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JTBC FOUNDERS CUPMarch 17, 2016Se Ri PakPhoenix, Arizona THE MODERATOR: Well, good afternoon, everybody. We welcome in a World Golf Hall of Fame member who has earned more than 12 million dollars in an unbelievable career, but you can't put a price tag on the resumé that she's got or the impact that she's made in the game of golf worldwide. 39 career wins, 25 on the LPGA Tour, 14 on the KLPGA, five major championships. She turned professional in 1996, won the U.S. Women's Open in 1998, joined the LPGA Tour that same year, and 18 years later, based on what she just saw here on television, she has officially announced retirement here in 2016. Se Ri Pak, how difficult was that on television that we just watched for you to really have those words come out of your mouth? SE RI PAK: It's not easy. Actually, I was planning about three years ago, start think about when is the right time to say this is it for myself being as a player, full-time member as player. So it was three years ago. I mean three years has gone really fast. I still have a couple of more years to go. Already this year I have no announce it that I'm going to retire. Well, you know, some day I will going to retire, but I'm just thinking I wasn't sure when I'm going to say that. But after 15 years in full-time tour, then I see a lot of young kids playing golf my country, and game of golf is so much different now in my country that you can see, you can tell the number of players on the LPGA now. So since that, and every step there following my lead, which is at the same time I have a lot of pressure on it, and I wasn't sure I'm going the right way to showing the right lead. So at the same time I -- I mean I see a lot. I see a lot. I learn a lot. I have great success, and probably I'm lucky person I am being 18 years being make all this career myself. So of course, Annika retired. She done so much things in golf. That's the way it is. That's why I was following that the same way. As you know, I see couple days ago we have a players' meeting. I saw those Founders, the LPGA history, which is, you know, I always remember myself to being as KLPGA, see all those members exactly same. We got four women starting and then playing golf in Korea. They make golf association for the ladies, and every each week, every each month, every year now we have KLPGA the tour players including myself, and then I see exactly same, in players' meeting I see all those Founders, which is -- that's what it is. I mean I made my dream because they are to make my dream come true, and I'm trying to follow their step, which is that's my second dream I always think about. That's why I think about the right time to being a year younger is better than a year older. Than I can do a lot of work together at the same time, a lot of things at the same time. So that's why I call to announce retire. And maybe not going to see me play as much as used to, but I'm still in the golf business where you can see me. But it's great to be -- an honor to be a part of the LPGA member for 18 years. And it's nothing else more than anything. Q. I know that couldn't have been easy over the last few years to think about a day like this that would come. You just talked about the Founders as being so important in your life and your career. At the same time I don't think we could probably put words that would really say enough about the impact that you've made to the women's game of golf and what you did for so many in Korea and Asian-born players who came to play in the United States or came to play the LPGA Tour because of you. Do you understand the impact that you've made? SE RI PAK: It was young, even ten years ago I don't think I totally understood the way I had, but after that's so many young players from my country they play well, you focus on them and I realize that everybody talk about my name in first and now I'm leading the golf in Asia. One moment I was so much a lot of pressure on it. I wasn't to be a part of it because golf you can see easily this is like very individual game, and you're part of it and you have to do something with them, which is that's why -- that age it was too young to not think about going too serious about it. But every each year I'm seeing it and learning it and seeing it and it just -- it makes me totally different person. And I kind of feel I know what I'm going to do next. Before maybe I'm love playing golf as I loved competing. And of course, I won a lot. I'm still trying to win as much as I could. That's still the same person. But it's not -- this is not about the winning. This is about the way, the future of golf, especially my country. This is taking really seriously one year I think about all the situation, I can handle that. And before that answer was I wasn't sure. A year after I said it is. It's someone, someone have to do this. Someone has to do leading. It doesn't matter who you are. But now I'm lucky I am I can do that. That's why I decided exactly this is it. This is the way it is. And before I wasn't sure the person Se Ri, but I know now person Se Ri Pak is going to do next the future of golf as much as I could can help for not this and more coming in the future. I'm trying to help as much as I could as what I have. THE MODERATOR: One more question from me before we start taking some. So if you have a question out there, please raise your hand and we'll get a microphone to you. The word pressure came out of your mouth just a few moments ago about the pressure you perhaps felt to kind of be the leading lady for all the Asian-born players that have now followed in your footsteps. How great was that pressure? SE RI PAK: That pressure is really good. I take that every single time. Before I wasn't sure that pressure I really like it. But now I do love it. I do like to have pressure for me to being I can move on better. Like better level and I can showing I can do better person as before Se Ri. So I said that pressure I will take it and love it. So I will probably -- you know, right now it's so many things being -- passing my mind because it's not going to same Se Ri Pak now, I mean after this because as a player it's maybe a lot easier to being a part of it. But after playing it's probably different pressure. I wasn't sure I can do that. I wasn't sure I can do it really well. It just keep kind of asking myself to being is the right decision to make. But it is. It is. Every single day, every single week, every hour passing, a lot more stronger, every each hour to being okay, this is it. This is really what I wanted. I make myself, I make my decision, and finally, again, feel great to being as seeing those Founders feeling, and that helps me a lot. I mean I know what to follow and what to lead. So yes, the pressure I will take it, give as much pressure, I would love to. THE MODERATOR: You've handled it so well during your career. Let's take some questions. Q. Three years ago when you started thinking about is it time to retire, what was the one main reason that made you start to think about retiring? SE RI PAK: Well, there's nothing really special moment to make decision. Just want to move on myself, be better for myself, which is -- I actually done everything myself as a professional, as golfer. Before I came -- before I decided playing golf my goal was I'm trying to be No. 1 in the world, I'm trying to be best golfer, the ladies. That's where I start and I'm doing well and I'm turn professional, and I won in KLPGA, as a pro, as amateurs, and I move -- decided to move to U. S. and playing the LPGA, and next my goal was I want to win the majors, I want to be Hall-of-Famer, I want to be best in the world golfer. But I've done everything at the same time. I wasn't sure I can do that, but this is my dreams. I make my dreams really big because always my parents told me to make your dreams always big. And however I make all my dreams come true, and it just -- every single day I was at the golf course playing -- I love to playing golf, but you can see a lot of number of players from my country and from different countries, which is more Asian players can see, and now they are talk about in golf, involved, how they can get involved in golf because of watching me on TV, they trying to make the young dreams come true. I mean that's why I was thinking if one day I'm just -- sooner or later I'm going to retire, but I'm not going to retire as not only done playing golf. I just want to be as part of golf, not anymore as player, but I just want to be involved more golf as business, which is being -- you can see -- so many young kids come here and playing golf. I'm trying to help them to being managed, mentally, physically. Just so many things to learn. They need to have some more like condition of their life to make better balance with it because I'm still learning. I'm still not good enough to being find balance. I'm trying to find it, but still not good enough. But that's just the way it is. As a golfer playing every single time mentally every day, but after I'm done such a great job, but ended up, I don't think I'm a great job in myself. As game is good, but as a person I don't think I am. So because of that it's someone that can go longer success, longer career as you come out here two years, three years later, okay, I'm done, I'm just burned out. I can't play golf anymore. I mean this is what I have a couple times myself at the same time. That's why I learn which is more important being as players. Not only talk about golf of game. It's talk about game in your life. So that's part of it. I learn a lot from that moment. That's why I said -- I mean I've done so many things myself. I've done everything I want to be. Next step I'm trying to help as much as I could as the future of golf in my country. So that's why I'm deciding to being when, how long I'm going to play. I mean doing the playing it's pretty hard to be involved of golf, trying to get how to work the better way, the planning. So that's why after 15 years, 16 years, I feel like I'm pretty good to being released myself, so that moment I said I give myself three more years. And then maybe could change maybe year after, but three more years, give myself. Let's do the -- like following the plan. And of course, last year -- probably all year I was off. I was frustrated in my game. And I wasn't happy person because, as I said, same thing, because of golf. It's not -- this is -- like I said, this is really not the right to think about frustrating game. But at the same time frustrating is your life. But now I have one year to go to being retired, which is that moment I has, it means a lot. Every single week, especially starting, this is my tournament first in 2016. And I know this is my last week of JTBC and Phoenix. And next week same thing. Every each week is going to be, I don't know. Just feel really a lot different. But I said, just being retired, it's not because of golf. I just want to be -- move on for different way to find myself. THE MODERATOR: Do you know how many events you'll play the rest of the year? SE RI PAK: I'm trying to play as much as I could. But now I am captain of the Olympic women's for my country. So it could be changed schedule wise, but I'm trying to play as much as I could. THE MODERATOR: I think everybody would like to see you out there. Other questions? Anybody? You talked about what you're going to do, which to the best of my understanding, you want to give back. You want to help. You want to be an ambassador for the game, help young kids. Do you realize what you've already done? I mean the LPGA in the time from 1998 to now is now playing in 14 countries around the world, purses on the LPGA Tour, because of a global appeal are more than 60 million dollars for all the players to compete for in a given year. The travel is global. The sponsorship is global. You played a big part in that. Do you understand that? SE RI PAK: Yes, I am. But this is just started, though. I'm going to be even better to make -- to be smart, to make -- all this -- all I said is just being better, better future, better golfer, better myself, and yeah, as I said, this is just beginning. So hope I'm doing right decision. At the same time hope I'm doing really great. THE MODERATOR: What will you miss most about playing full time on the LPGA Tour? SE RI PAK: Oh, I'll miss all my friends, I guess. Friends here and LPGA staff and media and definitely I am. So that is main part of it not playing golf. Just I see every day and last 18 years, I seeing every day everybody here each week, but now I'm going to miss it. I'm not playing anymore, so that's the most uncomfortable about it. But I am. I'm still going to be connecting to the LPGA connect and friends together. So we'll see. Q. Se Ri, you created this sort of monster of great players that followed you. Was there any frustration in seeing these young players who admired you, loved you for what you inspired them to do, and yet, frustrated because you still wanted to beat them? SE RI PAK: Frustrated because -- (laughs). No. It just -- I mean honestly, I am really glad to happening, to being not stop as my Se Ri. I mean I just want to be continue to come out someone, especially my country, to be next Se Ri, next Inbee, next who. Has to continue to being built better. That's really what I wanted. So now I'm here as a player competing. Of course, competing. I really want to win again. But this means some young players, they watch me to grow and then I'll play together. They beat me, doesn't really what it is. I just want to really love to see that happening, and at the same time it just makes me so proud to being that happen. So hopefully that's it. This can be stuff has to continue to being -- record has to be someone making new record, which is that's what it is. That's what I want to see in the future? THE MODERATOR: Have any of the players that he was mentioning or any of the friends that you have out here that you say you'll miss come up and said something to you over the last few weeks or months, did they know about this retirement? SE RI PAK: I don't think everybody knows yet, but they are after today. I think Juli was know about not clear because she heard last year from Korean media. She was in Korea. But I didn't say anything yet to anybody. So I hope not surprising to anybody. Hope so not. But I'm going to really miss everybody. They probably same way. And however, feel just different. On the range everybody say hi, and of course I'm gone for a long time because I didn't play last year. And say hi to them. I don't know. Everybody just being different, acting different. Because of me? As I'm looking that way? Because of I'm decided to being -- this is my last year. But everybody don't know anything about it. But just feel a little different. But I said I just hope not to make anybody sadness. Hopefully everybody happy to see that, and of course, the LPGA is a part of it. They help me out a lot for this year to being what happened the full season, with the players, what I'm going to be retire. So we'll see. I'm very excited. At the same time of course I feel -- I don't know. I feel kind of middle. THE MODERATOR: Will you still live in the United States? Will you move to Korea? What will you do? SE RI PAK: Probably most of the time in Korea. Full time mostly in Korea and then maybe comes and goes probably in U. S. THE MODERATOR: Any other questions? So here's my last question to you. What would your message be to the fans of golf who've supported you over the years and have seen you win five major championships and remember 1998 in the U.S. Women's Open? What's your message to them about perhaps what's your greatest memory that you'll take away from being a part of the LPGA? SE RI PAK: Well, I'm always being -- saying remember about Se Ri Pak was not only great player. Hopefully great person was Se Ri. I mean that's -- I'm going to do that, trying to make it much more, like as a person. But that's what I want to see the fan, which is remember me about. Not only great player, but hopefully I'm a great person. THE MODERATOR: You are a great person. SE RI PAK: Thank you. THE MODERATOR: You are a great player. You are a wonderful ambassador, not just for the LPGA, but for women's golf and all of women's sports and sport in general. Thank you so much for a wonderful career, spending time with us here today. SE RI PAK: Thank you. THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. Se Ri Pak. SE RI PAK: Thank you. (Applause). FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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