot, also putting wasn't easy on the green.  A lot of leaves on the greens, so very hard to be clear on the green.

Q.  Any one specific example of a hole where you hit a different club than the previous few days because of wind?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  The 18th.  11, I made bogey that hole.  I hit 6‑iron, but I pulled‑‑ it wasn't a bad shot, but bad bogey.

Q.  What did you hit on 18 the other days?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  I hit 7, 8 a couple of them, but I hit a really hard 6‑iron just short of the hole.

Q.  On No.8 (inaudible) par putt the wind changed drastically.  What kind of effect did that have on you?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Yeah, I had a good number for my second shot, but I hit it really good from second, but I made a bogey.  I don't know, it's a really good club, a little past the green.  I had a four‑, five‑foot par putt.  I took a long time from there.  A little tricky, but the winds were strong, but I think I pushed that putt a little.  The wind didn't change, but sometimes strong, sometimes quiet, like confusing.

Q.  I know you've been to Augusta before, but how important is it to get back into the Masters, which obviously this achieved that for you?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Yeah, I played twice, so it was really good playing.  I love that course, and everything is awesome.  The course is beautiful, the galleries, everything is amazing, so I really want to play next year, and I'm looking forward to playing next Masters.

Q.  Why do you think you're better prepared now going in?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  I think my game is a little improved.  I think it's harder than other‑‑ the rough is thick, and the winds are really strong, like a British Open, like a lot of majors, but little better than‑‑ a little better for Asians.  Very fast greens, so I think Asian golfers have a chance to win.

Q.  It was obviously very special when you won Byron Nelson last year, but second win, what does it mean for you as a Korean golfer to be a multiple champion on the PGA TOUR?  And K.J. Choi, who I know you have a lot of influence by him, did he send any memos, messages, texts to you last night?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  I turned the phone off last night, honestly.  K.J. sends to me always a lot of tips.  He gave me a lot of tips around the greens about golf.  He's a really good friend, really good golfer.  Honestly, I respect him.  Yeah, he's good.  He's a great golfer.
After the first win, I didn't play well last year.  I was very frustrated.  Even though my game was good, the score wasn't.  I was very frustrated and I was very anxious and nervous, but my game has improved this year.  I went back home during the off‑season and practiced hard, so that gave me a good result.

Q.  Two wins on the PGA TOUR, what does that mean as a Korean male golfer?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  The first one was hard, but second one was more difficult.  But now I've got the second one, I think third and fourth will come easy since I have the confidence.

Q.  When you mentioned Presidents Cup and South Korea and also Olympics, were you thinking about the Presidents Cup when you started this year, how important the year would be?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  I think it's most important to me because it's in Korea next year.  It really means a lot.  There's a lot of good Korean golfers in Korea, but I'm really working hard.  I really want to play Presidents Cup next year.
If I can't play it, I will be really sad.

Q.  When you say important, would you say it was one of your biggest goals of the year?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Yes, it is.

Q.  The biggest?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Yes, most biggest goal to me.

Q.  It will be the biggest golf event in Korea, correct?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Oh, yeah.

Q.  What has been the biggest golf event in Korea, and did you win it?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Probably Korea Open or something.  It was a big tournament.

Q.  Have you won it?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Yeah, twice.

Q.  Who did you beat?  You won when you were 18, didn't you, or 12 or something?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  I won 2008, 2009.  That's the years I played with Rory McIlroy, Ishikawa, and who else‑‑ in 2008 it's Anthony Kim, and Ian Poulter played that tournament.  Really, really fun.

Q.  I noticed in the Byron Nelson tournament that you won, you had a four‑stroke lead that kind of went away and then you won the tournament, regrouped you might call it.  Here is another tournament where you had a big lead and the lead started to go away, a lot of pressure, Sunday at a PGA TOUR event.  Can you talk a little bit about that kind of pressure you have to deal with on Sunday?  How do you refocus when things start to go against you?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  There's always pressure on Sunday because other players behind me are charging, so I tried to maintain had I focus and play my own game.

Q.  This is the first time that the PGA TOUR has conducted an event on this golf course in decades, and it's an older style golf course.  What parts of the golf course did you find that suited your game, and what parts of the golf course were a challenge for you?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Honestly, I really like this course because it's like a classic‑‑ always classic courses you need really good iron shots for second, really narrow, small greens, a lot of undulation.  I think the greens were pretty soft this week, but the fairways were a little firm, but rough is not easy.  So I hit‑‑ I drove it pretty good, but iron shot was really, really good, and that's why I made a lot of birdies this week.

Q.  You said how it was frustrating since the Byron Nelson.  What wasn't working the last year and a half that worked well this week?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  I don't know.  Honestly, I don't know.  But I work on the same thing, nothing different.  I didn't try something different.  I worked on the same thing, but I felt like much improved in my golf game, but the results wasn't good.  I don't know.  I think I didn't have instructor last season.  That's why I played bad.  I think I little figured out my swing right now.  That's why I hit it a little better than last season.

Q.  Now do you have an instructor?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Yes, actually for next year, 2015.

Q.  Who's that?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  He lives in Korea.  He's traveling with me next year.

Q.  How long have you had Matt on the bag?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Oh, caddie?  This is his third year.  We started 2013‑‑ yeah, Sony Open.

Q.  Now that you've done it both, one from behind and one with a big lead, which one is easier?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Both pretty excited and nervous, also.  Always Sunday plays with a lot of emotion, mixed emotions, I mean.  I think one or two shots behind is even better.  That's easier to play aggressive, sometimes set the tone.  Yeah, that's better to me.

Q.  Did you feel like at the start of the week you had a performance like this in the bag?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  No.  But my goal was top 10.  It was the first tournament.  I didn't think about a win because I didn't play the last two months after Barclays.  Actually didn't play well last season, also, so I worked hard between Barclays and this tournament.  I stayed in Korea for two months, almost two months.  I worked hard, much improved, yeah.  That's why I played good.

Q.  I had a chance to watch you warm up each and every day.  You were changing the targets every shot.  Was that advice from your new coach, or is that something you do all the time?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Yeah, that's my style on the range, always hitting different targets every single ball.  Depends on how far I want to hit, 7‑iron, 5‑iron, driver.  If we play on the course, always changing targets.  It depends on wind, on the conditions.  Driving range is so wide, so a lot of targets on the driving range, so I pick the one target from where I'm standing.  Yeah, that's my style.

Q.  How good were you in baseball?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Baseball?

Q.  Didn't you play baseball when you were little?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Yes.

Q.  Were you good?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Yeah, I was good.  Really good.

Q.  What position?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  First base.

Q.  Do you like baseball better than golf?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Even.  I still really like baseball.  I can't play, worried about injury, but sometimes I like to see the ball.

Q.  Do you like American baseball?
SANG‑MOON BAE:  Yes, I follow the Dodgers.
DOUG MILNE:  Congratulations.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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