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SHOPRITE LPGA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY ACERMay 28, 2015Inbee ParkGALLOWAY, NEW JERSEY Q. One of the few courses on tour that you haven't won on. Do you like this golf course? INBEE PARK: Yeah. I do like this golf course. I played good a couple of times here, last year and the year before‑‑ I think 2012. Was a good year for me. This golf course is a short golf course, probably one of the shortest that we play all year, so that gives me a lot of opportunity at birdies, and it can get really tricky because it's a windy golf course, and there's a lot of crosswind holes this week. So I think it'll really depend on the weather, and the greens are the poa annua greens where you gotta be just really patient and careful. So yeah, that's going to be the key, I think, holing the putts this week. Q. Inbee, we heard last week that you were going to play Lancaster Country Club and then‑‑ we didn't get to talk to you anyway, but I don't know if you did or not. But did you play it and what did you think. INBEE PARK: I played, yeah. I played in Lancaster a couple of times, last Friday and Saturday. Q. Oh, okay. INBEE PARK: Yeah. Last Friday and Saturday. Q. What did you think? INBEE PARK: I think it's a great golf course. I mean they were‑‑ they just punched the greens when we were there, so obviously you just can't tell how the conditions is going to be in the tournament. But I mean the overall setup and the golf course and the layout was great, I think. And the greens are, I mean when it gets quick, it's just going to be very undulated greens and it's going to be very tough. You just don't want to be behind the hole there. It's just going to be really, really quick. So yeah, I think it's a tough course. Q. Does this seem like sort of the beginning of the time of the year where it's really a key stretch, we're kind of getting serious now? INBEE PARK: Yeah. I think everybody wants to play well this summer. That's probably the most important time for your whole season, probably the June through August, and that's where all the major championships are pretty much. We only had one major so far, and we still have four more, and it's like all bunched up. So you definitely want to be in your best shape now. Q. With Lydia not here this week, do you look at that as an opportunity to sort of gain on her in the world rankings and Player of the Year race and stuff? INBEE PARK: I don't know whether it's like an advantage or disadvantage for her not being here. I think it just really all depends on how I play this week. So even if she's here or not, I just try to win, and winner definitely take over No. 1 spot. So yeah, I think I try to play consistent every week, and obviously we have a lot more major tournaments and big tournaments coming up, and that's going to be where it really matters. Q. You lost the No. 1 ranking here last year after 59 weeks, but you have a chance to take it back this week with a tie for third or better. Would that be pretty cool to get it back after losing it here last year? INBEE PARK: Yeah. I think that would be quite memorable. Having the time that it was here last year, but I mean like I said, it's not my only priority. I have a lot more things to do in golf, and I've been to No. 1 ranking before and just trying to‑‑ I mean I feel like I play quite good golf, but obviously Lydia play very, very good. And I still have so much opportunity to catch up. Q. How do you feel your game is coming into this week? INBEE PARK: Yeah, I feel like my game is in good shape. You know, last had a win three weeks ago and I had a lot of confidence on my putter that week, so obviously‑‑ hopefully that experience is going to help me play this week. And yeah, I feel like I'm rolling the ball better, but it's just tough to tell on these poa annua greens. They can jump everywhere, so we'll see where it's going to jump. Q. Do you like the wind? INBEE PARK: I mean on this golf course, I think it's actually needed, I think. I mean if it's no wind and nothing at all, I think it's just going to be just probably easy golf course. But when the wind comes into play, it can play so much different. So I think it's a lot more fun with the wind. Q. Is it an advantage to play in the morning with the poa annua growing up in the afternoon? INBEE PARK: I think like with both the wind and the greens, I think morning is a better tee time, definitely. Q. How do you feel about going back to Wegmans to defend in a couple of weeks? You have a chance to defend that championship, but it's at a new golf course, new venue. Kind of an evolved major there? INBEE PARK: Yeah. I played the Westchester Country Club as well, and it felt like it was probably one of the best golf courses we play all year, and it seemed like they were in really good shape and they were getting ready for a really great championship. So I'll be really looking forward to playing that tournament and defending my title there. It'll be great. Q. Lancaster and Westchester are both kind of classic courses. Do they remind you of each other at all? INBEE PARK: Yeah. They're somewhat similar, but I think they were a little bit different. I mean Westchester is more‑‑ the greens are more a lot of little slopes and a lot of the little ridges, but Lancaster is more like just slopes, big slopes, bigger slopes than having little ridges. So the greens are going to be probably a little bit different, and probably Lancaster will play a little longer, I think. Q. Do you like the tougher U.S. Open venues or do you prefer a tournament where 20‑under wins? INBEE PARK: No. I mean I don't think anybody is a fan of winning on 25‑under par golf courses. I think I love the challenge, and I like to challenge myself, and sometimes, you know, really struggle to make pars and make good pars, instead of just pars just make for you. I mean it'll be nice where you can just make par easy on the tough golf courses, but sometimes I like to work for pars, and I think it brings a lot of fun to play. Q. You mentioned Lydia earlier. What do you like about her game and what do you like about her personally? INBEE PARK: You know, she's just very mature for her age, and obviously‑‑ I don't know what's really the bad part about her game. I mean she hits it straight. She putts well, and her short‑‑ I think probably out of her game, I'd say the short game is probably the best part of her game, especially chipping around the greens. She's probably one of the best out here. Q. Is it surprising to see a young girl have that much‑‑ she won her first event before her 16th birthday. Is that surprising to you? INBEE PARK: I mean it was surprising at first, but then now, you know, there are so many girls out here who is under 18 and just winning tournaments like it's nothing. I mean since Lydia came up, there has been so many young generations of golfers that are just playing so well, so it doesn't surprise me anymore. I try to play as good as them. Q. It seems like you, Stacy or Lydia almost win every week or at least in contention. She's won two of the last three here. Why is she so tough here do you think? INBEE PARK: Well, I mean Stacy is a good player, so she‑‑ I mean good player, no matter what, of course, they go and have a tendency to play well, be in contention. And obviously maybe suited her eye this golf course maybe. Yeah. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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