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BANK OF HOPE FOUNDERS CUP

March 14, 2017

Phoenix, Arizona

THE MODERATOR: Thank you everyone for coming. I'm here with Bank of Hope CEO and president, Kevin Kim and defending champion, Sei Young Kim.

I'll start with you, Kevin. If you could tell us a little bit more about Bank of Hope for those of us in the room who may not be too familiar with the bank.

MR. KEVIN KIM: Thank you. Bank of Hope is the first and only super regional Korean-American bank, and also one of the top 3 Asian-American banks in the United States.

While we have been providing financial services to our customers for more than 35 years, the Bank of Hope brand was just released in 2016. Right after it was launched it was recognized as one of the world's most beautiful brand identities in banking, so we were very impressed about the response that we got from the public.

We have a national platform with banking operations strategically located in high-density Asian-American communities across the United States.

More importantly, we have been named as one of the best banks in America by the Forbes Magazine for the past five consecutive years.

So this is a very exciting time for Bank of Hope, and hopefully you will see more often the brand of Bank of Hope in the future.

THE MODERATOR: I hear you're quite an avid golfer yourself. Could you tell us why Bank of Hope decided to become the title sponsor of this tournament?

MR. KEVIN KIM: Yes. When the opportunity to become the title sponsor of Founder's Cup first came up, we saw so many similarities and shared values with the LPGA that we almost instantly concluded that this is a very nice and natural fit for Bank of Hope.

LPGA was founded by 13 visionary women, and today LPGA has grown to be the premier women's sports organization in the world. LPGA also has maintained a very strong focus on giving back to its communities.

Like the LPGA, Bank of Hope was founded by visionaries who saw a need to provide financial and banking services to the very rapidly growing immigrant communities.

Today, Bank of Hope is the representative bank of the Asian-American communities in the United States. We also have maintained strong ties with our communities through mutually beneficial relationships.

THE MODERATOR: Before we turn it over to Sei Young, does anyone have any questions for Kevin Kim?

Okay, great.

Sei Young, I would love to hear what it feels like to be back in Phoenix after such a strong win last season.

SEI YOUNG KIM: Yeah, I'm very happy to be back here. West coast swing is always definitely my favorite. Yeah, I love this course. It will be fun.

THE MODERATOR: Given that this tournament is a bit special from our other tournaments and we try to celebrate the founders of the LPGA, could you tell us what it means, any experience you've had, with the 13 Founders, who you see as pioneers of golf in Korea?

SEI YOUNG KIM: Well, I wasn't familiar with LPGA founders until I played this tournament. Yeah, at this tournament I learn about founders and what they done for woman golfer.

I'm very thankful and very honored to them. After finish last year, after last year finish last putt I say thank you to them. We had a little bit conversation. Yeah, was a great experience. Yeah, it was good.

In Korea, I don't know how much pioneers, but there is couple pioneers. Everybody knows Se Ri Park and (indiscernible). Yeah, I'm very honored to them and the followed footsteps. Yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Great. Before I turn it over to the press, do you have any particular goals this season? You've already had a top-three finish this season in Thailand; rookie of the year in 2015. This is your third year on tour. Any goals that may be special this third year around?

SEI YOUNG KIM: Feel like more familiar third years, so one of the my goal is breaking and making the top 3 Rolex Ranking and be consistent more.

Yeah, that's my biggest goal.

THE MODERATOR: Questions from the press?

Q. Last year tying the record for lowest score ever shot in LPGA tournament, what's it mean to you to have that record? Nobody has ever shot lower than what you shot.
SEI YOUNG KIM: Means a lot. After that experience I have a new goal: I really want to shoot 28-under and breaking record. Yeah, so, yeah, I making new goal.

Q. And then you actually had a putt at the last hole to have the record yourself. Did you think about that later? Did it not matter?
SEI YOUNG KIM: Actually, I didn't know until last putt I was going to close to record. If I knew that I trying to make the birdie, but I didn't know that. I was try made the par.

Yeah, after knew that I'm very regretful why I did that.

Q. Just a quick follow-up. Annika Sorenstam, did you ever met her before tying her record and have you met her since?
SEI YOUNG KIM: Oh, yeah, I met Annika in Olympic, so I ask her, How she shoot 27? She said like just I kept focus on the golf. If you keep doing what you want, yeah, you could break my record she said.

Q. Just following up on that, you set a tournament record last year: 62 in the final round. How much sweeter was it for you that you beat Lydia Ko by five shots?
SEI YOUNG KIM: Oh, a lot of mean to me because Lydia that moment was still world ranking No. 1.

I have a good confidence for the chase the Rolex No. 1. Yeah, I'm very happy to something chase Rolex No. 1.

THE MODERATOR: How does this course play to your strengths?

SEI YOUNG KIM: This course is pretty dry, and if I hit driver, little farther than other course. If I take advantage of par-5, reach green in two, which gives eagle or birdie, it's easily make the lower score.

THE MODERATOR: I heard you moved into a new home in December of 2016, so just a few months ago, in Irving, Texas. Could you tell us about your new home and why you chose Texas as your home base in the United States?

SEI YOUNG KIM: I move to new house in December because Dallas is very central, easy to travel to any LPGA stuff. Yeah, it's why I choose in Dallas.

After move I had fun with kind of housewarming party with couple of player. Yeah, it was fun. Chill.

THE MODERATOR: Name a few players who were invited.

SEI YOUNG KIM: Su Oh and Mi Hyang Lee.

THE MODERATOR: Before we close, Mr. Kim, did you have any last remarks?

MR. KEVIN KIM: Can I ask a question to Sei Young? I am wondering how she feels about her chance of winning the Founder's Cup back-to-back this year.

SEI YOUNG KIM: I really want to defend the new tournament, so, yeah, I'm very looking forward.

Yeah, I'm very hard prepare for this week.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much everyone.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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