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CANADIAN PACIFIC WOMEN'S OPEN

August 19, 2015

So Yeon Ryu

Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada

THE MODERATOR: Happy to be joined in the media center by So Yeon Ryu, defending champion of the CP Women's Open. How does it feel coming back here as the defending women's champion?

SO YEON RYU: It always feels special coming back as a defending champion. We have two tournaments in Canada, but Canadian fans are always really friendly and humble. So I really enjoyed being here. Especially this is really close to Koreatown, so I feel even more comfortable.

Q. What are some of the things that make it more comfortable, being close to a Korean community like in Vancouver?
SO YEON RYU: Especially whenever I want to have Korean food I always can find Korean food, especially I have a variety of choice. So I kind of know if I'm going to go play a tournament, I do not have much choice. I just stick with one restaurant, but this week I have a variety of choices.

So before I'm going to dinner I can be like really happy with where I'm going to go, so I can charge up with the Korean food. But so many people Korean around me, especially this week, a lot of Korean volunteers around us. So that kind of thing makes me comfortable.

Q. I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about the golf course? What do you think the keys are to succeeding here and playing well?
SO YEON RYU: Actually, three years ago I didn't really play well at this golf course, this golf course feels very different the front nine and back nine. The front nine is very hilly, the greens severe. I do like the back nine more than the front nine. But I think the key point is I would say iron shots because we need to put in like safest positions so like there is no three-putt. So I would say iron accuracy and of course putting is always every week 365 days that's key.

Q. People are starting to talk about the Olympics now. I know there are so many good South Korean players. It's going to be very competitive because there are only four spots available, right?
SO YEON RYU: Yes. Well, I think by far top 10 player, only top 10 players can play in the Olympics as Koreans. So that's quite a competitive feel. So even when I was young, I always dreamed about playing in the Olympics, and it's not much far away. So far I've made the Korean team, but I hope I can stick with this ranking because I really want to get a gold medal at the Olympics next year.

Q. Last time you were on the course here three years ago, obviously, you didn't make the cut. It wasn't the greatest tournament for yourself. What lessons do you draw from that?
SO YEON RYU: Actually, three years ago I had a lot of problems with my swing. Also two years ago was my rookie year, and I was kind of homesick about at this time because it was about halfway through the season. Right now it feels like home and I'm in the LPGA. I don't have any home sickness anymore. So for sure I can be playing better than I did last year or three years ago.

Especially Brooke Henderson just won the tournament last week, so, so many Canadians have lots of attention to golf. So I wish I can make a really great -- I wish I can play really great golf in front of all the Canadian fans.

Q. South Korean golf is obviously well known. How has it evolved over the years from Pak to the present? How has it changed?
SO YEON RYU: You mean what's different from Se Ri Pak and Inbee Park?

Q. Yeah, if it has evolved, if it is different, how has it changed?
SO YEON RYU: To me, only okay on the LPGA four years I cannot say what is the big difference between like ten years ago and right now. But I would say more Korean people right here than even some of the rookies coming from Korea and even also they cannot speak English but they still feel comfortable because so many Korean players around and we really help each other.

I would say is also like my idol was Se Ri Pak, Grace Park, but right now Inbee is pretty much the idol star, so I would say idol star has been changed. But also we have really great role models on Tour, and I think that's one of the reasons Korean players keep dreaming about the LPGA and keep having motivation to play in the LPGA.

Q. One of the top Korean players, yourself and the others, what sort of rivalry or camaraderie or bit of both is there?
SO YEON RYU: I would say we're a rivalry on the course absolutely. Not, just the Koreans, but we're all rivalries on the course. But good thing about LPGA, we're all good friends. Even when we're having a practice round, for example, Inbee and I share kind of skill. Like Inbee's putting much better than me. Inbee thinks my short game is better than hers, so sometimes she asks me how to do this shot, and sometimes I ask her, what is the key point of being a great putter player? So I would say we have both situations, yeah, both relationships.

Q. How important is that to you to be a mentor to some of these younger South Koreans that are coming over to the U.S. and Canada to play on the LPGA for the first time?
SO YEON RYU: You know their golf abilities are so great, so I really can't offer advice to them. But to me, the most difficult thing was American culture. North American culture and Korean culture is a very big difference. So no matter if they're speaking English or not, it still doesn't feel comfortable being in the Western culture. So I always tell them it's really important to learn English, but also really important to see what is the big difference between American culture and Korean culture.

So I always recommend them, so it's really great to hang out with Korean players, but also really great to hang out with like international players. So we have more chance to learn like different culture. In that case, we are more easy to get used to all the Tour stuff, I think.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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