KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

June 23, 2022

In Gee Chun

Congressional Country Club (Blue Course)

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Here with In Gee Chun who just shot an amazing 8-under 64. How did you do that?

IN GEE CHUN: I think golf is all about the process, so after I had a couple of not good weeks before, so I felt really bad after that, but I'm trying to make the focus on the course for the process, not for the result. That helps a lot. I'm trying to enjoy to play golf more on the course, more talk with my caddie. I'm happy with the good round today.

THE MODERATOR: Definitely happy. It ties the low first round ever at this championship. Nine birdies. Just one bogey. How did you deal with the weather conditions early in your round? Were they really not a factor for you today?

IN GEE CHUN: So course after a lot of rain -- course feels longer. I had a couple of good shots with my woods. That's how I had birdie chance. At the same time the greens were softer, so I think it was just good balance.

THE MODERATOR: So you had four birdies in a row, 15, 16, 17, and 18 to make the turn. All just one putt. Were you just feeling that your process was working?

IN GEE CHUN: So I felt like I made a good focus on the golf course today because I didn't know I made that much birdies. I'm trying to make the focus every tee shot and every chip, putt.

THE MODERATOR: Were you keeping track of your score then? Did you know?

IN GEE CHUN: No. (Laughing).

THE MODERATOR: How had you much did you rely on Dean? How important was he to your round today?

IN GEE CHUN: He is one of the great caddies. Not only for great caddie, I think he is a good person. So we talk a lot not for golf today as well. Then he kept pushing me like on 18 to make good focus. It help a lot.

THE MODERATOR: What did you talk about?

IN GEE CHUN: We talk about my pimple on my lip. (Laughing). So I bit, like, one time before, and then it got bigger and bigger, so I bit more than five times.

Then we talk about the kiwis because I love to eat kiwis on the course. Especially it's really tough to find a good kiwi from the supermarket. Luckily, we have a good Korean supermarket near here, so I got a good gold kiwi from there. That's what we talk.

THE MODERATOR: Pimples and kiwis, that's what we always talk about. We'll open up to questions.

Q. In Gee, if you weren't keeping track of how many birdies you made, how many would you have guessed you had when you finished today?

IN GEE CHUN: I didn't think about all the history from the course today. I just keep going to make birdie as much as I can. I knew I had nine birdies on the 18th tee, yeah.

Q. Did the round feel special? Was it just one of those days where everything was really good?

IN GEE CHUN: Yeah, it is because when I made not good result, then I feel a little bit down. So I really want to make result. At the time I have a lot of pressure because of all the results. I think I'm on the right way to reaching my goal. Today is one of another process, I believe. I want to keep going and see what I can do.

Q. In Gee, you hit that 7-wood as close as you hit wedges today. What was working with the 7-wood?

IN GEE CHUN: So I played it last week, so I didn't have a lot of time to practice from this course. So I went here one month before, but when I'm playing this course before, I got a feel the greens are going to be really firm, so maybe I thought 7 would help a lot to make spin.

I'm working with the Ping here, Scott. We talk a lot about the number and the spin. It works really well on the course. I made a lot of birdies with the 7-wood and 9-wood as well.

Q. In Gee, you're very smart. How difficult is it for someone who is as smart as you to not think about the score and the number throughout the course of the round?

IN GEE CHUN: I never thought I'm smart. (Laughing). No matter what, I really -- all the players we can make results.

No matter what I'm smarter or not smarter, but smarter means think about a lot of percentage on the course. So I'm trying to follow what I have the better option or bigger percentage on the course. I always think about that. That helps a lot of my golf to make a results from the major course.

THE MODERATOR: I want to say that you just missed it. Up there was a tweet from Justin Thomas saying that it was amazing that you were leading by 7. How cool is that? People are watching.

IN GEE CHUN: I didn't know. Leader by 7.

THE MODERATOR: Leader by 7. Justin Thomas thinks that's amazing.

IN GEE CHUN: I just want to keep going, what I can do, because it's a major. So I want to stay humble with this course, and I want to see where I am later.

Q. In Gee, this course has so much history when it comes to the majors. Is it extra special for you to post such a low score and a low round given the history of this course and how special it is in golf?

IN GEE CHUN: Sometimes when my golf does not follow what I expect, then sometimes I want to take the hit the golf. (Laughing).

I have motivation because if I keep playing golf, then I have a lot of chance to play all the good golf course in the world. That gets me a lot of motivation.

And then I really enjoy to play the good golf course and I feel very honored to play all the history -- to play golf with the history.

Q. How familiar are you with what Rory McIlroy did here in 2011 winning the U.S. Open? He shot a 64 in his first round and just lapped the field. Did you watch that at all, or do you remember anything about that tournament on this course?

IN GEE CHUN: To be honest, I couldn't watch it what he did, but I just want to make good focus on my golf because it was my goal before start this week. Yep. (Laughing).

Q. In Gee, we were talking with Dean, and he said it was almost magical today. I know you like -- you have, like, eight greens that you don't really see when you hit the ball. Like eight holes where you go up, and you don't see until you get up. You don't see where the ball is, and it was kind of like walking up and then, whoa, I'm close. Whoa, I'm close again. Was that the feeling that it was even better than you expected?

IN GEE CHUN: No. 8?

THE MODERATOR: There are eight holes.

Q. Where you don't see where your ball is, and then you go up and see it close.

IN GEE CHUN: It was closer than I thought, but still, I made a really good shot. So I kept thinking no matter what putt I have, just I did what I can do.

Just make good focus on the next putt, what I did on the course today. And then Dean and I got both surprised on 16 -- or 15.

Q. 15, yeah.

IN GEE CHUN: It was much closer than we thought.

Q. And it looks like at the beginning everybody in the group was hitting the ball close, and it was like a competition between the three of you. You were having fun. You won by a lot though, right?

IN GEE CHUN: It was. After I hit the ball, then I can control my ball. I just respect what I can do, what result I got.

Q. It looks like you have a lot of support: fans, friends, supporters. What does that mean to you? How important is your support to you and your game?

IN GEE CHUN: Yes, today I really enjoyed to play in front of all my fans. So it makes me a lot more enjoy to play golf on the course and in good focus.

I believe I can play better in front of all the spectators. So I'm getting the good vibes from nearby. That's how I think I made a good round today.

Q. When you won the Evian in 2016, you also shot a very low score. Did this feel at all similar to that?

IN GEE CHUN: I feel it. (Laughing).

THE MODERATOR: I'm happy to tell you you now own the course record. You officially set the course record here.

IN GEE CHUN: Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. What do you think about that? I mean, this is an amazing course, a historic course, and you own the record. How impressive is that to you?

IN GEE CHUN: It feels a lot like -- I feel so good because I always think when my name is going with something, then I feel very honored, and it makes me keep going to play golf.

THE MODERATOR: We're very glad you keep playing golf. Congratulations.