GAINBRIDGE LPGA

February 23, 2021

Sei Young Kim

Lake Nona Golf & Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome once again. I am happy to be joined by world No. 2, Sei Young Kim. How are you doing today?

SEI YOUNG KIM: Good. How are you?

THE MODERATOR: Good. I'm doing great. I think my first question, and it's been a few months since we last saw you at CME Group Tour Championship, what are some of the things you have been doing in your off-season?

SEI YOUNG KIM: I had a lot of fun during the off-season because I didn't touch the golf club. I just enjoyed time and spend time with friends and then get to see them.

And I did a lot of things, like pilates yoga, something like that. Yeah, it was fun.

THE MODERATOR: So now taekwondo and pilates yoga.

SEI YOUNG KIM: I'm not going to do taekwondo anymore because I stopped when I was 16 year old.

THE MODERATOR: Okay.

SEI YOUNG KIM: Yeah, so after I need more focus on what is exercise help for my golf. That's the reason why I do the pilates and work out.

THE MODERATOR: Do you watch videos or just go to a gym? How do you do pilates?

SEI YOUNG KIM: I have a coach in Korea. Yeah, she's teach me a lot about it. We are really good friend and she teach me a lot how to keep your core and, yeah, make some flexible physically, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: How do you think that's helped you as you prepare for this 2021 season?

SEI YOUNG KIM: Oh, a lot, because if you're -- the season is long, so you need to keep your core because keep your position. So, yeah, I think pilates really help a lot for your swing and, yeah, like body balance. Uh-huh.

THE MODERATOR: When did you get back to the U.S., and when did you feel like you were starting to really prepare for your first event of the season?

SEI YOUNG KIM: I got U.S. last week, so I'm still a little bit jet lag. Yeah, during the off-season last couple weeks I starting to practice. Even in the Korea it was a little cold out weather, especially my country.

So, yeah, even I try to keep the same feelings my shot. Yeah, it works. We'll see. (Laughter.)

THE MODERATOR: Were you able to reflect at all about your season last year, winning Rolex Player of the Year as well as your major victory? Did you have time to just realize the spectacular season you had?

SEI YOUNG KIM: I didn't expect a lot like that, but I just set goals every year, so, yeah, and just step by step, yeah, just move forward as I can do.

So, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: So now we're here at Lake Nona, Gainbridge. Have you played the golf course yet?

SEI YOUNG KIM: I played.

THE MODERATOR: Have you played this course before?

SEI YOUNG KIM: No. This week first time I played Lake Nona Golf Course. When I first tee off feels like really beautiful golf course and then greens are really pure and then fairway are feels like a putting green. (Laughter.)

Yeah, so it's really good shape the golf course, and you can see the beautiful view when you're walking on the golf course. A lot of water though. Like I knew why name is Lake Nona. A lot of water around the golf course.

THE MODERATOR: Lake Nona is home to a couple LPGA Tour players. This week it's going to be another appearance from Annika Sorenstam. For you, what did it mean to you when you heard Annika was going to be playing here this week?

SEI YOUNG KIM: Yeah, when I heard that I was so -- I was so exciting to chance to pairing with her. Very low percentage, but hopefully. If I chance, I want to play with her because she's my idol when I was young, I grew up.

So, yeah, when I played the hole 14 or 13, someone told me like that house is Annika house. I was like, Wow, that's huge. Yeah, she's got (indiscernible) of things by here and motivation. So, yeah, I'm very happy to very close to see her play.

THE MODERATOR: Do you think -- have you met her? I feel like you've met her before.

SEI YOUNG KIM: Yeah, I met her a couple times.

THE MODERATOR: Were you a little bit star struck knowing she's your idol?

SEI YOUNG KIM: Yeah, she's -- I have a lot of idols. Annika Sorenstam, she's one of them, and then Lorena Ochoa and Se Ri Park. Yeah, so when I see them or when I standing them I feel like a little nervous, so it's feel like weird. Yeah.

THE MODERATOR: And now you'll be teeing it up beside her. What are some of the things you've been working on while you're practicing here and kind of coming in chasing a win to start off the season?

SEI YOUNG KIM: What's that mean?

THE MODERATOR: What are some of the things you've been working on as you chase a win at the first event of the season?

SEI YOUNG KIM: Just enjoying, yeah, because it's starting a tournament, the first tournament. Just relax, having fun. I think it's going to be good.

THE MODERATOR: This week the Aon Risk-Reward hole is No. 15, the Par-5. What are your thoughts on it? Have you played it so far?

SEI YOUNG KIM: Hole 15?

THE MODERATOR: Yes.

SEI YOUNG KIM: Yeah, I played that hole. I remember it's dogleg right to left, and then if you hit the good driver you have chance to the two shot on the green.

But it's a lot of risky. It's a lot of risk. Yeah, if you play -- yeah, it's very challenging hole. I like that hole.

Q. What's challenging about it, do you think?

SEI YOUNG KIM: When the pins are right back, if you miss the right side, right side of the green, it's really tough to make the birdie, even very close get to the green. Yeah.

So that part really interesting to me.

Q. Are you one of those players that you want to hit it in two?

SEI YOUNG KIM: Yeah. If I have chance. If I have -- fit my eye, uh-huh.

Q. You said you've been here for about a week. Did you go to Texas first and battle the cold or come straight to Florida?

SEI YOUNG KIM: I back to -- straight back to Dallas. I stayed just couple days because the weather is so cold and a lot of snow, and I move in that Orlando last week. Uh-huh.

Q. Okay. So you were in the cold and the snow. Did you always plan to come back this week or are you starting earlier than you thought you might? For some reason I thought you were starting at the Kia.

THE MODERATOR: So you're starting at Gainbridge. Is it earlier than you wanted to start?

SEI YOUNG KIM: Oh, okay. No, I wanted to starting the Gainbridge. That's what I strategy, what I planned. Uh-huh.

Q. Okay. Sorry, I must've gotten bad intel. What do you think about a blooming rivalry with Jin Young Ko? Does that excite you to have rivalry on tour, or do you think there is one?

THE MODERATOR: So you and Jin Young going against each other.

SEI YOUNG KIM: Oh, yeah. Oh, Jin Young is really competitor, and I'm also very competitor. We beat each other.

So, yeah, I think she's a great golfer. I learn a lot from her, and she also, yeah, she's fun and also relax and playing good.

Yeah, I think she's a really good player.

Q. What's Bob on your shirt?

SEI YOUNG KIM: It's not Bob. It's BOB. It's called BOB, which is mean Be on your Brave.

THE MODERATOR: Be on your brain?

SEI YOUNG KIM: Brave.

Q. Is it a company?

SEI YOUNG KIM: It's a new company, Korea. It's a clothes company. It's from the Europe.

Q. Oh, it's a clothing company.

SEI YOUNG KIM: Yeah, it's clothing company.

Q. How much do you plan to play through the ANA?

SEI YOUNG KIM: I play every tournament, yeah, until the -- you mean until the ANA? Yeah, I play every tournament, yeah.

Q. Okay. And secondly, how do you think Annika will do this week, and does 50 sound old to you?

THE MODERATOR: How do you think Annika will play this week? She's 50 years old. He's asking if that's old to you.

SEI YOUNG KIM: I'm very wondering, I'm very curious how she play. She's still -- I think she's still good playing, yeah, because 50 is not old I think. (Laughter.)

Q. Okay. And this is kind of one offbeat question for you. If there is one golf course in the world that you want to play, which one would it be? And why?

SEI YOUNG KIM: It's tough to pick, but I want to play -- my wish list -- I have one golf course in the wish list. It's Pebble Beach. I never play before, so I would like to play, yeah, that golf course.

So I'm waiting for the 2022 for U.S. Open, yeah.

Q. What's your biggest goal for this year?

SEI YOUNG KIM: Well, I want to win the three times in this year. Then the season is very long, so I want to just enjoy with my group and all the player.

So it's hopefully, yeah, fun all year, and then, yeah, if I get the -- if I reach the goal, it's going to be another happy.

THE MODERATOR: Jin Young didn't tell us her goals. She said she'll tell us at the end of the year. We'll have to circle back.

SEI YOUNG KIM: Oh. (Laughter.)

THE MODERATOR: Any other questions? One last thing before we close it out here. After Drive On, I know we were talking about will you go back to Texas for a little bit. I think one of the questions that Beth Ann had is when you were in Texas the big winter storm happened.

SEI YOUNG KIM: Uh-huh.

THE MODERATOR: Have you ever gone through anything like that before?

SEI YOUNG KIM: No. I heard that it's been like 30 or 40 years that much snow. So it's very rare, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Did you have power and water?

SEI YOUNG KIM: My house is okay but my pipe is broken. So, yeah, when I get back I have to fix it. Yeah, but where I staying, the town Las Colinas, except Las Colinas other cities got a lot of problem. Yeah, but Las Colinas has less, yeah, problem, so...

Q. I know with COVID restrictions you aren't able to get out and about as you normally would in Korea. Did you get the sense that you're more famous now, more people know the name Sei Young Kim after last year's season?

SEI YOUNG KIM: I was doubt, but not many, because when I wearing a mask, and then, yeah -- yeah, when I wearing a mask people don't know about who you are. Yeah. (Laughter.)

Q. Fair. Fair point. Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: All right, I think that will do it for us here. Thank you so much, and we will start-up again tomorrow with press conferences.

SEI YOUNG KIM: Thank you.