LPGA MEDIHEAL CHAMPIONSHIP

June 10, 2021

Jane Park

Lake Merced Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Take me through this first round here at Lake Merced.

JANE PARK: It was freezing this morning. Definitely a bit weird coming from Atlanta straight to here where it's 40 degrees different. It's so great to have my husband Pete on the bag, and I just felt super comfortable out there.

We talked over our targets, and I told myself I'm just going to try my best to commit to every shot, and I did it probably 95 percent of the time today.

Q. This usually isn't a course in the past that people have gone particularly low, but here you are at the end of the day with one of the lowest scores of the morning. What do you feel most comfortable on Lake Merced doing?

JANE PARK: So I just told myself that it's a very difficult golf course, which it is, but if you hit fairways and greens, and the greens are relatively small, you'll probably have a decent chance at either -- to make a par easily, so I just told myself, try to hit as many greens as I can, and if I am in trouble, then take my medicine, don't go for any hero-type shots.

I feel like we did that really well today.

Q. Since coming back to the Tour this season, what are some of the things you've been working on, kind of getting used to -- I want to say the body after birth.

JANE PARK: You know, the body has been feeling okay. I'm just now getting some pains in my left shoulder because I'm carrying my daughter around. I've got to switch sides. But I think body-wise I've been all right thankfully.

I think the hardest thing is to kind of get your mind back into competition, trying to get into that competitive mode where you're not lackadaisical, you're kind of trying to play tournament golf again basically and trying to be competitive.

You know, it's taken a little while to have a good round, but here we are. I had a great round with my husband. We had a great walk today. I think he enjoyed it. He might not say that he did, but I think he did.

Q. How do you transition from being mom to being in competitive mode again?

JANE PARK: Well, this week, Grace is not here, so that's huge. I mean, not huge, I miss her dearly, but it's definitely easier going from golf course straight to home and then back to golf course without tacking on an extra hour or two for prep because I've got her on the road with me.

It's been easier this week for sure.

Q. Did your mom come get her?

JANE PARK: No, Grace is back in Atlanta.

Q. With a sitter?

JANE PARK: With my mom and my brother, yeah. She's completely taken care of and happy. What can we do?

Q. Cross country flights are a little difficult for children.

JANE PARK: Yeah, plus it was just one week, so I didn't want to bring her out for one week and get her all messed up with the time change.

Q. We've talked before about this working together, and you've said many times, I don't know if this is a long-term thing but one-offs are okay.

JANE PARK: One-offs are great. The idea of a double income is actually kind of nice and a little bit less pressure on me, and when I'm playing well, it's less pressure on him overall. It's nice. It's nice to kind of be out here together but not together at the same time.

Q. When is the last time that he caddied for you in competition?

JANE PARK: Shoot, he has caddied for me for three U.S. Open qualifiers, and we've medalist on all of them. I think that's what he says is his greatest accomplishment as a caddie. Maybe not, but he's caddied for me at the Bahamas once or twice. It might have been the last year we were in Bahamas. It's been a while.

Q. How much more fun does it feel when you have him on the bag like that?

JANE PARK: It's super fan. We've got a great banter going back and forth. He knows my game better than anyone because I spend most time with him at home, and he kind of knows what my kind of weaknesses are.

Yeah, it's nice to kind of have -- it's almost like I've got another brain working for me because mom brain is real. It is real. Like for example, I hit a chip shot on 13, and I thought I grabbed my gap wedge but apparently I grabbed my pitching wedge and I had no idea. That turned into a bogey, but whatever.

Q. Back in Thailand, I was there and he was right there with Ariya when Ariya was able to come out of the woodwork there, so he's been having a great stretch as Caddie Pete.

JANE PARK: Yeah, super good stretch for him. Yeah, I think we're a good team when we're together, and we have fun. He's definitely happy with his boss, too.

Q. What are you thinking about as you head into the second round tomorrow?

JANE PARK: Fairways and greens. I mean, as cliche as that sounds, that's really all you can do here to give yourself opportunities to not be in trouble.

Q. Seems like as soon as you're in the rough it's a really tough position to get out.

JANE PARK: It is. Plus I'm not one of the longer players out here, so when I do get in the rough it's difficult for me to advance it the exact yardage I want. I'm clubbing up and swinging as hard as I can.