U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN

December 14, 2020

A Lim Kim

Champions Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Please join me in welcoming the champion of the 75th U.S. Women's Open A Lim Kim. You're a U.S. Women's Open champion. Tell us how that feels.

A LIM KIM: I'm very honored to win the 75th U.S. Women's Open. Still can't really soak in that I'm the champion, but it feels different winning the tournament here.

Back in Korea the style and the environment is different. But I'm really glad, and through COVID-19 we had a lot of difficulties, but glad we had the U.S. Women's Open held in Houston. It was a great win. Thank you.

Q. Unbelievable finish, birdie-birdie-birdie. Can you talk us through those holes and which clubs you used?

A LIM KIM: Those three birdies that I made on the 16th, the par-3, I hit a 5-iron. It was about 182 yards. Hit it three yards past back, but made a birdie there.

17th hit a hybrid off the tee and 8-iron to the green; made the birdie there. The last hole teed off with 3-wood and a 48-degree pitching wedge for the second shot.

Q. You said that the atmosphere and environment is different back home; could you explain to us a couple ways in which that is so?

A LIM KIM: Back in Korea there's no Bermudagrass, so for me it was really -- it took some time for me to get used to Bermudagrass, especially hitting the irons off the grass. You really need some kind of skill, different style of swing in order to hit the ball out of the Bermudagrass.

But love this golf course, love this environment. I even said earlier I want to actually put a tent up here and stay a few more days.

Q. Can you tell us how you got started in the game and who have been the most influential people to get you to this point?

A LIM KIM: I started golf when my dad was playing. I just wanted to be beside him, try to learn how to play golf. It was fun and started getting competitive, so that's how I think I became a Tour playing on the KLPGA.

And growing up I was inspired by Annika Sorenstam, watching her play, and it gave me a lot of inspiration watching her.

Q. What age did you start playing? And secondly, do you remember Seri Pak winning in 2008? And if so, what do you remember about that?

A LIM KIM: I started playing golf after Seri Pak won the U.S. Women's Open. I'm kind of a little bit younger to the generation of Seri Pak, but she was already playing on the LPGA Tour.

She was one of the role models that inspired me, as well. Seri Pak for me is the history that she's written in the LPGA Tour and golf history, here and in Korea, as well.

Q. Did you look at the scoreboard at all when you were out there, and did you know where you stood going into those last three holes?

A LIM KIM: Yeah, I've been eyeing the leaderboard throughout the round and I knew how many shots I was back. That's probably the reason why I tried to hit more aggressive, tried to more attack the pins.

Q. At the beginning of the week what were your expectations for this tournament? What were you hoping to achieve?

A LIM KIM: Like I said earlier, I had some time to get used to Bermudagrass. Going into the tournament, I really didn't know what was going to -- what the result was going to be, but throughout the practice round, hitting from the fairways, made some chip shots around the green, I was able to get used to it.

And then as the tournament goes on, I was more confident that I could actually hit it off this type of grass out here.

Q. We saw that you dropped your phone in your golf bag. How many people have you heard from since you finished play? And is this your first time in America?

A LIM KIM: After I found the phone, I still didn't know that I actually won this tournament, so I got a lot of text messages from my family and friends how well I played. They were cheering for me overseas. I actually came to winter training four years ago. That was my first time back in the U.S., and this is the second time, and first time playing in an overseas tournament.

Q. Where was winter training?

A LIM KIM: Palm Springs, California.

Q. How come you wear the mask while you play, and have you done that often before?

A LIM KIM: I mean, every time I practice I usually wear a mask, so I'm kind of used to it. I'm okay to get positive tests for COVID-19 but I don't want to affect other people, players, a caddie that's playing within the group, so that's the reason I wear the mask throughout the round.

Q. Wasn't it in the middle of the night back home when this was being played? Or at least when it finished? Is your family staying up all night to watch?

A LIM KIM: Yeah, it's totally opposite time zone difference here and Korea. Right now it's 5:00, 6:00 in the morning. But when the tournament was played it was the middle of the night. Yeah, my family did watch throughout my whole tournament.

Q. It's on live TV there in the middle of the night?

A LIM KIM: Yes.

Q. I don't know if you've had time to think of it, but would you plan to join the LPGA Tour?

A LIM KIM: I just need some more time to think about it. It's just so overwhelming just winning this tournament. Once I go back home I'll think about it and see, just go from there.

Q. How will you celebrate?

A LIM KIM: I really miss Korean food right now, so I'll probably have good Korean food with my family.

THE INTERPRETER: She didn't mention, but we've got to do 14 days of quarantine when we go back to Korea, so it'll be family gathering time for those two weeks, so looking forward to it.

Q. Who's here with you?

A LIM KIM: Mom is here. She's over there. And I brought a caddie from the KLPGA that I worked with back home.