AIG WOMEN'S OPEN

August 17, 2021

Inbee Park

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to this morning's press conference with Inbee Park.

Inbee, welcome to the AIG Women's Open. Start by telling us how much you're looking forward to this week and hopefully contending for another major title.

INBEE PARK: Yeah, I'm really excited to play the AIG Women's Open. I played it the last few years, and I have had good results here and I just love playing links golf course and Carnoustie is a great golf course to play. Really excited to be here finally in a little cooler weather after being in the Olympics, being in Korea, it has been very, very hot. I'm really enjoying this weather and the course.

Q. Thank you so much for chatting with us today. You played here in 2011 at Carnoustie when the AIG Women's Open was played here and you had a really nice result. Do you have some good memories of Carnoustie?

INBEE PARK: You know, I was really trying to remember how I did in 2011, and I knew that I had good result, but I played the course yesterday about 15 holes and I don't really remember the golf course except for that I had a sausage roll after No. 10. I knew that I enjoyed the golf course when I played in the first time in 2011 and had the good result.

There has been some changes on the golf course. I heard they made it a little bit longer and last time we played here, I don't think it was that windy.

So I don't know what we're going to get this week obviously and it's a really windy-dependent golf course, and when it's windy this, golf course can get really, really tough and when it's not windy, obviously it's scorable.

Yeah, I think we'll just wait and see what happens.

Q. And just what did you think of the 18th and The Barry Burn there that's so infamous?

INBEE PARK: 18th, to be honest, I haven't played 18 yet. Obviously I played a few times in 2011 but it's really, really tough to remember. Always playing in Scotland, the golf courses, coming to No. 18 with the big clubhouse and just a totally different look to what we usually play every weekend on, it's just so historical, and I just love the style of the golf course.

Q. I was just interested in what is it about your game you think that's suited to links golf? Obviously you've played really well here at Carnoustie and that time you won at Turnberry, you played a really competitive tournament at St Andrews a few years ago as well. Why is your game suited to links courses?

INBEE PARK: We play in a lot of different conditions and obviously very tough conditions when we come to play Scotland golf courses.

Obviously you need to control your ball really well, under the wind and you have to avoid a lot of the bunkers. It is always tough playing under the wind but I somehow manage to enjoy the wind and links golf course. This is what we're supposed to get playing links golf.

It's just that kind of mindset, and obviously the ground is very firm because it's a links golf course, and the ball is running. So the course is not playing overly long. I'm not the longest hitter, so I think that really helps as well.

Yeah, just playing a little smarter around the golf course helps I think.

Q. You talked about the courses you normally play that look so lush and beautiful on television. Do you enjoy these wide-open spaces where it's just you and the ground and the ball?

INBEE PARK: Yeah, I really, really do enjoy the links golf style. We only get to do it probably once or twice a year, and I always look forward to playing links golf. To be honest if I have to play under these conditions every week, I'd say I'm probably not going to enjoy it as much. It's a once-a-year opportunity, and it's a unique setup and I think this is the way the golf is supposed to be played.

Yeah, really, really enjoy it.

Q. Welcome back to the AIG Women's Open. What is your mindset as you head into the final major championship of the season? This has been the comeback season from our COVID 2020 restart, but from you and where you are in your game as you rev up for this final major championship?

INBEE PARK: Yeah, I can't believe how fast the year has gone and I can't believe the Olympics is already over. Since this is the last major, I really want to give it all I have, and I've done really, really good over the season. Obviously probably a little bit disappointing in the Olympics, but except for that, I think everyone's done a really, really good job.

Being the last major and thinking that we have to wait a few minutes to wait for another major really gets me to bring all I have in this week.

Yeah, I'm just going to enjoy it and maybe enjoy some time off after.

Q. Last year at Royal Troon you had your husband caddying for you. I was just wondering if he got another call-up for Carnoustie this week?

INBEE PARK: No, I have Brad this week. He's really excited to be here. He's really sad that he missed the great golf course that we played last year, so I'm really glad that he's back on the bag and really reminded me of my husband caddying last year, and I mean, it was really fun, as well, but I'm happy to have Brad back.

THE MODERATOR: Inbee, thanks very much for your time and very best of luck this week.