HSBC WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

March 6, 2022

Jin Young Ko

Sentosa Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to be joined by Jin Young Ko, our 2022 HSBC Women's World Championship winner at 17-under. Jin Young, it was a record-setting day on many levels, but we'll start with congratulations. That was an amazing round of 66 today. How were you feeling as you got out to the golf course today?

JIN YOUNG KO: First of all, I just proud myself to record 60s 15 round like straight. So I'm so happy. I feel amazing right now. And it's tough to playing with two Korean players. They are amazing players. So we are still close friends. So it's always hard to be playing with the last group, last round with the Korean players.

So I need -- I just keep more focused on my body and my swing. And, yeah, just happy.

Q. Happy. We love it when you're happy, the happiest player on the golf course. It was a kind of a slow start, seven pars in your first seven holes. What were you thinking then? Were you thinking about the record or the win?

JIN YOUNG KO: No, just my like first three round, four days, I felt not comfortable to my swing in the front nine. So I expect to back nine will be more better than front nine. So I found something and I got a lot of birdies on back nine. And I don't know what happened on the front nine, but still pretty good.

THE MODERATOR: Oh, you played well. But is it safe to say you like the back nine better?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah. I don't know why. But I just wanted to know, yeah.

Q. You had -- one, two, three, four -- five birdies in your last six holes, 13, 14, 15, 16, a par on 17, and then that beautiful birdie on the 18. It was very tight still between you and Jeongeun6 and In Gee. What was going through your mind throughout that back nine? You would make a birdie, and another birdie from your colleagues.

JIN YOUNG KO: Well, I thought I had to get birdie on No. 18. I don't want to go playoff into this weather.

But I'm a little lucky than Jeongeun and In Gee. So, yeah, it was great round so far.

Q. Great round. And as I said, and you mentioned record breaking, it was your 15th consecutive round in the 60s, which is an LPGA record, and your 30th consecutive round below par, also an LPGA record. Did you think you had this kind of scoring in you?

JIN YOUNG KO: Just try to be under par. It was harder because I wanted to break my record with under par. I tried to focus on myself the best.

THE MODERATOR: So you were trying to focus on what you needed to do instead of the record.

JIN YOUNG KO: Yes.

THE MODERATOR: But is it cool to know that you have these important records in LPGA history? What's the honor that that feels?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, it's great honor to record, it's new record. So I probably -- my next event will be in L.A., so I need to small take time before the event. So break. So I can do practice more in the break time. So a little bit better than last couple days.

THE MODERATOR: I saw were you immediately on FaceTime with Mom and Dad when you won?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yes, I did.

THE MODERATOR: What was their reaction?

JIN YOUNG KO: I keep smiling, and then still, they were smiling the whole time. I think they're a little cried. But I don't know.

THE MODERATOR: Overall, what was the whole week experience like here in Singapore, hot, but a beautiful week, a great week here?

JIN YOUNG KO: Hot. Great hotel. Great shopping area. Great food. So I had a lot of din tai fung and crabs and I -- yeah, it was fun.

Q. Hi, congratulations. Can you just talk a bit about the 12th hole when you made that bogey and that mistake with the chip, perhaps, and how important was it to then make birdies after that and bounce back?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, I was angry, myself, and -- but I thought, yeah, I have five or six more holes, so I can get a lot of birdies and par-5, it was next hole, so I had to get the birdies, No. 13. But 14, 15, I got -- I was lucky, I think. And 18 was too.

So all I thought was to have as much as birdies as much as possible. That's what I aimed for the most.

Q. And last year you had the chance to break the record of 15 straight rounds. You didn't manage that. Was there something you learned from that that you took into today?

JIN YOUNG KO: No. No. No.

Q. So were you feeling at all nervous, this morning when you woke up, maybe before you started your round?

JIN YOUNG KO: I just wanted to finish fast because it's hot. I just wanted to go back to my hometown. That's all I had in mind.

Q. Congratulations. Do you like pressure?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, I think so.

Q. Okay. So what do you like about it? Do you like that feeling at the end of a tournament where you get a chance to show how you good you can play?

JIN YOUNG KO: Not feeling of it, but I like to experience it and actually grow from it.

THE MODERATOR: You're going home now, going back to Korea. What are you going to do these next few weeks before you start playing again in California?

JIN YOUNG KO: Practice.

THE MODERATOR: Practice.

JIN YOUNG KO: Yes.

THE MODERATOR: It's scary that you need to practice.

JIN YOUNG KO: Practice. I need practice.

THE MODERATOR: What do you need to practice?

JIN YOUNG KO: For my swing.

THE MODERATOR: Are you going to give us any tips, what you're going to work on?

JIN YOUNG KO: Well...

THE MODERATOR: We see your success, and we think: What does she need to work on? What do you think you need to work on?

JIN YOUNG KO: I need a lot of things still. Yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Perfectionist?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yes. I am.

THE MODERATOR: Nothing wrong with that.

JIN YOUNG KO: No.

THE MODERATOR: You have six wins in your last ten starts. When you were a little girl, did you think you'd be this successful?

JIN YOUNG KO: No.

Q. What would you say to that little girl?

JIN YOUNG KO: Just it's okay it's not to be a perfectionist.