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KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

June 29, 2018

So Yeon Ryu

Kildeer, Illinois

Q. How much of a better birthday did that make it, that shot there and the momentum it gave you?
SO YEON RYU: Well, maybe that's one of the best birthday gifts I've ever got. The chip shot was a pretty tough one, but I made the birdie and I was able to have two birdies under my belt after like five holes, so that was pretty happy.

Q. You're a very steady player out there. We saw you ascend to world No. 1 out there, suffered a little bit of injuries, but after the Women's Open you get your first victory of the season. How much momentum coming into this championship did that victory give you?
SO YEON RYU: I think it's just every situation is different all the time because times it's better to give myself -- like keep saying you've got this, it's better to think about winning the tournament, better to keep telling yourself how confident you are. But when I won the Meijer Classic, I think my expectation level was just here. I just really enjoyed every moment with my little golf ball out there. I think after I won the Meijer Classic, that's the attitude I have to have for this year. Well, it's still here only Friday, so we never know what's going to happen for this afternoon, so I just want to have a good rest for today, and the next two days I just want to have a positive attitude and I just want to enjoy it.

Q. Those of us who know you best on and off the golf course would describe you as pleasant and humble, but on the golf course you can be aggressive. You're sneaky long out there. How much does that help on this course?
SO YEON RYU: Yeah, I think I started to get a little longer since 2016, and then '17 was definitely longer, and even this year I started to have like five -- almost like a club longer with the irons, so that's definitely helped me to play more aggressive. And then playing more aggressive just made me to make a lot of birdie opportunities, as well. So these days it's really a matter of putting. I really appreciate what I have right now with my long game, and I just need to have confidence on the green. Right now I feel really great on the putting green, so all I need to do is just keep confidence on the greens and on the golf course.

Q. Can you just talk about what was going well today?
SO YEON RYU: I think golf is definitely a funny game because yesterday I thought I hit it just really, really perfect, like I just couldn't ask more, and then I shot 3-under. And then compared to yesterday, I felt like I absolutely hit it everywhere out there but still shot 3-under. That was really good learning. You don't have to be perfect to shoot 3-under. So I think that attitude could really, really help to playing really well for next weekend, as well.

Right now I'm just really happy on the golf course, so that's my goal for the next two days, as well.

Q. Playing alongside Lydia and she's making putts, do you kind of feed off each other?
SO YEON RYU: Well, just today literally Lydia made everything, so she just made look everything really easier. So I was like, well, if she can do that, maybe I should do that, and then I started to make birdies on the back nine. Well, to be honest, I think because I played in the morning today, the greens was a little fresher and the roll was much better than yesterday afternoon, so that was definitely helpful to make a few more birdie putts on the back nine. I think right now the wind is blowing up, so it's going to make the golf course dry out, so I think the golf course is going to be a lot firmer and even the greens are going to be much faster tomorrow. In that case, I think we're going to enjoy this golf course even more than the last few days.

Q. How tough are the last three holes, 16, 17 and 18, playing?
SO YEON RYU: I think just because wind was an opposite wind, that was a fact to make a really hard decision. 16 was into the wind yesterday. It was helping, so definitely teach us strategy have to be different, but I just hit a driver. And then 17, the wind was keep blowing, and water hazard in front of the pin, and then bunkers behind the pin. You have to know what kind of wind is coming. But this wind just keeps blowing, and I wasn't sure about it. Ended up my little chunk shot finished at eight feet, so I made a birdie. And then the last hole was I would say quite similar. I hit a driver yesterday, and I hit a 3-wood today. That was a little different, but still, there wasn't really a big difference.

Q. What will you do to celebrate?
SO YEON RYU: I don't know. You know, the thing is since I started to live in the U.S., I feel like I have two days of birthday because yesterday was my birthday in Korea and today is my birthday in the U.S. People already started to send me the text message yesterday to say happy birthday, and then also today I got little cute birthday song after I finished 18, and the fact it's already June 30th in Korea, which is not my birthday, it's a little funny, so I'm not sure if I still need to celebrate it or not. But at least my mom is here, and my sister came to Chicago a few weeks ago, and she's going to be with me in school. It's going to be nice and quiet birthday celebration, and hopefully all that happy energy we can bring to the golf course the next few days.

Q. Is she going to school in Chicago?
SO YEON RYU: No, she's here for work. She graduated graduate school in LA, and then she just moved here.

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