PELICAN WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

November 13, 2021

Christina Kim

Pelican Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Called yourself an Old Betty yesterday, but you're playing golf like a Young Betty. I don't even want to hear about it. What are the emotions heading into Sunday?

CHRISTINA KIM: I'm just still elated. To be perfectly honest, I put up a tweet last night where I was like, Can't wait to get outdriven by collectively 160 yards every single hole. Honestly it was between, I don't know, 30 and 60, so I was actually pretty happy about that.

No, I'm just thrilled to be here. Obviously it's a beautiful day. Any time you're playing on a Saturday over the weekend is great. I haven't done that in about five tournaments, so it's kind of a nice change.

But I'm just so happy to be here, and obviously getting the opportunity to tee it up this week with the best field in women's golf, making it -- you know, playing semi late on a Sunday is really, really amazing.

So I'm just elated.

Q. You're set out to be in the penultimate group. You carded two 65s and a 66. What are you liking so much about Pelican?

CHRISTINA KIM: What isn't there to like about the Pelican Golf Club? You know, I'm a little bit of an architect nerd, so one of my favorite things is when you come to a golf course and you see fairways creeping into bunkers and you don't have to worry about that line of rough around them.

I just think it's really played out and it requires a lot more thought around the -- off the tee, especially if you've got bunkers that you can run into. It's just visually appealing. It's absolutely terrifying. There no question about that.

But it's just -- it's a golf course I think we just are all so lucky to get the opportunity to play, especially considering it's only been around for a few years. It was a public golf course years and years ago, and then Dan Doyle purchased the property and just, it was a mad glow up.

So it's got everything. It's demanding off the tee. You have to know about the angles coming in in order to get to certain hole locations. The greens have amazing complexes. Bunkers are by no means an immediate up and down.

It's got everything. It's got everything. And it's a beautiful day on top of that.

Q. What's so validating about the way you've played the last three days?

CHRISTINA KIM: I was talking to my caddie, I said, Let's just keep it dry. A lot of it honestly is about small victories and just making it into the weekend is huge, and every single shot just knowing I never gave up on any of them.

I did shank one on 11. But, you know, I had a really nice two-putt from 45 feet or something like that. Just knowing that I was able to maintain the mental capacity in my octogenarian age for the LPGA Tour, that I was able to stay with it on every single shot, that's something I'm really, really proud of.

Q. I love the casual way you just threw in the shank.

CHRISTINA KIM: It happens.

Q. What were the details there?

CHRISTINA KIM: It wasn't like a Poulter shank or a Webb Simpson shank, but nicked the hosel so it did end up on the green. I had way too much club and I was like, Ahh, so I was like I'll just -- I don't want it to fly too far, so I am going to make sure I avoid the center of the club face.

Just nicked the hosel a little bit. I couldn't understand the divot direction with where the ball ended up in conjunction with what my target was.

No, it happens. You know, what's the worst that happens? It stayed dry. Again, goal No. 1.

Q. What do you think tomorrow is going to feel like for you on the inside?

CHRISTINA KIM: I don't know. Sorry, give me one sec. Let's watch her clean up a birdie.

Q. This is for par.

CHRISTINA KIM: Nice. Nice. That was nice. No, tomorrow is just going to be an awesome day. I can only control what I can control, and even at times that doesn't include the golf ball.

So I'm just going to go out there and really focus on my process, continue to trust it, and have a great day. I am a little sad that I'm not going to be paired with Nelly because can we talk about her for a minute?

Q. Yes, please.

CHRISTINA KIM: This was my first time playing in a competitive round with her period, let alone since she turned No. 1 in the world. I don't care who is out there, I might be her biggest fan. Like in terms of as a human. Obviously her golf, you can hand her a frying pan and she'll be able to do anything with any club.

But as a human being, like the grace that she has, she was super patient with me because I was like, Let's talk. And she was just totally open to it.

She was like -- she's got a beautiful laugh, beautiful smile. Just really, really warm heart. I was like, Girl crush. Like I'm absolutely just in awe of her. I told her. It almost brought a tear to my eye knowing that the future of the game, next generation is in her hands.

It's just like -- I almost swore. It's freaking awesome.

Q. Just curious for you, how does the golf course change when you ever the rain we had earlier in the middle of play? Do you have to do anything to reset, or is it kind of just getting used to a little bit of a new course again?

CHRISTINA KIM: Well, so there was just a little bit of softening in terms of our tee shots, and then the greens were playing a little bit softer and a little bit slower because of the moisture content on the greens.

But with the wind switching more into a west-northwest as opposed to the winds coming off the southwest and from the gulf, the humidity dropped so the ball was able to fly a little bit farther.

So they kind of like almost canceled each other out. But, you know, it was just -- it just made it a little greener. You know, it was beautiful. I don't care. They could put fertilizer on the whole damn thing and I'll roll around in it. I'm just happy to be here.

Q. How do you keep such a good attitude? You get excited on the course and you show a lot of emotion, which I'm sure other people just love to see as well. But what brings that out in you?

CHRISTINA KIM: Probably the fact that I'm the most surprised human being on the planet when I execute a shot well. No, it's just -- you know, golf is my life and golf is my No. 1 love.

You know, why wouldn't you go out and have fun? I mean, playing with Nelly was just amazing. She was having a great time. We're just different personalities. She's just a bit more introverted and I'm the kind of person, I'm more of an Instant Pot where you just need to hit that manual release for the pressure.

But you can tell everyone out here is really enjoying themselves. It's just people do it in different ways. Unfortunately I'm the kind that's loud and crazy.