JTBC CLASSIC PRESENTED BY BARBASOL

March 24, 2022

Jin Young Ko

Aviara Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Jin Young Ko, opening with a first round 65. What was going so well for you today, you think?

JIN YOUNG KO: Well, I don't know. I'm just trying to hit 60s today. Well, these greens are really tricky, so I didn't expect for good putt or made it a lot of putts on this green, but I made a lot of birdie today and bogey-free round.

It's pretty so far, so looking for next three days.

Q. Some stats for you: You're 31 straight rounds under par.

JIN YOUNG KO: Yep.

Q. And you're 16 straight rounds in the 60s.

JIN YOUNG KO: Yes.

Q. How exciting, just knowing the roll that you're on right now? Do you ever stop and think, Wow, that's an incredible accomplishment?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yes. I would say yes. And also it's great, feels great to record like one step at a time.

Q. It's remarkable. This is our first time seeing you in the States this season.

JIN YOUNG KO: Yes.

Q. We saw you win in Singapore. What's it like to be back in the LPGA Tour swing of things?

JIN YOUNG KO: It's good. I love to play in west coast, and especially before the major. I need to warmup before the first major of the year.

So, yeah, I can't wait to play all the tournament in west coast. It's been a while I played in the States. When was last? In CME, so maybe over four months.

Yeah, it's pretty -- yeah, it's good, everything good.

Q. What have you been working on since your win in Singapore?

JIN YOUNG KO: Well, I would say I didn't practice much after the Singapore, but I did, four days straight. (Laughter.)

Yeah, I met my friends and I played with my dog, my puppies, and my parents are coming here, so they are cook every night for dinner.

So, yeah, I don't miss Korea now. It feels Korea right now.

Q. So are your parents here now?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah.

Q. How exciting is that for you?

JIN YOUNG KO: It's first time they visit in San Diego, so my mom said, I love to this place. I want to buy house in this place.

I said, do you know how much the house in here? And then text. And then she said, yeah, how much? And I said a lot. She said, okay. That's it.

(Laughter.)

My father loved here and mom as well. Yeah it's fine.

Q. Will your parents be staying for next week also?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yes, till U.S. Open.

Q. How do you feel differently at these events where you have your family here?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, it's a little bit of motivated to me because my mom's room is two rooms behind me, so I always woke up the front of my mom's room and I can always hear like cooking, like cooking time, cooking, like wash dish, something.

And I feel little sad, because my mom is not too young right now, but not old, but I'm only child, so she wants to make me play better all season, so she wasted the energy for me, to me.

So it's a little sad, so that's a little bit of motivated to me. So I really want to play well front of my parents.

So, well...

Q. You said you're using this week to get ready and prepare for next week. What are you specifically hoping to improve or what are you looking at with your game that you want to get ready for next week?

JIN YOUNG KO: Well, my mental is strong right now, I guess. Swing and putting, not bad, but not good.

Yeah, if go to major, a lot of pressure on the players to -- all the players, so we have to fight within nervous emotion or whatever.

So but my mental is strong right now after the Singapore. Yeah, of course. I can feel grow up, growing up than before the Singapore.

So, yeah.

Q. I see you have tape on your wrist.

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah.

Q. How are you feeling?

JIN YOUNG KO: It's fine, but so much better than last year. I can practice all day and this just like safe, like safe tape something. Yeah.

Q. Like precautionary?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yes.

Q. So you can practice normal? You're not having to not practice before rounds like last year?

JIN YOUNG KO: No, yeah.

Q. So you talk about you're mentally very strong right now. You're working on the little things to just make yourself even better. How confident do you feel in your game and how much did that win in Singapore only help your confidence?

JIN YOUNG KO: Well, yeah, I have a lot of confidence right now in the course, especially with my caddie. He help me a lot so I can get more confidence than without him. So I just want to say thank you to my caddie.

Yeah, I love to play golf right now, so it's -- I'm really enjoying right now in the course, playing with whoever. I can focus myself. Yeah, shot by shot I can, yeah feel confidence 100% and I can focus 100% for my ball.

So, yeah, I love to play golf right now.

Q. I love hearing that, because I remember at CME what you went through last year and you said to yourself, I want to step away from golf. You have a round like this, a win like Singapore, are you feeling this is the best golf you played in your career, or no?

JIN YOUNG KO: No, not yet. Like my -- I'm doing well, but mostly many people say 2019 was your career high; it is.

But I thought, no, not yet. It's not coming yet. So 2021 I play well, but not yet. It's not coming yet. Even this year, too. So I need to more win and I want to more win.

But I have to focus on myself if I want to really get the wins. So, yeah.

Q. I like that, the best is yet to come.

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah.

Q. So you're saying what we saw in 2019, we haven't seen the best of Jin Young Ko yet?

JIN YOUNG KO: I would say so, yeah. I think it's not coming yet. It's coming soon maybe. (Laughter.)