AIG WOMEN'S OPEN

August 20, 2021

Sei Young Kim

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: That you for joining us after your first round here at the AIG Women's Open, 1-under to start. Can you talk us through the day.

SEI YOUNG KIM: Yeah, I think we got pretty lucky with the weather today. I was pretty late morning I guess but it wasn't too bad. We got a bit of drizzle. I mean, I'd take this four days. It's nice but it's tough out there, like it's so narrow and I wasn't hitting the ball very well which I think 1-under is the best score I could shoot today.

I got lucky on 15 and holed out. It's always nice when a couple under you have like five, that last four-hole stretch, because it's very tough. But yeah, I think that's the best score I could shoot today, scrambled really well. I think my ball-striking can get a bit better these next few days.

Q. Talk us through the hole-out on 15? How far were you and what club did you take?

SEI YOUNG KIM: I haven't been hitting my driver well at all the whole day and I flush one just kind of a draw around like perfect with the shape of the hole and it's like 145 and 155 to the pin but the wind was like -- we couldn't tell whether it was into or down and it was off the right, so it was a bit tricky. So we decided to go with, because it was cold, decided to go with a longer club so hit a smooth 7. I didn't actually hit it that great. It was okay, and as soon as I hit it, like the strike wasn't perfect, but I was like, oh, that should be all right, once it lands, it all feeds to the hole.

I just saw it bounce a couple times and was like, oh, that might be all right. The crowd between 1 and 15, oh, it's in the hole, and I was really happy. So it's actually really nice having crowds back because we wouldn't have known.

THE MODERATOR: You did say that Carnoustie has been quite tricky and it is coined golf's greatest test. Is that certainly testing you out there today, as well.

SEI YOUNG KIM: Yeah, 100 percent. I think if you're not feeling that great with ball-striking, like those bunkers are like freaking magnets. Just mis-hit by one and it goes in there. You're better off completely missing it, so it's like 20 yards right rather than if you just miss it a little bit, everything goes in the bunker, but my scrambling was really good today. But it's very tough. But I think the setup is pretty good. I love this golf course. I got to come out here before the Scottish last week and I mean it was great. Like I just really like being on the ground and it's got a really nice atmosphere, too, with the crowds. It's a really good venue.

THE MODERATOR: So your ball-striking, you said you had not been quite happy with it today. Is there something in particular that's off or just one of those days and will you do anything to try and fix that this afternoon.

SEI YOUNG KIM: I think it's just my alignment. The range the last three days have been straight across, like from the right. So you're trying to aim it a bit to the right so you're not going down and across too much. So I think maybe that's why my alignment is a little bit out.

But my ball-striking got better towards the end of the round which was nice. I'll just hit a few balls and get my alignment straight. I was hitting the ball well so which came out as a surprise that I didn't hit it that great which sounds really bad. So hopefully it will come back to me.

THE MODERATOR: As you say, scrambling was really good today. If you can get that alignment issue sorted, do you feel like tomorrow there could be a low round out there for you?

SEI YOUNG KIM: Hopefully I think I'm going to have to get lucky with the weather again. I'm out at 2.30 so hopefully the wind dies down in the end. Hopefully, I mean, see what the pins are like. You have to be aggressive on the pins that you can get to and if you don't think you can pull it off, I think it's just best to play it really safe because you're not going to pull it off, that's quite important.