LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP

March 22, 2023

Jin Young Ko

Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Okay, here with Jin Young Ko at the LPGA Drive On Championship. Start with an easy question. A few weeks off of your first win of the season, take us through that win and how it feels now just a couple weeks after.

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, I had great start in Thailand and Singapore. After the Singapore I had big celebration with my parents in Korea, and friend.

Yeah, I know last year was like really tough season for me, so I worked really hard in winter training, like in December, and it worked and I put so much things in my golf and my life.

I have like lots of events more, but, yeah, I'm really happy to win again and happy to winning.)

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Sorry to ask about another player, but I know you became really good friends with Brooke Henderson. What is it about Brooke that you like and admire?

JIN YOUNG KO: I think she's good player and she's pretty and cute and she has like blue eyes, so I really like it. And then her personality is like good match with me, so that's why. (Smiling.)

Q. So you're going to be playing with her for the first two rounds. What's it like playing with her? Normally she has a lot of Canadians who travel far and wide to support her. Have you expecting to see a lot of Canadian flags out on the course tomorrow?

JIN YOUNG KO: I don't know yet, but it doesn't matter. I can see like every country's flags on the course, so I don't care.

Q. Lastly, when did you two become friends? I know played together at the final round at the CP Women's Open in Toronto a few years back. When did you start to become friends with her?

JIN YOUNG KO: I think 2018. I play many times with Brooke when I was a rookie, so I think, yeah, started was 2018.

Q. I was wondering if there are any lingering issues with your wrist, and are you limited swinging the golf club? Are you back at 100%?

JIN YOUNG KO: The wrist has gotten better. My swing isn't 100%.

Q. Isn't?

JIN YOUNG KO: Swing isn't 100% yet. Hoping that the first half of the year I am hoping to (indiscernible) my performance. Looking at my tournaments the last two weeks in Thailand and Singapore I feel like I will get to my satisfactory level pretty soon.

Q. I want to know what your experience is like with golf here in Arizona and how happy you are to be back in the States playing here?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, it's great to be back here. I thought I couldn't win in U.S., in States, but 2019 I won the first time. First time to win in States it was in Arizona, so it's a great spot for me.

I hope like makes once again in Arizona. Yeah, I love to play in Arizona because ball goes really far than the other spots and it makes me happy.

Yeah, let's have fun.

Q. Yeah, you won the 2019 Founder Cup here. It was your first win in the States.

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah.

Q. How excited are you to just be back and what do you remember about the win really?

JIN YOUNG KO: Well, I was preparing to play playoff after the 18 on Sunday, but I was lucky and I had good win.

It started to make another wins to come. Yeah, I had great start. Started in Arizona 2019 from Founders.

Q. And so we're excited to have this event back in Arizona. It's at a different course, so wondering what you think about Superstition Mountain? What did you see on this course?

JIN YOUNG KO: The view is crazy and it feels like similar as like 2019, the Wildfire Golf Course. But it's a little tricky, this golf course, because fairways are wider than 2019, the Wildfire Golf Course.

But greens are like skinny and small so we need to get great iron shots to hit the green. Green speeds are really fast, so, yeah, it's going to be important key I think.

Q. I want to talk about this season a little bit. I want to know what you think the best part of your game is. As you said, you had some really good starts. What's the best part of your game right now?

JIN YOUNG KO: Right now.

Q. Yeah. Everything?

JIN YOUNG KO: I think nothing yet because I want to get better and better. Yeah, well, like last two weeks in Asia I had like iron shot was really good.

But, well, I don't know yet. Just my mind and my body feel is good, so that means I can make good performance on the course.

Yeah, if like my body feels bad, if I have great like shots, it's going to be like --

Q. (Indiscernible.)

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah. So, yeah.

Q. And since you already have a win under your belt, one win, what are some other goals for you this season?

JIN YOUNG KO: First goal is make 100% great swing on the golf course.

Q. Uh-huh.

JIN YOUNG KO: And next thing is just be calm on the course and hit it well. (Smiling.) Not think.

Q. So with these goals in mind, what's the big goal for this week?

JIN YOUNG KO: This week?

Q. Yeah, this week.

JIN YOUNG KO: Make the cut.

Q. Okay. There you go.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much.