HSBC WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

March 5, 2023

Jin Young Ko

Sentosa Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We welcome the Champion of the 2023 HSBC Women's World Championship, Jin Young Ko. What does it mean to finally get this win, and just how special was it out there?

JIN YOUNG KO: It's a great honor to defend this title again, and this week was too long for me but too great, so I'm so happy.

THE MODERATOR: What were the emotions that you were feeling when that final putt dropped? I saw you get a bit emotional. What were you feeling in that moment?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, I didn't want to show my game to all the older fans because if I had keep in mind, I wanted to show my game to all the fans is going to make me hard.

So I will just focus myself and just keep bringing and keep thinking about the golf. I'm just trying to enjoy the course and I just want to hear birds song or singing, and I just wanted to feel wind and air.

THE MODERATOR: Obviously played well end of last week. This week you played incredibly well. What did you find that worked so well this week that maybe you found last week or found this week?

JIN YOUNG KO: Well, I didn't know, I just play golf last week and this week. But I had good confidence since winter training.

So I took a lot of confidence with my swing coach, and I worked on my game with my ex-coach again. I think very good combination, and I want to say thanks to my coach and parents.

Q. You were very calm; is that something that -- what was going through your mind?

JIN YOUNG KO: I just want to lose to the other players, especially today. So it was really hard to keep my poker face on the course, and I tried to stay focused.

Q. You mentioned how you weren't at 100 percent, what is it that you're not ready?

JIN YOUNG KO: I played well here, I think I need more time to work with my new swing, especially under pressure. So it's going well. It's going very well but I think I need more time to play with pressure.

Q. Inaudible.

JIN YOUNG KO: I think this win is going to be great moment for me. I have 20 events more and -- last December, I think it bring me good luck for me because it's really hard to see the Northern Lights when you go to Finland or Iceland, but I take just one day that I saw the Northern Lights, and so it was lucky.

THE MODERATOR: Let's talk about your golf. I know the front nine was drier than the back nine was. Played really solid and had three birdies and went out in 33 and finished pretty strong on back. Tell me about those finishing holes. I know the weather delay wasn't what we wanted, but how did you stay focused on that weather delay?

JIN YOUNG KO: I didn't know was -- I had a one-shot lead the first 15 or 16. I know Nelly is behind me. I thought it was just one or two shots, so it was close, I thought. But after the delay, I rested in the dining, and I saw the TV and the scoreboard, and three-shot lead. But I had two more holes left, so, okay, let make a par, like safe play. But it was really hard to make par 17, 18, but yeah, it was hard but I make it.

Q. Back-to-back, fantastic. What was that heroic shot that's in your mind?

JIN YOUNG KO: All the shot was great.

THE MODERATOR: On that note, having the GM here, this golf course took a lot of rain. How impressed were you with the course's ability to handle these conditions and the ground crew's work to make the course playable.

JIN YOUNG KO: It's amazing. All the players, I thought last night, I thought if it's raining tomorrow, it's going to be canceled I thought. But I know this golf course, no chance. So I prepared big day before. So like my balls dry, my gloves dry, everything. I know this golf course -- how it's going to play, especially raining. It's amazing. I also want to say thanks to all the course staff, it's amazing, yeah, thank you. It's amazing how fast the golf course was ready, and the course just after the rain, how fast it drained out.

THE MODERATOR: I just wanted to ask you -- we don't have any other questions; just to wrap it up.

Being in that final group again, you and Nelly playing together again in the final group, for you to be in that situation with how well you've played this week, playing against her, I know that's -- you've done that before but how satisfying was it just to be in that final group again.

JIN YOUNG KO: It's always hard to play with Nelly, especially on Sunday. We've been playing together yesterday, and today was second time. We had a lot of times to play in 2021. She hits farther than last year, I think. So I don't look at her ball. I didn't look at her ball or her playing. It's hard but love to compete with Nelly.

And then I thought, Nelly is a good player, so I just wanted to learn something from her.

THE MODERATOR: If we are done here in the room, a final question. Where does that one rank? With how hard you've had to work, you have 14 wins now, where does this one rank in terms of all of your wins?

JIN YOUNG KO: It's the most important.

THE MODERATOR: Why?

JIN YOUNG KO: Because I had a tough year last year, and I fought with, like, injury and not good game and mentally tough and everything, and then I won this week.

So it's going to be more important to me and it's going to be big momentum for me in my life.

THE MODERATOR: One more here in the room?

Q. How special is it to be the winner of the 15th edition of this great tournament?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, it's a long time, 15 years, and I said to CEO of HSBC maybe ten minutes ago, and we just want to say thanks to make big tournament in 15 years, and we would love to play HSBC tournament. I hope you make another 15 years more, make this tournament. Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: All right, Jin Young, we'll wrap it up here and we're all rooting for that. Thank you.