	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

DIAMOND RESORTS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

January 19, 2020

Annie Park

Lake Buena Vista, Florida

Q. Amazing round.
ANNIE PARK: Thank you.

Q. You put the pedal to the metal today. Talk about it.
ANNIE PARK: It was good. I had kind of a little hiccup on the second day, but on the third day, started off with a little fire and tried to light it up again. So it was good today. I hit some really good shots. I left some putts out there, but I recovered pretty well.

Overall, it was a great day. I had so much fun with the two Brians, and I love 18, just the crowd.

Q. You do love 18?
ANNIE PARK: I do love 18. I love the music. I love the crowd. They're all like cheering and drunk. I love it. It's a lot of fun. This is one of my favorite events.

Q. We just asked M.J. this too. You have been crawling up the leaderboard slowly and silently this entire weekend. Were you kind of playing like nothing to lose out there?
ANNIE PARK: Honestly, I've been working on my game this winter. I've been working on my long game. To be honest, I just wanted to kind of have that test to see how my swing is going. I was putting phenomenal. I had some really good putts, scrambled a lot. I just knew that I just needed to hit greens. So that's what I did today, and when I had a chance, it fell in, and it was good.

Q. What were kind of some of the things you worked on this off-season? You kind of just said it right there. How much more confident are you in your game than maybe how you ended last year?
ANNIE PARK: A lot more confident just because I'm hitting it a lot better. After the back injury, just trying out different swings that won't injure my back, and that was roughly about two years. Just I couldn't hit it like I used to. Long game was one of my strengths and kind of lost that. I'm still trying to get back into it.

For me, surprisingly, my putting has been great. It's been my strength, and it's been what's saving me out there. I just wanted to work on this swing, kind of studied my old swing and tried to incorporate that into the new swing. Just kind of like having a lot of tests and tinkers a little bit, and it worked out. So kind of excited for the season to start and see how it goes.

Q. You'll be going down to Boca after this. What are some things from this round especially that you're going to keep improving on and keep working on to kind of carry that momentum into next week?
ANNIE PARK: I think for sure just still working on my swing, just kind of cleaning up a little bit of my game. You know, I'm Asian. I'm Asian -- one year at a time and got to work on my body. Definitely working out and trying to get my body stronger than ever. That's my goal.

Q. I know you have friends and family that are here. You live here in Florida. What's it like kind of feeling this is hometown for you? I know you're from New York, but living here being able to host some friends and family, how did that just add to your experience this week?
ANNIE PARK: Honestly, it's nice. It's nice to have some support out here. They're having a great time, so it's good to see that. It's always nice to sleep in your own bed and commute. It's only 15 minutes away. So I can't complain about that. My goal is to get another win and be out here again next year.

Q. Were you leaderboard watching, Annie? Were you aware of where everybody was?
ANNIE PARK: I saw on 16 -- no, 15, something like that. Oh, no, it was probably earlier. Somewhere on the back nine, and I saw where I was, and I knew I just needed to keep pressing the pedal. I knew I had it in me. I'm pretty proud of how I finished. The last one, I had a misread, but I had a good putt, so I can't be mad.

Q. How long was your last putt, 18?
ANNIE PARK: I was just off the green on the fringe. I'd say about 25 to 30 feet. Maybe closer to 30 feet. Maybe it was over 30. I have no idea.

Q. We'll say 30.
ANNIE PARK: Yeah, but I hit it so good. Just misread it. Florida greens are tough to read, especially these greens out here. They're rolling good. It's great conditions out here. Just needed to read better putts. That's just the tough of this game.

Q. Good way to start your way, though, isn't it?
ANNIE PARK: It is, yeah.

Q. What does this give you going into Boca next week?
ANNIE PARK: Just doing the same thing. I know I have it in me, and I know, as long as I hit good shots, hopefully my putting keeps up. I know that, if I just hit greens, I'll make putts occasionally. So that's my goal. I'm feeling pretty good going into next week. We'll see how it goes.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297