BMW LADIES CHAMPIONSHIP

October 20, 2021

Ha Na Jang

LPGA International Busan

Press Conference

Q. Ha Na, what is it like to be back here at the BMW Ladies Championship?

HA NA JANG: Last year, as you know, the event was canceled due to the COVID pandemic. And usually when you're a defending champion, you return a year after. So it's been two years. So that's something new.

And obviously I really want to win, but at the same time this year I want to focus on enjoying myself too.

Q. You had quite a performance back in 2019. What do you remember most about that event and how well you played?

HA NA JANG: One particular moment that stands out was on No. 16. I had three metres to make a par putt, and at the time it kind of, I guess, vibrated in somehow.

And at the time, a lot of the people there actually received an alert for an earthquake. And I joked that the vibration from all the alerts coming to their cell phones actually pushed the ball in.

Q. The playoff with Danielle Kang, she was in here earlier and talked about how much she remembered that moment and what it was like to play with you. What do you remember most about the playoff with her?

HA NA JANG: So obviously in golf you're playing for yourself. So you may be great friends off course, but once you're on course, you're competing against each other.

So I think at the time I was just really grateful that I was up against a really good competitor. And so it was a really good memory as a player.

And also I was very grateful that I was able to share that with a good friend.

Q. As we get ready for this week's tournament, what has the last season been like for you? And how do you feel about the state of your game entering this week's tournament?

HA NA JANG: Actually I had a really good season. I think I come in first when it comes to top 10 finishes. So I'm really not going to focus too much on the result and rather I'm going to focus on enjoying myself.

And I've had small injuries here and there all season, so I really think that I have to embrace injuries and befriend injuries to enjoy myself.

Q. By the way, the earthquake, what round was that?

HA NA JANG: The final round, No. 16.

Q. Ha Na, what does it mean to be back in Busan and at the BMW Ladies Championship which you won back in 2019?

HA NA JANG: So as defending champion, normally you come a year after your win. But as you know, unfortunately, last year the championship, the BMW Ladies Championship was canceled due to the COVID pandemic.

So I think it's kind of new in that way. And I really like Busan, and I feel comfortable here. And so this week I'm going to try to focus on having a good time rather than focusing too much on the result.

Q. You gave a spectacular performance back in 2019. What are some of the most impressive memories in your mind from that tournament and your win?

HA NA JANG: I know that a lot of the fans probably remember my birdie on the 17th in the playoff. But I actually remember the 16th hole much more because I had three metres to make par putt, and I hit the ball, and it seemed like it was slipping past the hole, but actually it came back and went in.

And at the time there was a sizable earthquake in a nearby city called, and a lot of people were getting emergency alerts on their cell phones. So their cell phones were vibrating. So I joked that it was the vibration of all the cell phones that nudged the ball in.

Q. You went into the playoff with Danielle Kang. We had her in here earlier who talked about though golf is an individual sport, how much she enjoyed playing alongside you in that playoff. What do you remember from that playoff and the emotions and feelings you had when you won that tournament?

HA NA JANG: I've been good friends with Danielle for a long time. So it was really good to play with her or against her. And she's a really good competitor.

And I think with competing with each other in that way was in a sense being there for each other as well. So I made a lot of good memories.

And, in fact, I think that golf being once you're on the course, it's every man for himself, but having to compete against a friend, I think was an opportunity for me to focus more.

Q. It's already been, I feel like, an entire season for us as we are gearing up for the end of the year here at BMW Ladies Championship. How would you assess the state of your game heading into this week's tournament?

HA NA JANG: I had a really good season, so I guess that there is a little bit of pressure. But I think that I can keep up the momentum and in good form.

And I had small injuries here and there, and I think that my fans are concerned about that, but I think that at this point I just need to embrace and really befriend my injuries.

And I have a lot of positive energy, so I think that I'm going to do well this week.

Q. Does it feel like extra pressure defending a championship? You've won plenty of times before, but what does it mean for you to be able to come back here and defend this championship?

HA NA JANG: Obviously people have a slightly different perception or they think about the defending champion in a different way from other players.

So I guess you do have that pressure, but at the same time the pressure that a defending champion can feel is something that can only be felt if you're in this position. So in a way that is a privilege. So I am going to thoroughly enjoy it.

Q. How do you feel coming back to LPGA International Busan? What are your feelings after you played the course the last couple of days?

HA NA JANG: I believe that while the weather is going to be fair, it's going to be quite windy these next few days. So that's I think where a lot of players are going to feel the difficulty of this course.

This is a windy part of town, but at the same time the wind swirls, so the direction changes quite often. So I think with every shot the decision or the judgment that's made on the spot is going to be critical for the players.

And the grass is in excellent condition. So I think a lot of players are really going to be able to enjoy their game.

Q. Obviously, with this competition, the bubble concept, so the players can only go to and from the course and the hotel. And obviously with domestic golf tournaments, we've some quarantine measures, but none of them have actually applied the bubble concept. So is there anything that's kind of fascinating or new about the quarantine measures that are being taken in this tournament, and do you have any difficulty because of these measures?

HA NA JANG: To be quite honest, I have to say that you do kind of want to go out. Usually when you have a tournament like this, the players, they find good restaurants and they take walks.

So as a player, you do kind of want to go out. But it's been three days, and I would have to say all the players have kind of adapted. And although it's inconvenient, the measures are in place essentially for us. And I think to make up for this, we've been put in a very nice hotel. And so we're in a very comfortable environment.

But I have to say I would love to go to the convenience store.