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KIA CLASSIC

March 26, 2017

So Yeon Ryu

Carlsbad, California

Q. You're playing well.
SO YEON RYU: Yeah, I think everything is right there. I think just I definitely need to -- I mean, I'm definitely ready to win at some point. I just need to keep it patient and need to trust myself I'm good.

Then the other thing is even though I haven't won any tournament I just cannot really blame anything. I felt like everything is pretty great. Like, well, when your game is kind of like perfect you're able to win. Mine cannot called perfect yet, but I think it's good enough.

Yeah, I feeling great. I know what I need to improve. My coach going to be there next week, so look forward to having some work with him and have a good week next week.

Q. So you did this without your coach but you're bringing him in because it's a major? I would keep him away.
SO YEON RYU: No, it's look I haven't seen him since start of the Asian swing. Yeah, better to see him at least at some point then make sure everything is right track or not.

Yeah, you know, sometimes better not to have him at the majors; sometimes better to have him at the major. Hard to say. But I haven't seen him so long, so that's why I'm going to have him.

Q. Did you pay attention to the leaderboard at all? The reason I ask is Mirim, last I checked, had a 5-stroke lead. Did you look at the leaderboard at all and see what she was doing?
SO YEON RYU: Well, I haven't seen any scorecard -- or leaderboard since when? Maybe since 9 hole. Then maybe 14 was my first time seeing after that.

Then I saw she was like 18 under. Then I was 13-under so I knew (indiscernible) But it's golf; everything can happen.

So I, yeah, tried to have my best and I tried to have much birdie as I can.

Q. I believe she got to 20-under and still had 17 and 18 to play, which ties the tournament record. What are your thoughts about the way she's played?
SO YEON RYU: Well, you know, it's really great to see Korean players keep playing well. Also, I always feel very proud to see many Korean companies sponsoring the LPGA tournament. We just have a kind of like responsibility to play well on the LPGA.

It's really great to see my colleagues playing really well. Hopefully a lot of fans having a lot fun to watch her play. Yeah, if another Korean girl going to win the tournament, hopefully next one going to be mine. (Laughter.)

Q. I'm sure this question has been posed 1000 times, but why are there so many talented Korean women players?
SO YEON RYU: Yeah, as you said, I got the question at least 100 times. (Laughter.) I would say a lot of people say, Oh, maybe this, maybe this. I think first of all, we always had a really great leader, Se Ri Pak, Na Yeon Choi, Inbee Park.

So even when you're not really having been to America you're able to dream about the LPGA. Well, one of the Korean lady, you know, rocketed to LPGA, so you're able to dream about it. I really appreciate that we really have a lot of good role model.

And then other thing is just I think in Korean culture you cannot really show for emotional thing.

Q. Cannot show your emotions?
SO YEON RYU: Cannot, yeah. Even though you are angry or happy, you always learn how to like keep it really calm. Could be good and bad thing, but we are really trained like that. Golf is patience game, so when you're playing golf, I think those kind of culture definitely can help to handle your mind really well on the golf course. Especially when you're in contention. I think.

Q. Obviously it helps you on the emotional side both ways not get too high when you're doing well and not get too low when perhaps you're struggling.
SO YEON RYU: Exactly. Sometimes, you know, it's give is extra stress because sometime better to hit the ground or yelling to make you feel better. But we always been learned we cannot do that on the golf course. That even cultural way we cannot show off our emotional thing in front of other people. I think we have a good and bad side.

Q. In Korea, when you are young, if you do show that emotion, if you do hit a club against the ground, if you swear or something like that, what is the reaction from the public?
SO YEON RYU: Everybody think different ways so I cannot really say what they going to think about. But how I learned when I was young was my coach always taught me like golf is gentlemen's sport. You cannot do anything bad on the golf course.

You have to respect the golf course as well. You cannot make extra divot. That's how I learn. I just cannot really tell other people think, but maybe not many Koreans happy to see that.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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