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CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIPNovember 19, 2014Inbee ParkNAPLES, FLORIDA KRAIG KANN: Thank you everybody for being here at the CME Group Tour Championship. It's a great pleasure to welcome the No. 1 ranked player in the world, Inbee Park, with us. A lot to play for. How do you feel this week? INBEE PARK: Yeah, I feel good. In the last few events I played I played really good golf. Yeah, I'm here and the most important thing is we're here in the final week of LPGA Tour this season. Yeah, I'm really happy about it. Obviously a lot of the things going on this week, so, yeah, can't really‑‑ I can't just enjoy myself in the last tournament. I got to play very hard, yeah, you know, so. KRAIG KANN: So there is a lot going on. You do come in with nine straight Top 10s and eight Top 5s, so you're playing really good golf. Obviously that's important. You have a smile on your face. Are you as relaxed as you appear, or inside is your whole body churning right now with everything that's at stake? INBEE PARK: I think it's really different, because when I was No. 2 in the world I felt really relaxed, and when I got back to No. 1and when it hits the end of the season there are a lot of the things going on, awards, $1 million. I get a little bit more nervous and I feel a little bit more chased. Yeah, I think it's a little bit of a different mindset, but I felt that before. Yeah, I think I can handle that a little bit better this year. KRAIG KANN: $500,000 to win; $1 million for the bonus. That's $1.5 million just in case you needed to count that up. Biggest payday in LPGA history. That's pretty cool. INBEE PARK: Yeah, it's really cool. I don't think I ever had $1.5 million at once. It's really big money. Obviously when you come to last few events or last couple events you feel just relaxed and it's like it's almost over so you sometimes care less and try to enjoy. But there are so many things going on and so many exciting things going on, so you can't just enjoy. Makes the season so much more exciting. I'm just happy that I still have an opportunity. In the middle of the season I thought that Stacy and I had too much gap in between us; I thought I probably wouldn't be able to go for any awards. I'm glad that I'm in a position right now to have a chance. KRAIG KANN: Questions? Q. Whatever feelings you have ‑ nervousness, excitement ‑ what would you compare it with, any other tournament or situation you've been in? INBEE PARK: You know, I've felt a little bit this way‑‑ a little bit excitement and obviously a little bit of nerves. I think I felt really similar feeling to this when I was playing the Mexico last year because aKorean never one LPGA Player of the Year. I was able to wrap it up in Mexico last year. So, yeah, that's how I felt last year there. I didn't win that tournament, but I played quite well there. I think I finished like fourth there last year and secured the Player of the Year Award. Yeah, I feel a little bit kind of the same way, but I'm obviously in a different position where I'm second this year and last year I was first. Yeah, a little bit different position, but I think this could be a little bit more fun, so... KRAIG KANN: I was there last year. You were nervous. INBEE PARK: Yeah, I think that was probably the most nervous I've probably been. My only goal last year was to win the Player of the Year Award because that's something I never won before. I think the more you want it the more nervous you get. I think that's why it's hard to control those nerves and feelings when you want something too much. KRAIG KANN: You said that was your only goal last year. Did you have an only goal this year? INBEE PARK: I had a couple of goals this year. I had the British Open win this year; I wanted to win that. At the end of the season I wanted to be No. 1 again. I reached one of my goals. I won the Vare Trophy and the Player of the Year Award before, so I didn't think about that so much this year. I just tried to play a little bit more consistent golf. Yeah, hopefully if I'm No. 1 by the end of the season I'll be very, very happy. And I am. Q. When the $1 million bonus was announced early in the year, everybody talked about how it gave you added incentive and people would be thinking about it throughout the year. Did you think about it throughout the course of the year? If so, how often? Or was it just another award? INBEE PARK: I think it's a little bit different to just an award, because, you know, other awards it's just really for an honor and it's for the history of golf. But CME points system is for money and obviously an award. So it's a little bit different feeling. It's something that nobody has done before. It's first time in LPGA history. I think it's just going to be special to put my name in there for the first time. Not everybody gets that kind of opportunity. Yeah, I probably thought about it. I think I though if I give myself an opportunity in the last tournament, if I win the last tournament, if I could win $1 million, I think I would be happy. I think I put myself in a better position than what I thought. I said if I'm in top 5 and if I play well in the last tournament, but I'm No. 2 in position. So I think it's, yeah, a good position, I think. Q. How many times over the course of the year can you remember thinking that I need to... INBEE PARK: Maybe once a month I looked at the points and saw where I was. Yeah, so... Q. Inbee, over the last now three years you and Stacy have really separated yourselves in terms of the consistency, top 10 results, and trading the No. 1 ranking. We love the word "rivalry" in sports. Do you feel like it's a rivalry, and can you talk about the relationship you have with her? INBEE PARK: Yeah, I think last year was like more‑‑ last year and the year before, like Suzann, me, and Stacy, it was like three players was always on top and we always competed against each other. Looks like this year it's been more Lydia and Stacy. But Stacy was always there, you know, with me. So I feel like we've really helped each other to improve each other's game. If there was just me and nobody playing as consistent as me then I probably wouldn't have a lot of motivation. It's good to play against a player like that. Q. You have such a beautiful, rhythmic swing and putting stroke. When you get nervous on the back nine, what are some of the things you and your caddie maybe either talk about or focus on in order to maintain that when the pressure is on and it's winning time? INBEE PARK: I'm very fast player. I don't have the long routines or‑‑ I'm very quick player. When I get too nervous or too anxious about something, I tend to get a little bit quick. So I play quicker. I'm quick, but I play quicker. So I just try to slow it down a little bit more and try to take my time a little bit longer. But obviously not that long, but, yeah, over the years I've‑‑ I was I think really super quick before. Over the years I think I'm close to going to average. I mean, I really like playing quick, because the more time you take the more thoughts process that gets in your head. Yeah. But one thing I'm trying to do is not to get too quick. Q. I don't think I've seen you since your wedding. Congratulations. INBEE PARK: Thank you. Q. Can you talk about when that was over how your mindset changed. I know there is a lot that goes into a wedding that you're focused on. Did that clear your mind a little bit? INBEE PARK: Yeah, it definitely did. Couple months before the wedding I thought a lot about the wedding. Golf became a little bit second priority, because first I thought wedding is very important event in my life. It's only first and last‑‑ only once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity, so I thought I really wanted to make it really special. Yeah, I spent a lot of time there. I didn't play many events this year because of the wedding. I missed a few events. Yeah, it's good. I feel free, and after getting married I can really focus on golf right now. But I never regret that I spent that much time on wedding, because it was such a great experience and I had such a nice time. KRAIG KANN: For the record, you've played 23 events this year. Q. Can you go over your year in putting? I know at the beginning of the year it was a struggle, and then obviously you found something there at the Wegman's. Talk about since then how it's been. INBEE PARK: Yeah, it's been slowly getting better. Earlier obviously I had a lot of good shots but didn't really make anything. Since the Wegman's and on my putting has improved a lot, but not dramatically like last year. But I definitely see an improvement. In Taiwan I putted really, really good. Since then I feel like my ball is rolling on line, and it's coming back slowly. Yeah, I think I'm definitely putting better than what I have in the middle of the season. KRAIG KANN: Two more questions. Q. Two‑part question: First off, if you win the bonus, what do you treat yourself to with that million? INBEE PARK: I don't know. I haven't really thought about where to spend the money. I just bought a small house earlier this year, but I might go buy maybe a little bigger house. Q. How small is small? INBEE PARK: 3,000 square feet. Q. My second part, the rankings this year with the Race to the CME Globe a little bit different for you guys this year. What did you think of the entire points system throughout the season? INBEE PARK: I mean, I really don't know exactly how the points exactly work, but I'm sure they really made it fair. Yeah, I think‑‑ how exactly does it work? KRAIG KANN: Basically this: You control your own destiny. Just win this week. Or if you get a little help from the top three, you're good. INBEE PARK: Okay, that's fair. Yeah, if I win this week I win, so that's good. (Laughter.) Yeah. Q. How long can you see yourself playing golf? INBEE PARK: I don't know. I set my goal for actually really for the Olympics, 2016 Olympics. I'm just going to play very hard until then and see how I feel. Probably '17 or '18 I probably want to have family, but who knows. Every time I try to make my mind it changes, so... But one thing for sure is I want the gold medal in the Olympics, so... Q. You said the first time you were ranked No. 1 there was so much responsibility that's tough, that you have to learn to deal with, and that when you lost it you said, When I get it back it's going to be different. Can you talk about what's different after you've taken it back? INBEE PARK: I think the main difference is that I'm a lot more experienced and relaxed being in this position. It feels more like my position. Because, you know, the first time I was there I feel like, you know, Where am I right now? I just didn't know what to do and how to handle myself up here. But, yeah, it just feels more relaxed. It doesn't feel much different to No. 2 or No. 3, so that's been the most important thing, I think. You don't get too nervous on the golf courses. I thought when I was No. 1 for the first time I thought I had to show people why I'm No. 1. But now, you know, I know that if I just play my golf and just play normal and just play what I usually do, do what I usually do, that's how to be No. 1. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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