LOTTE CHAMPIONSHIP

April 12, 2021

Hyo Joo Kim

Kapolei Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, welcome into the virtual media center here at the LOTTE Championship.

First question for you, give me two seconds.

Welcome back to Hawaii. What has this off week been like for you?

HYO JOO KIM: I think during the off week I was really relaxed. I think it was really hot, so I just spent a lot of the time relaxing and really taking that off time.

But I think within that one week of taking off I've -- I'm playing in good conditions.

Q. That's great. Second question is since returning to the LPGA Tour you had a Top 5 finish at the Kia Classic; you did pretty well at the ANA Inspiration. How confident are you in your game as we prepare for the LOTTE Championship?

HYO JOO KIM: As you mentioned, it's been a long time since I played in the U.S.

But I'm really grateful that coming back I've had a good start, and actually that gives me a little bit more confidence heading into the week, especially with my sponsorship this week.

With all these things in mind, I'm going to focus more and have a great golf game.

Q. You got a sneak peek of Kapolei this past weekend. What was that like getting used to the course?

HYO JOO KIM: A lot of players that I've actually talked to have been a little worried and I could sense a little bit of that worry.

But honestly, the course is in really good condition, and I think it's so beautiful and a lot of players who have been able to kind of go out and play, they're really satisfied.

And it's a beautiful course with good conditions.

Q. You have quite the impressive history here at LOTTE. What does it mean to you as a LOTTE player to come back and support this tournament and hopefully play well?

HYO JOO KIM: I can't help but feel that because I am a sponsor and this is a sponsored event for me I may feel a little bit more pressure, may play with a little bit more pressure.

But the same reasoning with that, I'm also feeling a little bit more enthusiastic with that support playing this week.

Q. As you know, the Korean Olympic team is a very hard team to make. How much do you think about what happened in 2016, just missing the team, and how motivating is that for you for Tokyo?

HYO JOO KIM: With those 2016 memories in mind I think this year is definitely more important for me. And with those memories in mind I want to play to the best of my ability and get on that team this year.

Q. One last question from me. Now that you've seen the course, what are you most excited about returning to Hawaii and what would it take to play really well at Kapolei Golf Club?

HYO JOO KIM: Given how it is a new course, I think that any of the players who can adjust to the course conditions quicker will be at an advantage.

And this course actually has a lot stronger winds than I imagined, so I hope to utilize this wind to my advantage.

But, yes, definitely the player or the individual who can get accustomed to the new course conditions will have the bigger advantage this week.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Well that'll do it for us here. Thank you for joining us.