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CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIPNovember 16, 2016Mike WhanLydia KoNaples, Florida THE MODERATOR: We do have a little surprise. In typical Lydia fashion you have some gifts to give to the media. I know we've got some down here, but can you just kind of let them know what that's gifts are that you're going to pass out. LYDIA KO: Normally people call me "something" dealer, and that is? Q. Chocolate. LYDIA KO: Yes. So it's chocolate. I might actually need a hand with this. Commish? Is he here? Come on, Commish. COMMISSIONER WHAN: Are we really handing out chocolate? THE MODERATOR: Yeah. (Applause.) COMMISSIONER WHAN: When I walked in it somebody was asking Lydia if she felt more pressure this week. Have you ever felt pressure on the golf course? LYDIA KO: Oh, yeah. Hands are shaking. Can't you see. (Laughter.) THE MODERATOR: While we're passing out a little bit of chocolate, we're going to welcome the commissioner back up here to give a special part of this announcement as the media here can look at your chocolate and know we have a little special announcement for 2017. COMMISSIONER WHAN: We just got to hear a little bit from Uno, who, as you know, is born in Korea but raised in Auckland, New Zealand. I had made the comment -- we were playing in a Pro-Am about a year ago -- that I had been all over the world but I've never been to New Zealand. You got to be careful what you say to Lydia because she obviously remembered that. Starting September 28th next year, the week of September 28th, we're going to New Zealand through the help of McKayson, a company from Korea taking us to Auckland, just like Lydia from Korea taking us to Auckland. We'll be playing at Windross Farms Golf Club in Auckland. I'm lucky to have Chairman Kim from McKayson to join Lydia and I. Chairman Kim, why don't you come up here and talk about McKayson. Last year was a cheese head. This year it's just a hat. I feel a little bit better. THE MODERATOR: And a little chocolate. (Applause) Chairman, before we sit everybody down, we actually want to unveil the new logo for our tournament hidden here. (Applause.) Chairman, I know you want to say just a couple words about what this event means to you. CHAIRMAN KIM: I am Mr. Kim with McKayson. It is quite my honor to participate in this press conference. I am really happy to take this title sponsorship for McKayson to New Zealand Women's Open. I hope to make it a successful tournament. COMMISSIONER WHAN: Lydia, let's give him an LPGA sandwich squeeze. Come on. (Laughter.) THE MODERATOR: Thank you. Lydia, first question we have for you is: We know you like to give everybody a taste of New Zealand with the chocolate, whether it's players or media. What's it going to be like to welcome the players and the LPGA in your hometown of Auckland? LYDIA KO: You know, I am always saying New Zealand is -- I'm sorry, I'm very by biassed -- the most beautiful country in the world. To be able to know some of those girls -- I hope a lot these girls and top players come and visit, and not only play at such a great golf course, but to experience New Zealand and their culture, I'm very excited about that. A lot of people, whether it's just golfers or people that have gone on trips or honeymoons have said, Wow, it's such a beautiful place. They kind of don't want to leave the place. I hope that's the case. It's just great. When I heard that this tournament was going to be official thanks to McKayson, the LPGA, and everybody involved, I was excited. I think the girls are going to have a great time. I think New Zealand is a bit different. We say we're almost like a few years later than even the States. I think it's a great way to be. I'm pretty sure the fans and everyone back home are going to be excited to see the girls play some great golf. THE MODERATOR: Mike, we've all seen Lydia's impact on this tour and what it's meant to have her as the No. 1 player. What do you think now adding this event will mean for golf in New Zealand and how we continue to grow the game around the world? MIKE WHAN: We talk a lot about the game of golf being borderless, and Lydia is a great example of being borderless. We've seen with other players, as they ascend in the Rolex World Rankings, the impact they make not only in their own country, but they make on the LPGA schedule. Obviously we played in Thailand right about the time Yani was making her ascent on the Rolex World Rankings as well. I think seeing the crowds that come out to Australia to see Lydia, I'm a little concerned about the security policy when she tees off in New Zealand. It's a great addition to our tour. It's a beautiful countryside. I'm personally excited about a country I've never been to. From what I hear it's the second prettiest country in the world. LYDIA KO: It's the best. It is the best. Yeah. COMMISSIONER WHAN: I know a lot of our players on tour have been to New Zealand before, have played in other events. I think the opportunity to go to Auckland to do it at a time -- I mean, obviously in the fall is a great time for us. We get to experience a lot of different cultures, a lot of different young fans. I'm hoping we can leave the same kind of mark in New Zealand that we have left in some other countries with a whole 'nother generation of young golfers watching players like her and say, I want to be her someday. THE MODERATOR: Lydia, this press conference is being broadcast simultaneously in New Zealand as well, so we got some questions from some media in New Zealand. In what part do you think your personal rise and prominence in the game has been rewarded by New Zealand getting an LPGA tournament? LYDIA KO: Hard. Jeez. Making me work. You know, wow. I mean, I don't get to go back home much. Whenever I go back or when I went for the previous New Zealand Opens, I would see a lot of people out there that aren't necessarily golfers. You know, juniors and a lot of kids saying, Hey, I want to take up this sport. I always say that rugby and cricket are probably the two biggest sports in New Zealand. Thanks to Sir Bob Charles and Danny Lee and Ryan Fox who are competing right now, I think we've kind of grown golf in New Zealand. We've kind of grown golf in New Zealand. I say that our environment is to be able to play at golf courses where -- like my home club, if you pay 100 New Zealand dollars you can play all year-round. That's the amount you have to pay for one round at some of these course. That course has hosted the World Cup before. We have such a great environment to grow the game and for a lot of people to take up the game. If we can make a little bit more of an impact to get one more junior into it, I think it's a job well done. Now to know that the world's best female golfers are going to play in my hometown, it's exciting. I think more girls and more kids are going to take up the sport and say, Hey, I want to play on this tour in a few years and play this event, too. COMMISSIONER WHAN: When they writers ask their boss if they can get a ticket to Auckland, they may need a letter from you. You have to sell that back on the home front. LYDIA KO: Dear boss... THE MODERATOR: Questions. Q. Looking at the schedule, this is the week Reignwood fell. Does this event replace an event or fall into a new category? COMMISSIONER WHAN: Great question. Reignwood will actually move back a week and this will take the week there. It doesn't replace an event. I'm going to send out the schedule the week after Thanksgiving. We've got one date change and two title sponsors arguing over the same tournament that we're going to let get solved before we send it out. This is an additional event, if you will. The good news is I think last year at this time we introduced the Oneida event in Green Bay. Couple months ago we introduced the Women of Tech and Indy with Guggenheim, and now New Zealand. We've got a little bit more news for you this week before we leave. So these are great locations, great sponsors, and great opportunities for us to play. We'll start our fall swing next year in New Zealand. THE MODERATOR: Lydia, I had another question from New Zealand. Have you had a chance to talk to any of the other players about coming to New Zealand, and do you think it will be popular? LYDIA KO: I've at least bribed one, Danielle Kang. I said, I'll give you, the whole tour, as many chocolates or whatever you need. So I think the girls are going to enjoy it. Like the Commish said, few of the girls have played the New Zealand Open before. I know it's in a different part of New Zealand, and I've heard a lot of great things about it. I just got to keep bribing them with chocolate and sweet stuff. I know there are a lot of sweet tooths out here. I'll try my best. But I think it's going to be great. Especially that time year where we're all going towards Asia and that side of the world, I think it's going to be great visit down there, Down Under. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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