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HSBC WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS

February 28, 2017

Inbee Park

Republic of Singapore

MATT HAAS: Happy joined in the media center by Inbee Park.

Inbee, you've got an event under your belt. How are you feeling heading this week into Singapore?

INBEE PARK: Yeah, I love coming to Singapore. Obviously I have good memories from a few years ago, and obviously started the season in Thailand and I feel well enough to play again. Everything feels great. I just have to work with my short game and putting a little bit more. So I think I need to get the feel as soon as possible, and yeah, I think as the week goes on, it should get better over the week.

MATT HAAS: Do you alter your routine at all knowing the one thing you need is to get your feel back around the green?

INBEE PARK: No, not much of changes. I'm just trying to get better with it -- that I used to have. I think I just don't have that right now because I'm not so used to it at the moment, competing in tournament golf.

But I'm really slowly getting the feel of it, and like I said last week, I'm just not going to rush for anything. I'm just going to let it happen and just, yeah, nothing to rush. Just go from now and most important thing is just being healthy and playing some golf.

MATT HAAS: You mentioned good memories here with the win a couple years back, but a new golf course now. What are your thoughts on it after playing some practice rounds?

INBEE PARK: I think it's actually a little bit different to Serapong that we played the last few years. It's more, I think you need to attack more than Serapong. I think there's going to be more birdies and better scores here on this golf course, and obviously this golf course is fairly new. But considering that, I think the course is in good condition. Greens are a little bit slower than what we are used to, but I think it may get faster as the week goes on.

Q. Can you tell me, coming back from injury at the start of the season, what's the most difficult thing for you, maybe psychologically, physically?
INBEE PARK: I think the most difficult thing was just the timing. I took a lot of time off. I never took that kind of time off in my whole career. And I think there's a little bit of nerves, maybe a little bit of, what's going to happen and if I'm going to be healthy enough to play again. A little bit worrying about the injury, and everything is just a little bit of a worry. As the tournament started, everything really went fine and I'm slowly getting some confidence back.

Q. The fact that you took such a long time off, can you now relate to what's happening with Tiger?
INBEE PARK: You know, I really think it's really different story to mine, Tiger is, because he's making a lot longer time off than mine, and obviously his injury was a lot more serious than me. I don't know how he feels but I heard that he had a couple of surgeries, and obviously that is different to just taking the time off.

Yeah, I think a few things different, but I think it's always possible to come back. He's a talented player.

Q. Where do you feel your game is at the moment? Do you think it's at a level where you can compete and you can win this week, or that's something that takes a long time?
INBEE PARK: Yeah, it's really hard to judge but just by looking at the stats and how I felt last week, you know, I think my long game is definitely there to win. But my short game and putting wasn't quite there last week, you know, where I finished, I think 20-something last week, that's exactly where I was. Just my short game level was in a big pack. Obviously this week need to get that going to win the tournament obviously.

Yeah, the putting is the most important thing. Around the greens, I made a few mistakes last week but I think they can go away pretty quickly. But you've got to hole some putts to score well.

Q. Given what you've achieved, seven majors, Hall of Fame last year, what are the goals for you this year and in the future?
INBEE PARK: Yeah, having a goal is very important. I think even though I made a lot of success in my career, having some kind of a goal, it was hard to find for me for the last couple years.

I've decided that there has been good motivation and something really inspired me like the Rio Olympics, it inspired me a lot. Obviously going through the injury, gave me some appreciation to golf that I can just be out here and play golf, it's something I should really appreciate. Just try to appreciate what I have is what I'm trying to do, and obviously win some golf tournaments; major tournaments would be really nice.

Q. Would you say that the break refined your motivation?
INBEE PARK: Yeah, it was definitely important, because I was just getting really burnt out, and I was -- you know, what else should I find and what else should I achieve, and I was in that kind of mood, I should say.

The break, that I didn't really intend it to, but that break was actually working well. Especially mentally, I think it really helped me, and obviously trying to appreciate what I have was really important.

Q. I know you didn't swing a golf club; so what did you do? Did you try other things, other sports, cooking?
INBEE PARK: No, I just didn't do anything that I had to use my hands that much. So it was mostly relaxing time. I got a dog recently, last August. His name is Rio, and I have been raising him, so he really kept me busy.

Q. Is he a good dog? Did putting on the leash harm your hands in any way?
INBEE PARK: He's been a really good dog. Golden retriever are very kind and they are very good dogs. Yeah, I really love the dog.

Q. Did you get bored at all or did you not have any boredom? You golf for so many years and suddenly there's not.
INBEE PARK: One thing I can tell you is that I did not miss traveling, that's something for sure. But I did miss golfing. You know, I thought maybe I played enough golf that I would get tired from golf but after a couple months of time, I started feeling that I want to play golf again, and I want to see the girls out here and I want to compete in tournament golf.

Q. Would you just tell us about last year, that historic achievement you achieved in the Olympics, what did it mean for you and your country, and the inspiration?
INBEE PARK: Yeah, golf was big in Korea already. But I think the range of people that enjoy golf was very little, maybe people like 40, 50, 60s, maybe working men, really like to play golf. But after the Olympics, a lot of people knew the game and obviously people that didn't know about golf got introduced to the game.

I think the range of people has really changed and a lot of people is getting interested in the sport, in golf. I think that golf is getting more popular and more popular, especially being in the Olympics.

Obviously that's something -- I thought it was something that was going to happen before Rio, but I just didn't realise how dramatic it was happening, because I already thought that golf was big enough but there was a lot of potential and it was going to get much bigger and get much more junior golfers playing golf. People that don't even know about golf are recognising me, and just things like that.

Q. Playing a few more holes, did that actually help you to prepare for the tournament?
INBEE PARK: You know, it was hard, because I had not played that many holes for a long time obviously. I didn't expect 28 holes in the hot weather the first week back. So it was hard.

But it definitely got my mind prepared for the next few events. Obviously Singapore is going to be really similar weather. It's hot and humid, and so I think it was a good preparation and it's a new golf course, so everybody is kind of new to this golf course. We're trying to see the golf course as many times as we can before we play, and obviously, yeah, people who get used to the course first is going to have the good scores.

Q. Do you see yourself as the favourite?
INBEE PARK: Favourite? I don't know, last week I played and I kind of felt like I was, I still need some things to work on in my game. I don't know how quick it comes back, and if it comes this week, that's great. I have a lot of time, so I can wait.

I'm happy that I can play. I played four rounds last week and obviously this is two tournaments in a row, and I have to play more tournaments later in the summer. So it will be a chance to see how my body feels this tournament, and if a good result follows, that's even better.

Q. What do you think is the value of having golf in the Olympics, and what can they do to attract more top players?
INBEE PARK: I think everybody was just kind of new to the Olympics, and especially as a golfer, because it hasn't happened for over a hundred years. They kind of didn't know what it would be like. But obviously now Olympics and golf in Rio, I think helped -- I'm sure a lot of top players have watched them and if they weren't playing.

Obviously with that happening, I think that can change a lot of people's mind. The next Olympics, I'm pretty sure there is going to be so many more golfers that wants to compete, and yeah, will be competing.

Q. What was a surprise to you about the Olympics?
INBEE PARK: I thought before I got to the Olympics, I thought it was going to be some major championship that we play. I think how people took it was so different, because it's one time in four years, and it's just much more bigger than what I have expected.

Obviously being a Major Champion goes for one year, until that next championship opens the next year. But obviously Olympic goes for four years, until they have another Olympic Champion. So I think that's how people remembers it and how they remembers it longer and I think that's how people approach it.

MATT HAAS: Inbee, we appreciate the time. Best of luck this week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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