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RICOH WOMENâ€™S BRITISH OPEN

August 6, 2017

In-Kyung Kim

Fife, Scotland

COLIN CALLANDER: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We have In-Kyung Kim, winning her first major title this afternoon.

Can you start with your general reaction to winning? How do you feel?

IN-KYUNG KIM: How do I feel? I feel quite uplifted, I have to say because I really didn't expect to win this week. And having the lead and then going into the last round, was a great task. Yeah, I think I managed it quite well.

COLIN CALLANDER: You had to work very hard because of Jodi and several other players coming very hard at you. Were you aware of how all those players were catching you?

IN-KYUNG KIM: Actually today, it was hard, the pin positions. A lot of them were on the back and with my shot-making, it wasn't easy to get to the hole. But I've seen the score along the way and it was kind of good to see somebody going low, and I thought it kind of encouraged me to move forward with maybe birdie opportunities for myself, as well.

Q. That was a heck of a shot you hit in on the 17th hole. Can you take us through that shot? You actually stopped -- tell us about stopping. Take us through.
IN-KYUNG KIM: It was like I have a great putt on 16.

17 was into the wind and I'm like, it's not done yet. I've been practicing my 5-wood. It's my new addition on my bag, and it really helped me a lot this week. So I had a confidence with my 5-wood actually. But when I was trying to hit out there, some kind of bird -- or where the leaf was flying over, so I kind of stepped back and regroup and hit the shot.

It was a little bit of a downhill lie with 5-wood, but I actually tried to carry at the pin. The wind must have been quite heavy there.

COLIN CALLANDER: What was the yardage for that shot?

IN-KYUNG KIM: It was for me, it was 167 to the front, and then 197 -- but played like 190-something, so I hit my 5-wood and just got over.

Q. With a 3 o'clock tee time, how did you spend your time and how did you mentally prepare?
IN-KYUNG KIM: You know, the habit is crazy. I've been just waking up at 5.30, and then my physio, Adam, was telling me, "Don't get up at 5.30." And this morning I woke up at 4.30.

And then I looked at the weather and sunrise is at 5.16, so it was a perfect time to look at the sunrise.

So I went and just took a photo with my friend and have breakfast. And then I bought some hats for my dad and his friends. So it was quite an easy morning, yeah.

Q. Where did you buy the hats in, St. Andrews?
IN-KYUNG KIM: Yeah, I'm staying with my friend. They had a store right next to it and today they are open for public. So I went to take videos.

Q. What was your approach? Because it's very easy to be flat when you've got a large lead. So what was your approach?
IN-KYUNG KIM: I really didn't have any expectation. I just wanted to, in my warmup, I had one of my best warmups this week, so I think that gave me quiet confidence. But the wind was blowing differently, and I wasn't hitting the ball as close. I didn't have many makeable putts, but I did as well as I could with what I had today I think.

Q. And what is it you draw on your ball?
IN-KYUNG KIM: Drawing on my golf ball? It's just a heart, yeah.

Q. You've won your first major in 47 attempts, has to be pretty special. To win it here in Scotland at the Home of Golf and so close to St. Andrews, is that extra special?
IN-KYUNG KIM: I think it's quite an experience. I really -- not only because I play well, but I think the scenery is amazing here. Also I played last week at Dundonald, and it really prepared me for this week I think. The condition was very difficult. It was like 40 miles an hour every day.

And I think -- every day is rain, so I kind of expect rain and when it didn't, it was kind of like, whoa. When I go back to San Diego, I'm going to be like -- I don't think I will take it for granted.

Q. Going back to what happened in 2012 at the Kraft Nabisco, wondering how regularly you've thought about that over the years, and does it feel like a total weight off your shoulders sitting there now?
IN-KYUNG KIM: You keep asking, but that's okay. Because my friend told me that when I won in China last year, after I didn't have a win for six years and we were having an interview, and he asked me, like do you dream about this putt all the time? Like still, do you dream about it. And I'm like, I was quite -- I don't know, kind of was unhappy feeling and my friend told me, you know, they are always going to ask you that question.

And I realise then, oh, maybe they are always going to ask me the question, and I'm actually okay with it. But interviews it's okay, but there's some strangers on the way and people cry in front of me sometimes; it happens. And I don't think -- I don't know how to react to those times.

But I feel like things happen to help, you know. Missing a putt is not the worst thing that could happen in life, and that's how I look at it. When I make a three-footer, I'm quite rewarded now. Like I don't take it for granted, either. When I make a 3-footer, I'm really excited about making the putt. I think that's the reason that I finished today.

Q. How are you going to celebrate this evening? Have you got any plans?
IN-KYUNG KIM: I didn't celebrate last time either. I don't know. I actually celebrate with my friend this morning. We were just listening to music and dancing already. I was like, I can do it, why not. Every day is kind of celebration.

Q. You had a late start to the season but you're putting together your best year so far on Tour. Can you talk about your big picture goals and dreams, and if those changed as the years progressed for what you want out of this season?
IN-KYUNG KIM: Dreams, I mean, every day just being happy, being able to find a small act of kindness. Knowing my faults and just being aware of that. That's the only goal I have every day.

I mean, playing golf, choosing which tournaments to play and how to prepare, these things, I have to make plans for that. But really, I think we are all similar in the way in that probably how you have a job and how you have your life, I think that I'm the age where I want to have a balance, and that's what I've been trying, and I think it's actually helping me on the golf course, as well.

Q. There are so many Korean women winning on the Tour and winning majors. What sort of impact is this going to have back home, do you think? And second question, will you fill the trophy with Scotch whiskey tonight?
IN-KYUNG KIM: I stopped drinking actually. I think my friend would no why -- I have no control over it (laughter). I just let go myself of myself once a year when I'm in Korea in a safe place. So whisky, I mean, my grandparents used to own a whisky factory. I can drink but I don't think it would be good for my golf.

In Korea, there's a lot of junior golfers -- even in the world, there's a lot of golfers coming up and they are very special. But I want them to just have fun sometimes and not worry about other people's judgement. I think we judge ourselves a lot, everybody does.

But for our own self, I think sometimes you've got to have some self-compassion and we can make some mistakes but I hope that mistake will make a more positive impact in life instead of dwelling on it, on the past. If you think about it, I think present moment is more special, yeah.

COLIN CALLANDER: IK, thank you very much indeed. Many congratulations.

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