TRUST GOLF WOMEN'S SCOTTISH OPEN

July 27, 2022

Jin Young Ko

Dundonald Links

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are here with world No. 1 Jin Young Ko.

Jin Young, you played Evian last week, finished T-8, had a lot of different conditions I guess there last week and then you come to here. How are you adjusting to this links-style of golf from what you played last week?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, took me awhile -- over four years, last time I played in Scottish, 2018. That was great. And I really love to visit here. I love to eat sausage roll, I had already at the course, and yesterday I had two.

Yeah, I played well last week at the Evian and I hit some great golf shots and I missed a lot of putts but I finished well and I got confidence from the Evian. So I'm looking forward to it.

THE MODERATOR: You took three weeks off before Evian. How much did that mental refresh help you?

JIN YOUNG KO: Well, I really wanted to refresh on my mental but I couldn't because I practised a lot and I rested just two days in three weeks, and I really want to play well in this Europe swing.

Well, still working on it but two more weeks, so I will enjoy it.

THE MODERATOR: Links-style you've said is not a style you've played a whole lot. So when you come out here and have these really windy conditions, what are you doing to adjust your game?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, it's totally different golf course as U.S. and here, especially Korea as well. I love to play this course because, well, 2016, that was my first time visit here at the RICOH, and I finished second. I had great time in 2016.

Yeah, it was difficult but I love to get that feeling. Like this golf course is like just like flat and no mountains on the golf course. So I love to play.

And yeah, Brooker, he knows Scottish like links golf course, so he will help me a lot. Yeah, I can't wait to play.

THE MODERATOR: You've played well in these conditions. What switches or what works well for you in these conditions?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, because this golf course is like nothing behind the green or from the tee shot, just fairway. So it's hard to get the target from the tee shot or second shot to the green or fairway. So we need to get some targets and look at the breeze.

And if right-to-left breeze, you -- I think you have to aim 20 or 30 metres right of the pin. So it's hard to focus because if you're hitting the ball -- if ball doesn't go -- doesn't get the breeze and the ball goes 30 metres right of the pin, so I don't need to worry about the pitch. It's hard, but it's fine.

Q. Can you tell us more about your sausage rolls, when you first liked sausage rolls?

JIN YOUNG KO: That was 2019 at the Pro-Am, AIG, and I didn't know about sausage roll but Brooker told me that one of the best bread in Scottish. I had one bite with the brown sauce...so good.

Q. Sausage roll as in sausage roll or a roll with sausage? Pastry?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, pastry inside the sausage.

And then, today I played with someone, and then he told me haggis roll will be nice, he said.

Q. What would be the equivalent of a sausage roll in Korea?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, we don't have like sausage roll in Korea.

Q. I get that. Have you ever trained on Jeju Island?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yes.

Q. Is that where you learned about winter conditions?

JIN YOUNG KO: When I was junior, yeah.

Q. Tell me what kind of conditions did they get you to play in?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, in Jeju Island, they have lots of mountain golf course. Sometimes like this wind but it's totally like condition is different as here and Jeju Island. Because this is a links. There is mountain golf course, so it's a little different. But yeah, the wind --

Q. Is it cold? Inbee Park told me it gets very, very cold?

JIN YOUNG KO: It's cold in wintertime.

Q. And nobody says, I want to go in; you just carry on, do you?

JIN YOUNG KO: Well, I love to go to Jeju Island to play golf.

Q. You don't mind if it's freezing?

JIN YOUNG KO: No.

Q. I think you're braver than our girls because they would all want to go somewhere sunny.

JIN YOUNG KO: (Laughs).

Q. What part of your game are you working on the most right now?

JIN YOUNG KO: Putting.

Q. What did you discover from last week at Evian or what specifically are you focussing on in putting?

JIN YOUNG KO: Well, last week was, yeah, the green was a little tricky because like greens are like paper. Like, crumpled paper, so it was harder to read, the breaks.

This week is more flatter than last week, but I need to get more confidence from the putting. So I practised a lot for putting last week, and yesterday I practised over three hours maybe, and I need more practise for putting today.

Q. Three hours, wow. What are the keys then? And were you just practising with Dave or was someone else with you?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, with Dave.

Q. What are the keys then that you honed in on?

JIN YOUNG KO: I don't know. I want to find that.

Q. Okay. You're still working on that. Okay. Thank you.

JIN YOUNG KO: Thanks.

Q. And if I could just ask one more. Obviously the final major of the year is approaching. Do you feel added pressure to get one of those titles as the No. 1 player in the world?

JIN YOUNG KO: Not yet. My friends, after last week, my friends told me, yes, you are World Ranking No. 1, but it doesn't matter. You can't -- to win, when you ranked World Ranking No. 1, so don't think about World Ranking No. 1. You need to win, and that's why I practise so long for putting.

Yeah, so I don't have -- I don't have pressure on myself. So I don't have -- I don't have nothing. I'm just human, so I want to play well.

THE MODERATOR: Obviously you've had some really good results in big tournaments, but also, Founders Cup last year was very cold, very windy. Why do you play so well in the cold?

JIN YOUNG KO: Well, I don't know, but I love to play in the summer or like autumn, like this weather.

I prepare both conditions, so I don't know.

THE MODERATOR: And then just finally, what are some of your goals this week? Obviously you want to eat a lot of sausage rolls but what are some of your goals this week besides obviously winning at the Trust Golf Women's Scottish Open?

JIN YOUNG KO: I want to make cut, first of all, and get top 10 or top 5.

THE MODERATOR: And finally, just how good of a tune-up is this event for next week, getting yourself used to these conditions again and putting on some nicer, flatter greens this week?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, next week is more like biggest tournament in this season, and last major of the year. So I want to get prepared before the last majors, and I know this golf course is really tough, so I need to get something from this week to next week. So, yeah.