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KIA CLASSIC

March 25, 2018

Eun Hee Ji

Carlsbad, California

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the media center, Eun Hee Ji, your winner of the 2018 Kia Classic.

Eun Hee, that was a really exciting day of golf for you. How are you feeling right now with your fourth career win?

EUN HEE JI: Really exciting, and especially I had a hole in one today. Super exciting.

THE MODERATOR: You did have a hole in one on the 14th hole; 7-iron from 166 yards. Tell me what was going through your head when that went in.

EUN HEE JI: It was little downwind and I hit the same club as yesterday. My ball end up right there where the hole is. So I just choose 7-iron and I hit it really good. Soon as I saw the ball fly, that's going to be good. Lizette right next to me, she's like, Dunk in the hole, and then just go in.

So I was really exciting.

THE MODERATOR: Now you have two cars after you won the tournament and the hole in one. How are you going to get both cars to Rancho Mirage?

EUN HEE JI: I have no idea. (Laughter.) Actually, this is my eighth hole in one, but I never have a car for hole in one. This is my first one.

I don't know what I'm going to do.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. This is your second win in your last I think seven starts. What's been the key for your game within the past six months since your last win and then now?

EUN HEE JI: Back there I trying to change my swing, and this winter I working really hard on my swing. I'm getting a lot of distance with my driver and irons.

On this golf course I have to hit it hard, like get it closer to the green. I got a lot of short clubs on my hands, and a lot easier to hit than back in last year.

So, yeah, it's a lot easier than last year.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. There was a long stretch between victory No. 2 and victory No. 3. Did you change your swing before victory No. 3? Did you change instructors? What sort of caused that to happen?
EUN HEE JI: Yeah, after '09 when I won Open I change my coach because I feel like I have to change my swing. I used to hit it just the fade, and after I change I can hit it both, but it wasn't consistent.

Two years ago I split with my coach and I just work with my caddie just by myself.

Q. Martin?
EUN HEE JI: Yes. He work with me a lot. He help me a lot.

Q. So he was saying he was trying to negotiate one of the cars from you. Are you going to give him a car?
EUN HEE JI: Oh, man. I don't know. (Laughter.)

Q. Did he have a teaching background?
EUN HEE JI: Yeah, he used to coaching before. Right now he just help me a lot about my swing. Yeah.

Q. How does this win feel different than the other wins for you?
EUN HEE JI: It's hard to say because I working really hard in this winter. I feel like I get back from what I worked on. Yeah, that's it. (Laughter.)

Q. Does it feel a little different, this one, now that they've come fairly close together, where you waited so long before? So is this more of a relief and satisfying in some way? Does it make you a little bit happier to kind of back up the win last year?
EUN HEE JI: Yeah, pretty much. Yeah, last year it was like long time break, so I didn't know I can hit it well. This one I hit it a lot better and I can hit it well. I feel like I can hit it well.

So, yeah, that's the different I think.

Q. How much yardage have you gained with some of your irons or driver? Can you give us some examples?
EUN HEE JI: If I hit it really good my driver I getting like 20 yard. Yeah, that's like two clubs shorter than...

Q. Big difference.
EUN HEE JI: Yeah, big difference.

Q. I wanted to check on the yardage of the hole in one. Lizette said something about 152. What yardage did you have on that club?
EUN HEE JI: Same, 152, but normally I hit 145 with my 7-iron, but it was a little helping wind.

Q. Sure. And you have to calculate the downhill.
EUN HEE JI: Yes, right.

Q. Had you thought that hole was a good hole for you before? When you looked at that hole in the past rounds, what did you think of the hole in general?
EUN HEE JI: I don't know. I never think about it.

Q. Did you think it was one of the harder par-3s out here? The par-3s have water on them here except for the one.
EUN HEE JI: Today pin wasn't that hard because water is on the right side. Normally we have it right back pin on the last day, but today was in the middle of the green so it was a lot comfortable.

THE MODERATOR: So you're talking about the development of your game. What would you say is the strongest part of your game right now?

EUN HEE JI: Driver. (Laughter.) I think putting is more important for me, because my putting well this week and I made a lot of putt. That's why I play well and I won this week.

Q. What's the favorite putt that you made today? Which putts stand out?
EUN HEE JI: Long one, long one. What was that? No. 8, Par-5 hole, I made a long putt from there, yeah. That was awesome.

Q. How did winning the U.S. Women's Open change life for you? Did you feel more pressure after that? Was that hard to deal with?
EUN HEE JI: It is a little bit more pressure. It's a rumor, but everybody says after Open can't win.

Q. Like a curse?
EUN HEE JI: In Korea. But Inbee won the U.S. Open So Yeon won and everyone won and they have another one after that, so I just don't worry about it.

Q. So you don't believe it anymore?
EUN HEE JI: I don't believe.

Q. Have your goals changed?
EUN HEE JI: Yeah, yeah. Pretty much.

Q. What do you think you can accomplish? What's the big goal?
EUN HEE JI: Big goal is No. 1 in the world. That's my big goal. For now, I want another win for major, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Do you feel like next week could be a good opportunity for that?

EUN HEE JI: Yeah. I want to say yes because I feel pretty good with my swing and putting working pretty well.

So I just feel keep it same going.

THE MODERATOR: Do you like that course?

EUN HEE JI: Yeah, I really love it.

Q. Speaking of that, did you like this course in the past? Did you think of it as a course I could win on?
EUN HEE JI: Hard to say that.

Actually, I don't really like it, because it's really tricky out there. But to me, always hard course I play better. So I think I focus more, yeah.

Q. I wanted to ask you, too, when you went those eight years without winning and people in your country talk about people that have won more than one, how much pressure did you feel and what kind of kept you motivated? You must have felt pretty disappointed at some point. Or did you?
EUN HEE JI: No, not really. Hard to say. I don't know what to say.

Q. Were you sad at some point?
EUN HEE JI: I mean, I'm trying really hard but just didn't win. I played pretty good couple tournament and I just didn't win at that time. I just work hard. Just keep working hard and just, yeah, everybody, Just keep it going just say to me.

THE MODERATOR: Your hard work paid off. What a moment at 14. You've gotten your fourth career win. Congratulations.

EUN HEE JI: Thank you so much.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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