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BANK OF HOPE FOUNDERS CUP

March 21, 2019

Na Yeon Choi

Phoenix, Arizona

Q. First round at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup 7-under par. You're a little bit wet right now. Tell us what just happened.
NA YEON CHOI: Yeah, my friend just like put champagne on me after the first round. I'm very happy back to on tour. I had almost 11 months break since last April. I have a back injury and I thought I needed some break, so I had a break and I did a lot of rehab to get stronger.

This is my first event since April. I was kind of nervous on first tee. I told a few other people this morning, I'm nervous, you know. I think I started hitting better and solid on 13 or 14. So from 1st hole to there I kind of nervous, but I just tried to get it closer to the pin every shot and I made a lot of good putt.

So of course I'm happy with my score, but also I'm just happy be on the fairway and walking with the friends. Yeah.

Q. How relieved are you to get this round under your belt after such a long time?
NA YEON CHOI: Yeah, but the thing is like I don't -- the golf I think is really funny game. I didn't expect any good score today because this is first day for me. I practice hard of course, but like it's hard to tell how I'm going to shoot first day. Less expectation I think always give you better result. I think that's really funny.

But, yeah, I feel much better after round. I'll feel a little bit more comfortable tomorrow. You know, just happy. Yeah.

Q. How are you doing health-wise now?
NA YEON CHOI: I mean, it's a disc problem, so can't be better I think. You know, at least if I replace my disc, you know, with nice one.

But I think I need to take care very well. Need to keep doing rehab and core exercises and lots of stretching. I am doing lot of Pilates things, so I'm feeling a little bit stronger here. That's why I couldn't feel the pain like on my back. I just need to keep doing it.

Q. Did you set any goals for yourself this week?
NA YEON CHOI: This week? I just want to accept everything, because golf can't be perfect game. I started journal every day, and I write down I need to trust myself and it can be happen everything. You have to accept everything, even when you hit miss shot. You have next shot, next day, next tournament.

So I try to learn how to accept everything.

Q. Great playing. Keep it going.
NA YEON CHOI: Thank you.

Q. Is this the same injury that's been bothering for a few years?
NA YEON CHOI: Yeah. I think since started 2015. Yeah, and then 2016 and '17 was keep like on and off during the season. Last year I think it's because the injury -- the people called driver yips. I think I had a driver yips. I think it's from injury.

I just kept playing golf and my swing got worse and worse and hitting my ball going left and right. My mentally is like totally broken, so I just need my body get ready first for the tournament. That's why I chose medical exemption.

A lot of players like in Korea or here encourage me you need to wait. You're kind of like burn out. You need a break and get ready your body first, and then you know you can do your golf game.

Especially Beth Daniel and Meg Mallon. They help me a lot. They actually called in April last year and I was crying on the phone and I couldn't decide doing medical or not. I wanted to keep going. I keep fighting myself. But they always say, If your body is not ready your mental can't be ready, so I just decide take care my body first.

Then I started play golf maybe not even three months ago, you know, so I had a big break. I went to a lot of different countries myself to vacation.

Q. Oh?
NA YEON CHOI: Yeah. I had a great time.

Q. Did that time away, how difficult was that for you as a player?
NA YEON CHOI: First time, maybe like first month -- no, actually before I decide was very tough time to decide to going back to home or stay in America myself. That's why I decide I need to go somewhere not Korea, not here, somewhere I can forget about golf.

So right after I decide medical exemption, next three days I decide going to Europe. So I went to Europe for 16, 17 days; went to five, six different countries. Like take a train, like everything, bus. I got some mistake, too. I got train to wrong direction, so I spent another six hour on the train.

I think everything was kind of new experience for me and I really enjoyed it. I didn't think about golf. I didn't set alarm every day, you know. I just wake up whenever I want and I just eat whatever I want. It was different life I think. I think I was kind of robot, you know, when I was growing up and then playing golf well in LPGA Tour. I think I was like living in the box.

I couldn't do anything beside golf. Only golf, only golf; like 100% focused on golf. I think that's why I got a little bit burn out, too. Of course my body, too, yeah.

Q. So do you return kind of hungry and appreciative?
NA YEON CHOI: I think it's more happiness, you know. Because like I say, I didn't play golf four, five months, and then suddenly I just woke up in the morning, I miss golf. I was waiting until I feel that I miss golf.

So after four, five months, just really like one day I woke up, Oh, I want to hit some golf balls. So I took few clubs to the like indoor range, and then I just hit balls and it feel weird. Like this is not a golf swing I think.

And even that I didn't play golf every day. Maybe, I don't know, once a two weeks or something like that. Then I play golf with a lot of different friends in Korea and I try to drink some beer and get a little tipsy and playing golf. Because we always play golf in serious mode, and I just like to play more fun. That's how I did today.

I got some happen with my caddie this week, so my actual caddie didn't show up this week. He's just like kind of random -- not random. He's been on tour for long time, but I didn't supposed to be work with him. Everything kind of just happen, you know.

And then I try to just accept and I enjoyed with my caddie, Doug. Yeah, I mean, I think I'm kind of happy, you know. I can breathe right now.

Q. Who is your caddie this week?
NA YEON CHOI: I can't remember his last name. Sorry.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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