MIZUHO AMERICAS OPEN

May 31, 2023

Jin Young Ko

Liberty National Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, welcome everyone to the media center both in person and online. I'm here with Jin Young Ko who recently is coming off a victory at the Cognizant Founders Cup, also in New Jersey. You said you've seen this course a couple times. How does this course compare to Upper Montclair?

JIN YOUNG KO: It feels way different. Well, I played this couple times on Tuesday and Monday, and I feel this course is so pristine, like new course I feel. A lot of hazard and a lot of wind, and the fairways are not too wide and greens are really small.

So I need to keep the fairways and the greens and putt well.

Q. Liberty National, one iconic course, very well-known. How important is it for the LPGA and yourself to be playing on some of these courses that are really iconic?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, it's really cool. It's fun to watch the Liberty on the course every holes -- not every hole, just like over ten holes. And, yeah, I think I guess lot of peoples coming to this golf course to watch LPGA players, so I'm excited.

Yeah, I need to focus.

Q. Have you been taking a ferry over this week?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah.

Q. What was that first ferry ride like for you with the Statue of Liberty right there? It's incredible.

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, it was cool, but after the practice, I got to hotel, I couldn't go outside. I was really tired.

So I think, yeah, in the morning I will go outside and then I will feel the breeze and good sun. But after the practice, I think I will stay on the chair and looking, okay.

Q. I know you've been practicing with your swing coach in the last couple weeks, correct?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah.

Q. What did you work on? How is your game feeling coming into this event?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, after the Founders I go back to Dallas, at my home, and I rested just five days, but not 100% rest.

I worked out twice in the day, morning and nighttime, so my body pains a lot. But no practice. Just five days. After the five days my coach arrive my home and I practice with him since he arrived.

So maybe I rested just one day in two weeks, so I rest -- I really happy to rest in New York. I couldn't rest in Dallas. I feel so weird. It's my home but I couldn't rest, so, yeah.

But I think, yeah, I had good practice with my swing coach. Was really tough. I woke up 6:30, 7:00 a.m. and I finish the practice 6:30 or 7:00.

Yeah, I pain my hand a lot, but I think it will paid off, so, uh-huh.

Q. I know you called the HSBC win one of the most important, if not the most important of your career. How much did that victory free you up and let you play this great golf you've been playing and win again at Founders Cup?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, I thought the HSBC win was like my mostly important wins to me, but after the Founders, yeah, it was important wins to me again.

I really happy to win again at the Founders three times, so was great honor. So I'm looking for my future events.

Q. That was one of your happiest reactions I think I've ever seen when you won Founders. How much happier are you on the golf course this season? Seems like you're so much happier. Seems like life is great right now.

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, I felt just happy after the winning putt. That week was my fourth week, so after the winning putt, yes, I can go home right now.

So, yeah, that's all I feel.

Q. So after all that time with your coach, what are your key swing thoughts right now?

JIN YOUNG KO: Well, it's a lot, so I can't tell just one thing. But, yeah, I had like not good swing pattern my body, so he fixed a little bit to good way.

So, yeah, I practiced a lot and I think I'm not 100% the swing pattern on my body but I will try do my best, and, yeah. I think getting better. Yeah.

Q. You mean the transition of your body, the path?

JIN YOUNG KO: We didn't think about the swing path. He doesn't want to think swing path too much. He wants to like by feel, like feeling and not to technical.

So I need to practice a lot. So I need to find what is the good feel and what is the good like -- something like that, so.

Q. Do you feel like you found it?

JIN YOUNG KO: I found it when I was in Dallas, but I need to take time to practice more and then play more on the tournament.

Q. When you became No. 1 in the world again, what kind of reaction did you get back in Korea? Did your phone blow up? What happened?

JIN YOUNG KO: Nothing message. Nothing.

Q. Quiet?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah.

Q. Is that good?

JIN YOUNG KO: I don't care. Just, yeah. (Laughter.)

I mean, a lot of peoples think about world ranking No. 1, but I'm not. So I just want to play really good on the course, on the tournament. I want to win. I like to compete with those girls, amazing girls. And I want to win.

I don't want to think about like points or rankings. Yeah, so I just want to focus my game on the course. I just want to showing my best game in four days.

Q. What would you consider a successful season this year?

JIN YOUNG KO: Hit well and just happy out of the golf course. Practice a lot. Meditate. Work out.

Q. Do you say practice a lot because there was a time when you couldn't do that?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah. Yeah.

Q. So you appreciate those all-day marathons now?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Playing alongside some amateurs this week, AJGA girls, what sort of role model or example do you want to set for the girls and how excited are you to have them out here playing alongside you guys?

JIN YOUNG KO: I think it's good opportunity to play with LPGA girls from amateur girls because I haven't chance to compete with KLPGA players when I was amateur. Maybe three times in like six or seven years.

So I wanted to find good things from K LPGA players when I was amateur, but in America and this week, they have great opportunity to play with LPGA golf course and with LPGA players.

So, yeah, I want to be a role model from them, so I will get better.

THE MODERATOR: Okay. All right, thank you so much. Good luck this week.

JIN YOUNG KO: Thank you.

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