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KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIPJune 9, 2016Inbee ParkSammamish, Washington KRAIG KANN: Welcome to the Media Center here at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. It is a great honor to welcome the three-time defending champion of this event. A seven-time major champion and now officially qualified for the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame. Inbee Park. (Applause.) KRAIG KANN: You deserve that. And the scorecard says plus 1, 72. What I want to know is the story behind the numbers. What was your experience like out there for you today? INBEE PARK: It was great, I can tell you that. The last month for me was quite a tough time and I didn't know maybe -- I had no guarantee that I was maybe going to play all the way today or there was just nothing that I could really guarantee after seeing like three weeks ago. And it just feels -- I feel truly blessed that my thumb and my body and my mind and everything really holded up out there. I grinded really well out there. Everything kind of really worked the way I wanted to. And obviously the score is obviously not the greatest, but I definitely am satisfied with the scores today and the day, I enjoyed the today. The experience I had today was great. I don't think I can change with any other rounds that I had in my life so far. KRAIG KANN: We all speculated, we all talked about it, we were all excited about it. You earned the 27th point, the critical point back at CME Group Tour Championship last year. How much have you thought since that time about this day? How many times did you play it over in your mind and did today equal those expectations? INBEE PARK: Yes, I mean last year at CME I thought this moment was going to come very, very quickly, because it was only ten tournaments away from. And just a few tournaments away. So I thought everything was just going to go really smooth. And nothing to really worry about. Until I really knew that a couple of injuries was going to come in 2016. It's nothing I ever had expected, obviously. I thought it was going to be a lot more smoother than this one. But I think I really get to appreciate it a lot more after having a tough time last month. I really feel like it happened for a reason. And I got to realize how much people -- how much care I got from a lot of people. How much love I got from a lot of people. People really cared about me, and I got to appreciate their love and support. So I think it's just that kind of moment was needed to get in the Hall of Fame, I think. The road to the Hall of Fame is not easy and was not easy for me. And so that I get to appreciate so much more. KRAIG KANN: Family, friends, Hall of Fame members out there, fellow players, the Commissioner, fans, what was that like? What was that experience like just on the 18th after that final putt dropped and seeing everybody? INBEE PARK: Yeah, it felt such special, especially I didn't expect Se Ri, Annika, Laura, Webbie and Juli to come out and congratulate me at all. So I was really, really surprised to see them and it just felt so much more special seeing a lot of those players -- legendary players that I have been looking up to when I was growing up. And actually being able to see them after the round and waiting for me after the round with my smiley face. KRAIG KANN: You saw yourself. INBEE PARK: Yeah, it was great. I don't think I can change this experience with any other week. Q. I think through the first seven holes you didn't miss a fairway or a green. And then once you hit that drive on the right rough on 8 you were on your bicycle and grinding a lot. Can you talk a little bit about how easy it was, kind of the first seven holes and just how tough it was coming in? That's my first question. Second question is will you be on the tee tomorrow morning for round two? INBEE PARK: Yes, today was obviously -- I got off to a very good start after seven, until about No. 8. I mean it was kind of expected because I have been practicing with the injury and I knew that it usually gets a little bit more tired at the end of the day. I kind of felt that in the Pro Am day where I play 18 holes for the first time, I kind of got tired on the back nine. I knew I had to kind of grind out there today. I'm not going to hit it as far as I usually do. I'm not going to be able to shape the balls the way I want to, on the back nine, maybe. So I had to kind of play around the greens. But I was really happy with my putting today. I putted really good out there and the short game was good. But my thumb is much better than what I have expected, which is a really good sign and I'll be there tomorrow, yes. Q. How much pain were you in? Secondly, what's more difficult, the pain, itself, or the fear of when it's going to come? INBEE PARK: I think, you know, pain, itself -- I can handle much more pain than this, that's for sure, and I have done before. The more frustrating part is that I know that I have to make that move, like release moves and certain moves on the swing, but it's just automatically stops -- my body just automatically stops me from doing it, even if I think I'm okay, I can get through the pain, it just automatically stops it and just ball goes just not the way I want to. That's really the frustrating part. And obviously pain, I can take antiinflammatories, I can take the painkillers, I can really handle the pain. But the thing is I just can't make the moves that I want. That's really the frustrating part. Today was a much better day than I had for the last few weeks. Which is a really good thing. Q. When you look back on your Major Championship career, one major the first half of your career, and then you sort of flipped a switch in 2013. What do you think led to that string of events, winning all those majors this three years? INBEE PARK: I think it's the mindset is probably really the big key to that. And obviously I started traveling with my husband in 2011 and I did probably the biggest swing change of my career. And the swing change really took in place very nicely. And I was able to hit the ball a lot more consistently. I was a lot more mature mentally. I was more -- I think I was just a better person and a better golfer at the same time and a happier person. So I think everything kind of got together and made the career that I have right now. Q. On your left thumb is it just a tape job or is it a small splint? What have you got on there? INBEE PARK: Tape? Q. Is it just tape? INBEE PARK: Yeah, it's the kinesio tape that I have on. Q. What was last night like? Was it anything like sleeping on the lead in a major or anything like that? INBEE PARK: Well, somewhat really similar, I say. Maybe even a little bit more nerves that was going on last night because I really had -- like I said, I really had no guarantee whether I go through today or whether I can do it or not. So I think I definitely felt some nerves last night and I probably couldn't sleep until 1:00 yesterday. So -- I mean on the tee today, on the first tee I felt pretty nervous. Nervous and special at the same time. But obviously the experience was great. It's going to take deep in my heart. It's definitely the utmost gift that I had as a professional golfer. KRAIG KANN: The LPGA Tour Hall of Fame dates back to 1967, the first group included Berg, Jameson, Suggs, Zaharias. And now it has your name in there. Have you thought about the company you've now enjoyed as it led up to this, and how special this really is to be part of that elite company? INBEE PARK: Yeah, it feels very special because it starts back and I just started playing golf and watching a lot of players on TV thinking that I want to be there. I want to be on the LPGA Tour. And once I got on the LPGA Tour, the Hall of Fame became an ultimate goal, just naturally. Nobody told me the Hall of Fame should be your last goal or anything like that. But it just came so naturally that I wanted to be up with the most greatest players in the history. Obviously being achieved that today is just -- it's a great feeling because it's not about major championships or winning tournaments. It's just not about the smiles that's in the career. It's about the tears. It's about the frustration. It's about the happiness. It's about the successfulness. Everything. I really got back to looking at -- kind of my dad told me this morning that you should take 18 holes today as like every year that I play golf. It's exactly 18 years that I played. So like first hole my dad told me to think about when you first picked up the club and just take every hole as every year. And kind of remember what you have done for the last 18 years. There are so many things to think about and so many memorable moments, so many special moments. It was such a nice experience to have for the last 18 holes. KRAIG KANN: Se Ri Pak 2007, you followed in her footsteps now into the Hall of Fame and you followed in her footsteps in being a legend on this Tour. Can you talk about the significance of you, Korea, and what this means for golf in your homeland? INBEE PARK: Yeah, I really wish that not just young Korean players, but a lot of the young junior golfers to look up to me and the players out here on the LPGA Tour to grow their dreams, just like I have for when I was younger. I think being a second Korean player to get in the LPGA Hall of Fame is such a special thing. Not many countries have more than two people to get in the Hall of Fame. So it just feels great. Hopefully I can give some kind of a message or the motivation or the inspiration for the next generation of players. They have so many new generations of players that are great players. And hopefully they can follow a lot of people's steps, including myself. Q. What do you remember about the first time you picked up a golf club? Secondly, you've had the same guy on your bag almost your entire career. What has Brad meant to you? INBEE PARK: Well, what was the first question? KRAIG KANN: The first memory of golf, when you said you started on the first hole. INBEE PARK: First memory was just -- when I first picked up the golf club I thought this was no fun. This is very boring. My dad told me you have to hit a five bucket on the first day or something. And then five buckets felt so long. And I remember being -- do I really need to hit all this? And I remember hitting like the half swing shots so fast. And just trying to get rid of balls. But once I got on the putting green I really loved how the ball dropped in the hole. And I really thought that was really the fun part about golf. Yeah, so I kind of remember that part as the first hole. And Brad is obviously -- everybody knows that we are definitely more than friends and more than a caddie and a player relationship. He has been always on my side, even sometimes my parents and my husband thought that my decision was wrong. He was always on my side, totally, and he really trusts me and I really trust him. And that's kind of the relationship that we have had for the last ten years. It's great to have somebody like that on the golf course together. KRAIG KANN: This hardly signifies the end of your career, at least we all hope not. We know you're coming back at least tomorrow. Some of the highlights: First in the modern era to win three majors in a season. Youngest ever to win the U.S. Women's Open, youngest in LPGA to be inducted, or to be into the Hall of Fame as a qualifier. When you're all done some day, what will be the biggest thing that stands out for you? Is it something maybe you haven't yet accomplished or something that you already have had? What's the biggest memory. INBEE PARK: Well, there is so many moments that I will be remembering. But obviously getting inducted into the Hall of Fame will be definitely the biggest thing because that's every moment combined together. So I think it will be definitely the first. And the second I think will be winning three majors in one season. And the third would be the Grand Slam. There's just so many. So it's just hard to -- fourth would be like maybe winning the first tournament, traveling with my husband. And there's just so many great moments in my memory. KRAIG KANN: When you walk out that door, everybody else walks out they're going to say something about you, because they were here today to watch this day. And they've watched you play. And they've watched you compete. What's the most important thing you think everybody here and everybody that watched you on TV could say about Inbee Park? INBEE PARK: I don't know. I don't know, like maybe -- but I say a great golfer, but I'd like also to be remembered as a great person. KRAIG KANN: You are that. You've given so much to this Tour. We all watched you today. Congratulations. You're the 24th player to qualify for the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame. Ladies and gentlemen, Inbee Park. INBEE PARK: Thank you. (Applause.) FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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