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LPGA KEB HANABANK CHAMPIONSHIP

October 12, 2018

Sung Hyun Park

Incheon, South Korea

KRISTEN YOON: Good afternoon, everyone. I'm very excited to present to you Sung Hyun Park, who is currently tied for the lead through round two here at the LPGA KEB HanaBank Championship.

You carded six birdies today against two bogeys. Can you talk to us about your round today?

SUNG HYUN PARK: So to talk about the bogeys first, I think that they were both relatively short birdie putts, but I 3-putted both of them. So kind of lingered in my mind. But overall, I was able to hole a lot of birdies and I was able to shoot for a lower score, so that was overall, I think it was a good day.

KRISTEN YOON: It looks like you took advantage of the calmer conditions today, but it didn't seem to matter yesterday during the wind. Was there any difference in your play today, and what worked really well for you?

SUNG HYUN PARK: I don't think I took a different approach. I think the direction of the wind was similar today, so actually, having gone through yesterday's round helped me a lot today. I think today, my iron shots were particularly very sharp, and to the point.

So I think that there were a lot of birdie opportunities. I wish that I was able to catch a little bit more but I'm happy with my performance overall.

Q. When you play in America, you always have fans that follow but over here, the crowds are stupid. For the last two weeks, they have been enormous, and very boisterous. Had you forgotten how big they were until you came back?
SUNG HYUN PARK: Like you say, I played here in Korea for the past two weeks, and I have to say I'm surprised myself of the large crowds that come to support me, and of course, this is something that I don't get a lot in the US. So it's been a very happy two weeks for me.

Q. Because I've asked everyone else, can you explain to a western audience why you are so popular?
SUNG HYUN PARK: Actually, that's one of the most difficult questions I've got so far. I really don't know the reason why. Perhaps it's because I'm quite a long hitter, despite the fact that I'm not that tall. Maybe that's an appealing factor. I'm not sure why, though.

Q. So tomorrow at round three, it looks like you'll be in the same group as Ariya. Do you think you're more conscious of how you play when you're in the same group as Ariya, or is that not the case?
SUNG HYUN PARK: I think the very first time I was grouped together with Ariya, that was when I actually felt kind of pressure or burden, but since I've played with her quite often, I think I'm getting more and more comfortable with her. In fact, yesterday I was really comfortable playing with her. Tomorrow if we were to be grouped in the same group, I think I would feel comfortable.

Q. So based on my limited knowledge, I understand that your ball trajectory is quite high, so I would like to know if your tendency for your balls to be very high in terms of trajectory helps you on this course, and is there anything you do differently in this competition or in this event?
SUNG HYUN PARK: I think personally, I believe that if you have a high ball trajectory, you have an advantage in any course, on any golf course. With this particular course, the green is quite firm, so I think having that high trajectory helps.

Q. So they say that the basics of golf cannot be over exaggerated, so I would like to ask you, of all the basics of golf, which element do you think is the most important?
SUNG HYUN PARK: I believe that the address is the most important, and I think that the address accounts for more than half of the golf swing. So I think it's that much important.

Q. So at this course, you were runner-up twice, so I think that you would have some sort of a confidence when this comes to this course and you would have your own sort of strategy or plan in how you're going to attack the course. So now that we are done with the first and second round and we're going to play a third round tomorrow, what will you focus on tomorrow in terms of your strategies or plan? And my second question is, I think tomorrow with the winds dying down, you can be a little more aggressive with the par 5 holes. So how are you going to address the par 5 holes? That's my second question.
SUNG HYUN PARK: Like you said, I am comfortable with this course, and today while I was playing, it occurred to me that I have actually holed birdies at each and every hole of this golf course. So I think that when I am approaching and attacking the hole, I am quite confident, and so overall, I can play quite confidently within this course.

As for the par 5s, today there was a hole where I kind of had to lay up because my driver tee shot ended up in the rough. I think if I keep to the fairway tomorrow, I would be able to do better with the par 5 holes.

Q. If there has been one area of your game that has changed dramatically, it's your putting. You're further away from it. Your stroke is much more fluid now than it's ever been. You're self-taught in every other aspect of the game. Did you make that change on your own or was there help with an instructor in which to make it, and when did you do it?
SUNG HYUN PARK: I try to make a lot of decisions on my own when it comes to the game, so this goes the same for the putting. So I'm not really over thinking. I'm just trying to look for the most comfortable pasture for me, and I think it goes the same with the putting address, as well. I'm just working with something that really feels comfortable for me.

Q. So if you look at your iron clubs, I think that with the exception of the 4-iron, the 4-iron is the only one that is a different model. Can you tell us why and since when you've used a different 4-iron, as opposed to the other iron.
SUNG HYUN PARK: So with the long irons, because the heads are smaller, it's a little bit more difficult. So the 4-iron I use has a slightly larger head, so it gains more distance compared to the other irons, and I think I made this change around mid-May.

Q. So obviously when you play with another player, the pace of their game or when they have a missed shot or when they have a good shot, that I would believe would impact your game. So when you're playing with Ariya, is there any element of her game that impacts your game?
SUNG HYUN PARK: I don't really think that any element of her game impacts my game when I play with her. I already know that she is a terrific shooter. She putts really well. So I don't think that her having a good shot or a missed shot necessarily impacts my game.

Q. So earlier in one of the media interviews, you mentioned how you were going to change your approach to the par 5 holes. Can you tell us why? Is it because you really want to win, and can you be a little more specific on how you change your strategy for the par 5s?
SUNG HYUN PARK: So given my experience here, I realize that in the previous years, I could have had a chance at winning if I was able to get one more score in the par 5 holes.

So I think the strategy you take for the par 5 holes will be different according to the pin positions, but I think for the shorter par 5s, making the green on 2 isn't necessarily the right answer all the time.

So even if it's a short par 5 hole, I think that sometimes you might have to take more to get on the green, and that might be more wise and safe. So I think that going into round three, I hope to approach the par 5 holes with a little bit more wisdom.

KRISTEN YOON: Thank you so much. Good luck tomorrow.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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