KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

June 26, 2022

In Gee Chun

Congressional Country Club (Blue Course)

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are with In Gee Chun, our 2022 KPMG Women's PGA Championship winner. Congratulations. The third major title of your career. I didn't think your smile could get bigger. How excited are you right now?

IN GEE CHUN: I made it. (Laughing). First nine holes I got a lot of pressure, so to be honest, I couldn't enjoy to play golf.

I believe if I stick to my game plan and then I believe I have a chance in the back nine, so I try to hang in there. I'm so happy I made it. My body still shaking, though.

THE MODERATOR: You made it, but you're right, it was a tough front nine, no question. 4-over with four bogeys. Was there something that you were working on with your game, or was it just maybe the pressure of the moment that maybe made those opening holes so difficult?

IN GEE CHUN: So I want to tell truth. So I think I couldn't control all my pressure. This is why I had four bogeys.

Then at the same time, you know, the course is never easy here. Congressional Country Club is a hard golf course, and we have tough pin position.

I just want to say sometimes my golf is not perfect, so it just happens from the front nine.

THE MODERATOR: We'll wait here and let them pull the trophy in next to you. It's special, and it's yours. So you had a lot of pressure on the front nine, but then you turned, and you had that birdie on No. 11. I know you bogeyed the next hole, but did that birdie maybe help you beat some of that pressure or no?

IN GEE CHUN: I remember the No. 11 was in hole too, so I need the birdie.

When I got a birdie chance, my stroke was not smooth, so on the 11th my focus was trying to make the read in with my putting stroke. Then when it goes into the hole, I got a little confidence after that.

Absolutely after I made the birdie when I got a bogey, sometimes it's a lot more pressure. Anyway, I made a win.

THE MODERATOR: You made a win. You made a win. You birdied 16 to pull into the tie with Lexi, and then your par on 18. Were you thinking about that putt when you were over the putt, or as you were playing 18, what was going through your mind?

IN GEE CHUN: Yesterday I said if game is going to be real easy, then I feel boring. Absolutely, Lexi's play was great. She gave me a lot of pressure.

I play with all the big pressure until 18, so when I got the last putt on the 18th green, I tried to give myself talk. In Gee, you made a lot of distance putt, and then you control the pressure already, so you can make it. That's what I did before I hit the putt.

THE MODERATOR: We're very excited for you. We'll open it up for questions.

Q. In Gee, you have a three-shot lead. You lose it. You're two down. You come back. You smiled throughout. Was it a smile inside as well?

IN GEE CHUN: Before start today my coach told me, In Gee, if you enjoy your game, this trophy is yours is what he said because you know, Congressional Country Club, and your last name is Chun, and then you have a caddie with the No. 1, so it's destiny. I just believe in what he said.

At the same time I understand what it means, so I just really trying too hard to keep smiling. Sometimes it's really hard to keep smiling when my game, I mean, going not good, but I think I hung in there. So I'm so proud now.

Q. Aside from golf, golf completely aside, are you happy now?

IN GEE CHUN: Yes. I'm happy because my sponsors, they always believe in me. I know it's never easy, so I really appreciate all my sponsors. Then because of my family and my coach, my managers, my friends, they never give up on me no matter how I did, so I really want to make win last couple of years.

Then when my previous caddie, Dylan, he always stayed with me and then he trying to keep me confidence during my slump. My caddie, Dean Herden, this week, he gave me all the good numbers, and he is trying to make the focus on the course.

I really appreciate to everyone. When I got a slump, I really wanted to quit the golf, but not because of them. I keep trying to play golf. That's how I made win this week.

Q. In Gee, what did you learn about yourself today?

IN GEE CHUN: Golf is never easy. (Laughing). Still I can't believe I made win. That's why I feel really emotionally now.

I think if In Gee never give up, then you can get something. Just don't crack under pressure, or just keep doing what you want because from here I said I want to see the big picture. Just trying to keep going to catch my goal. No matter what people said.

When I got a slump, some people said, In Gee, you should retire because your game is not good right now, but no matter what they said, I believe I can make win again. I'm so proud now.

Q. Did you read that on a message board, or where did you read that people thought you should retire?

IN GEE CHUN: I don't want to say any bad thing, but some people talk about me to. It was just happen, and then people have all different things, but I knew if I keep doing it and I keep working hard, then I have a chance to make win, and then I have my own goal.

So I don't want to think about what they said or however I might win. I'm so proud, yeah.

Q. You've won that beautiful trophy as well as $1.35 million. I know it's early, but have you thought about anything that you would like to do with that going forward?

IN GEE CHUN: I'm going to Lancaster next week for my foundation, so I really want to take the trophy to Lancaster. Now I can. I'm so happy to bring the trophy next week to Lancaster Country Club, and I'm happy to see all of my family.

I want to say family because they're like kind of my grandmom and then all the members and members at Lancaster.

Q. You talked about having some struggles on the back nine yesterday, and then you played 17 and 18 beautifully. The shot you hit into 18 yesterday, did that make it easier today?

IN GEE CHUN: So No. 18 is a really hard hole. The last three days I made a really good shot, and I made a really good finish.

Today I had a good tee shot, but from the second shot I got a little unlucky because the ball was in the divot. I had a little bit of tough lie. That's why my second shot was really so long.

I tried to keep make the good focus until I finish it. Then I trust that I can make good finish on the last day too. That's what I thought, yeah, on the course.

Q. Then you talk about feeling the pressure yourself through a lot of this round. Could you sense that Lexi was feeling that pressure? As an opponent out there, do you feel like your opponent is also -- you can sense she's feeling it as well?

IN GEE CHUN: Absolutely. I think every player when they are playing golf and when they play from the last group on the last day, everyone has pressure. So I thought this pressure is not just me. Then the key is who can handle well. Still, I think her play was great.

Q. In Gee, obviously, you focused on your own game today, but what was on your mind on -- (inaudible) short put, especially on 17?

THE MODERATOR: The question is, what was going through your mind when you saw Lexi miss some of those short putts, especially on 17? What were you thinking when that happened?

IN GEE CHUN: I tried to not to see the scoreboard the whole day, but on 17 I saw Minjee is playing really well, but I didn't want to think about any other players' play because I said, I want to try to play this golf course versus me.

I couldn't see what she did, so I try not to see. Then just trying to make focus to make the finish on the 18th. That's what I did, yeah.

Then always when -- because I'm a player too, so when I saw someone miss the short putt, my heart is hurt too because I understand everything, yeah.

Q. Did you have a chance to speak with Lexi before on 18 before she left, and if so, would you share maybe some of the conversation?

THE MODERATOR: Did you get the chance to talk to Lexi after the round?

IN GEE CHUN: Yeah. I just said, Lexi, your play was great. Then she said, congratulations. That's when we talked after scoring -- signing the score card.

Q. So you mentioned Minjee a little bit when you saw how she was doing on the scoreboard at 17. Can you talk a little bit about your relationship with her? Obviously, she jumped up the scoreboard today. Kind of what was that like seeing her push up the second?

THE MODERATOR: What was your relationship with Minjee? You're friends. What's your relationship like with her? And what did you think of her play today as she played so strong and moved up the leaderboard?

IN GEE CHUN: Minjee is my neighbor, so sometimes we have dinner together. We had a dinner together at my house before.

She's a good person and great golfer. Then this season her golf game is improved a lot. Then she become a U.S. Open Champion.

Also, this week her play was great. I want to give her the credit because when I saw her game, it's pretty steady, so I want to learn something from her game too.

Q. Are you excited to be bringing the trophy back to the neighborhood to match hers?

THE MODERATOR: Are you excited to bring another trophy back to the neighborhood?

IN GEE CHUN: I think our neighborhood is very excited because they already have two major trophies. Two majors trophy now. (Laughing).

Q. In Gee, you spoke to us before in the past about depression. Is that past experience make your win today even that much more special?

THE MODERATOR: You've spoken before about depression and being down, sad. Does that make this experience today's win even more special?

IN GEE CHUN: I think this win I feel really special because I always said my depression is getting better. To be honest, when I'm not okay, but I thought I have to say okay because I don't want to make any worry to everyone. So I just kept say, I'm okay.

To be honest last week I talked to my older sister, and then I really cried. I said, I'm really hard to stay in the U.S. I don't know what I want to. I don't have any goal because I can't see the goal because now I feel really hurt.

She said, In Gee, just quit golf. You're the important thing, like golf. When I heard what she said, I don't want to -- I didn't want to quit the golf. Then I believe I still have a spirit, and I saw, In Gee, you still want to play golf.

So I am trying to really hard this week. Then I'm just so happy to make win after all that happened. (Crying). I just want to keep saying, like, I'm so proud of myself. (Laughing).

That's why I want to keep saying thanks to everyone who believed in me and never gave up on me.

Q. In Gee, one more question then. Your approach shot on the par-5 16th today set you up perfectly for a birdie opportunity. How important was that to you for your confidence going into the last two holes?

IN GEE CHUN: Even yesterday I had a really good bounce back, so after I had a bad hole, I made a birdie. I made a birdie yesterday, so I believe or I really want to try hard to make birdie. Then at the same time I try to keep self-talk and I believe, In Gee, you are such a good bounce back. You have such a good bounce back.

I just keep trying to make good focus on the game and trying to keep saying, In Gee, game is not done. You still have a chance. Just trying to make focus on this shot and then next birdie putt. But after hit from the green, when I'm trying to working hard to lead the break, then my caddie, Dean, said, In Gee, don't try too hard. Just trust what you see. Then just slowly, and it was in. I really appreciate what you said.

Q. In Gee, you have gone through so much this week with having such an enormous lead at the beginning of the week. How does that compare to coming from behind? Would you prefer to not have to play through the pressure that you just did this week, or would you prefer to kind of come from behind in the tournament?

IN GEE CHUN: I heard all about what Rory McIlroy did from here. We had a kind of similar result after three rounds. Just only one was different. He made it, and then still mine was a question mark.

It was a lot of pressure. So to be honest, from the course I got a question mark if, In Gee, you can make it. Then, oh, I don't want to think about any result. Just trying to make focus on this shot. That's what I did on the course. Absolutely was a lot of pressure.

THE MODERATOR: We're all very happy for you. We're glad that you love the game and congratulations, In Gee Chun.