AIG WOMEN'S OPEN

August 19, 2020

Inbee Park

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to Inbee Park to the 2020 AIG Women's Open. I think this is your first outing since winning in Australia. How is your game feeling?

INBEE PARK: My game feels good. I played a couple of events in Korea while we were taking that six months off, and obviously my last start was a win, so I'm really happy to be back, and here in Scotland. This is the type of golf course I really love to play, so I'm really happy to be here finally seeing some people and playing some golf. It's really exciting.

THE MODERATOR: Have you been in America for the whole of lockdown?

INBEE PARK: I was in Korea for most of the time.

THE MODERATOR: And playing in any of the KLPGA tournaments?

INBEE PARK: Yeah, I played one KLPGA event and I played my event, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: And how did you go?

INBEE PARK: Yeah, it wasn't too bad. It was just a little bit rusty, but I felt okay. My ball-striking was good. My putter wasn't quite there yet, but hopefully it comes back this week.

THE MODERATOR: And so obviously you are returning to a place where you are a past champion, especially on a links course, the feeling of coming back, although it looks different because we don't have everyone here, but how is the feel of the championship for you?

INBEE PARK: I was really surprised because I thought coming to this week would be really, really different with no people or media and really nobody; I thought it probably wouldn't feel like a golf tournament.

But I came here and saw the atmosphere, and it actually really feels like a championship. The golf course is in really, really good condition, so I'm really excited to play. It's a good setup. So I'm really excited to go out there and play.

THE MODERATOR: And when did you get here? Was it on Sunday?

INBEE PARK: I got here on Sunday.

THE MODERATOR: So have you played all 18 holes all three days?

INBEE PARK: No. Just Monday and Tuesday, and probably I'll just take a day off today, just practise.

Q. Obviously the weather forecast for this week is not very good. Can you talk a little bit about your memories of weather in Scotland and the UK? Do you enjoy that, and what sort of mind-set do you have?

INBEE PARK: Well, I don't think anyone really enjoys windy and rainy weather, but obviously definitely has the -- I really have good memories, I should say, of Scotland and of England, because I just love playing on these golf courses; the weather is really part of it. I mean, it's just really weird to play in good weather in a British Open or AIG Women's Open.

I'm really expecting to see Scotland weather this week. It's also different Monday, Tuesday so far. It wasn't windy and it wasn't cold, and is it was so calm. I was like, should I really play a practise round? Because it's going to play totally different. It's going to be a different setup if the wind blows.

But I really enjoying playing in the wind and the rainy conditions, because it's kind of a once-a-year thing, so I'm excited to see that, as well. Nice weather would be nice, but I really don't think that's going to happen. Whatever comes, we just deal with it..

Q. Some of your compatriots stayed at home. Is it just an individual decision about being comfortable to travel the world at the moment?

INBEE PARK: Yeah, I really think that it is up to the individuals. You know, before I came to this week, I kind of thought that I was really worried about traveling and I was worried about going to different hotels and different airports and just traveling, I thought it was quite dangerous.

But just coming here and being in a tournament site and the hotel, they are doing a great job of sanitising everything and the LPGA Tour is doing a great job of keeping everyone from outside the community.

So I really feel safe being in the golf tournament at the moment. You've just got to be careful when you travel, and just you try to have, you know, less contact with a lot of people. I think that's what we can do. Having a golf tournament, I'm sure the sponsors have made a tough decision to hold the tournament, so as a player, if the situation allows, I think it's a good thing to play in it for them, as well.

Q. Do you feel you're sending a positive message to them by being here and also finding it is safe?

INBEE PARK: Yeah, I'm sure like more people and more players is going to come and play even more and more once we start the Tour and once the tournament goes by. I'm sure a lot of people is going to think that everyone is now playing and everybody must think that it is safe to play. We are doing -- I think LPGA Tour is doing a great job of doing safe procedures for us to play. We are doing a test every week. I mean, it is painful. I'm not enjoying the test every week, but if that's what is needed, if that's what we need to play, I'm really happy to do it. It's trying to keep us safe and trying to keep the communities around us safe.

Yeah, just whatever it takes, we're happy to do it as long as that's the most safest thing to do.

THE MODERATOR: I know that you have a different caddie on your bag this week. Can you talk about the fact that it's your husband on the bag, I think.

INBEE PARK: Yeah, I have my husband as a caddie, just this week. Brad is coming back next week. Because only players and caddies were allowed to travel this week to Scotland, so I decided to have him on the bag. It's a really different setup. He's not a professional caddie, so sometimes he gives me wrong yardage. Sometimes when it rains, he can't really do a lot of things at once. He makes mistakes, but he gives me a lot of comfortable feelings on the golf courses. And especially when I'm not swinging well or not stroking well, he can give me an advice straightaway at the golf course and fix it straightaway.

It's a good thing. It's not going to be an every-week thing, but I'm really happy to have him maybe like once a year would be a nice experience.

THE MODERATOR: Is this the first time he's caddied in a professional event for you?

INBEE PARK: No. Actually when Brad's brother got married, he caddied for me once in an LPGA tournament, and he caddied for me twice just before this week coming to Scotland in Korea. He caddied a couple times in Korea.

THE MODERATOR: And when he makes a mistake, how different do you react to him than you would to Brad?

INBEE PARK: Well, I just tell -- I kind of teach him what to do because sometimes like he adds numbers when he has to subtract numbers, so that sometimes gives me a 20-yard difference. Most of the time I kind of realise it; I think this looks a little bit less than that. He gives me a right number then.

Yeah, it's fun. He's never really made like a major, major mistake yet, but I mean, everything is forgiven. He's my husband, you know.

Q. How have you been the last six months and how did you get ready for this tournament?

INBEE PARK: It's just mostly I just stayed in Korea and just spend a lot of time with family and friends. You know, back in Korea, it's a lot more safer right now with less people getting the virus. The KLPGA Tour is up and running normally, so I've played a couple of events just to warm up for this week. That's pretty much it, what I've done for the last six months, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much for coming in. We wish you luck this week.