KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

October 11, 2020

Inbee Park

Aronimink Golf Club

Quick Quotes

THE MODERATOR: You say you're not a morning person, and you just shot a 65 on this incredibly tough golf course.

INBEE PARK: It was warmer today.

THE MODERATOR: It definitely was warmer. But a final round 65; it's going to come up a little short, but it was an amazing final round, bogey-free. Tell us your thoughts on the day.

INBEE PARK: Yeah, I mean, it was a great day out there today. I couldn't ask for a better day. I probably left a couple of birdies out there, but I feel like I didn't make much mistakes at all with ball-striking, but Sei Young was just really untouchable, and she played really, really good golf today. I'd like to congratulate her. She had a great day. That's how a champion plays a final round, so it was good to see that.

THE MODERATOR: What does that say about the strength of her round when you say it was an amazing round for you and her pulling so clear?

INBEE PARK: Yeah, I mean, it was just so hard to believe that she never won a major before because it felt like she won a few. But yeah, she has been playing great golf this year and over her career. Yeah, she definitely deserves a major win, and it really reminds me of 2015 when we went head-to-head on the final day and it was just the opposite today. But it was great to watch and great to play good on the final round.

THE MODERATOR: Overall you had birdies on 1, 5 and 7 and then 12 and 17. Were they long putts, tap-ins? We got to see a lot of your round today, but tell us the story of your round.

INBEE PARK: It was just a mixture of things. 17 was probably the longest that I've holed all day, and I've hit a lot of shots close today. I had a lot of birdie opportunities, and I just can't make birdies on the par-5s today. I hit good shots in there but I just couldn't make the putts. Except for that I think I didn't really make much mistakes. I hit a lot of fairways and greens.

I woke up with a really sore neck this morning, so on the end of the backswing I felt a little bit on my neck and the shoulder, but I was just a little bit worried warming up with the restricted swing, but I went out there and felt a little bit of pain, but I still was able to play good.

THE MODERATOR: Did you have to get any physio?

INBEE PARK: My physio is not here, so my husband just gave me a little massage last night and today, so yeah, he does a lot of jobs.

Q. If we told you this morning you were going to go out and shoot 65, would you not think you would hold a trophy today?

INBEE PARK: Well, I mean, I was three back, so I thought 65 will definitely do it. I was thinking maybe like 5- to 6-under is a good number to kind of post and just see what happens. But obviously Sei Young was just much better than anyone else out there today.

Q. What's the balance here of it's such a tough golf course as far as being aggressive and trying to make birdies and knowing some greens you just hit to the middle, right?

INBEE PARK: Yeah, they set the golf course up really smart. I think the pins that you take the risk and go for it and be able to spin the ball, you've got a birdie opportunity and probably a birdie. But when you can't do the shots that you want to execute, it's just pretty much a bogey straight away. So you can lose a lot of shots really quickly and you can make up some shots with some great shots. You get rewarded for great shots.

Q. How long was your putt on 1?

INBEE PARK: No. 1 was about seven, eight feet. I hit a great second shot in there.

Q. You've played a lot against Sei Young; how would you characterize her game? What impresses you the most?

INBEE PARK: Well, I think she's a long hitter, but at the same time she can putt really well. I mean, when that combination -- usually that combination doesn't really come together, but when those two matches, it's hard to beat.

Q. Are you a leaderboard watcher by nature?

INBEE PARK: Well, yeah, there were a lot of leaderboards, which was really unusual to see because we have been playing without the leaderboards this year with the coronavirus, and there were a lot, so I kind of watch and just see where I am at. Yeah, I was able to do that all day today.

Q. Sei Young's numbers kept rising; were you wondering doesn't she make any mistakes?

INBEE PARK: Yeah, I seen the leaderboard and it was just keep going lower and lower and lower and I'd make birdies she makes birdies, I'd make birdies, she makes birdies, and I was like, come on. It was just fun to have that kind of race, yeah.

Q. Inbee, I'm just wondering, obviously every week on the LPGA Tour is important, but how much more motivation do you have on major championship weeks?

INBEE PARK: Well, I mean, especially with the less opportunities given this year, major championships, playing in good tournaments like this became more desperate, and I really wanted to compete in this week, and that's why I pretty much came over for this stretch of the weeks in the U.S., and being able to play this week on this golf course was a great opportunity and a great experience. I mean, I'm just -- I really love this golf course and I love how I played it, and this golf course was just perfect.

Q. I was wondering if you could talk about how much easier the next major may be for Sei Young now that she's going to break through with this one.

INBEE PARK: Yeah, I mean, I think it was just a matter of time pretty much, and obviously she's won a lot of times here and back in Korea everywhere, so she's really ready to be playing really, really good golf, and especially in the major championships. She definitely has the game for that.

Q. You've been chasing that eighth major for a few years now. Can this give you some nice momentum as you look towards December and the U.S. Women's Open?

INBEE PARK: Yeah, I've played really well in the majors this year. I've played well in British, played well here. Just came up just a little short of winning, but I think it's always a good sign that I can still compete really competitively in the major championships. It's a good confidence booster, and we have some rest and then, yeah, U.S. Open comes.

Q. I believe she's the 18th South Korean to win a major; what do you think the reaction will be like back home?

INBEE PARK: Oh, I think everybody really needs this kind of a relief, where there's some excitement. Being able to give to the country with what we do is a joy. What we do is just a great thing, and obviously Sei Young has made a lot of people happy this morning, so it's good to see that.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks so much, Inbee. It was a great week. We'll see you down the road.