WOMEN'S OLYMPIC GOLF COMPETITION

August 5, 2024

Jin Young Ko

Amy Yang

Le Golf National

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome back inside the Media Centre. I am pleased to be joined by Team Korea: Hyo Joo Kim, Jin Young Ko and Amy Yang.

We will start with English answers, and they will be directed to Jin Young and Amy, and then we will go to Korean questions and answers which can be directed to all three.

With that, I will start with Jin Young. Welcome back to Paris. What is it like to be here for the Olympic Games?

JIN YOUNG KO: Finally I can feel, yeah, it's time to Olympics. Yeah, I mean, 2020 was like Tokyo and I didn't feel really it's really Olympics. No one is out there, and we had COVID season. So I couldn't feel really excited.

But this week, I really like feel like it's really Olympics and yeah, very excited to be here.

THE MODERATOR: And for you, Amy, we walked around the clubhouse yesterday and saw you from 2016 in a picture hanging. What did it mean to you to even be in this position to come back here again?

AMY YANG: I mean, I'm very honoured and feel very lucky to be part of Team Korea. Very honored. Just it's more than -- the Olympics is playing more than yourself. So it feels amazing and very honoured, yeah.

Q. The three, did you play a practise round together today? Is there a benefit to playing with teammates that you wouldn't normally get, normal week-in, week-out?

AMY YANG: I played with Jin Young today. I joined her back nine. Just sharing information on the golf course.

JIN YOUNG KO: This golf course is not easy, so if, like, if I had like something, have to think how to hit, then I was asking to her, and then she answer to me, and then it was really great to play with her.

Yeah, I mean, I think we need to play team event, not myself, not herself. Other -- other sports has like teammate, team game. I think we need to do, same.

Q. You mentioned it feels like a difficult test. What do you find difficult about this golf course?

AMY YANG: It requires -- fairways are playing very tight with very thick rough. So it requires very tight tee shots. Especially around the green, as well, yeah. So yeah.

JIN YOUNG KO: It's in pretty good shape, the golf course.

Q. Your Olympic bio says that your dog's name is Awesome. Would love to hear the story about how you named your dog awesome.

JIN YOUNG KO: My dog's name is Pay-bog-nee (phonetic). It's "Awesome" in English.

I was in Korea before Paris, so I really wanted to bring him this week. But it's tough for him because 13 hours' flight. I mean, I have my dog since 2016 and in 2016, I have a lot of wins with my dog. Yeah, he's my lucky charm, I think.

Q. Is there a story behind choosing the name?

JIN YOUNG KO: No. My mom make it.

Q. The 18th hole, the men played it as a par 4 and the women will play it as a par 5. Does it that make it easier, more exciting, dangerous? Just your thoughts on playing that hole as a par 5, whereas the men, it has the hardest hole for them?

AMY YANG: If it was playing for four, it would definitely be one of the toughest hole out there. Even playing as a par 5, it still requires very good tee shot. I think it is reachable with our like longer irons and rescue but it's still -- it's getting firmer out there so hopefully stays and doesn't run off that fast. I think it will be very fun holes for fans to watch.

Q. Hannah hit 8-iron.

AMY YANG: Wow. I hit 5-iron today.

JIN YOUNG KO: I think it's par 4 only for Hannah.

Q. When you arrived, what did you do, and how much time did you spend on the course, either practising on Sunday or watching the men's competition?

JIN YOUNG KO: When we arrived Saturday morning, and Hyo Joo and I, we arrived like night -- Saturday night. So we had rest Saturday and then we really wants to watch the men's play. Then we just followed them just one or two holes and just met the Korean like men's players and we had good dinner with them last night.

Then we play nine holes today.

Q. Dinner, was that French food or Korean?

AMY YANG: French food.

Q. And did you all grow up watching the Olympics? Not just golf but all of the Olympics.

JIN YOUNG KO: Other sports but not golf.

Q. Curious if you took any inspiration watching other athletes?

JIN YOUNG KO: When I growing up in Korea, judo was really famous. So I was watching judo men's medal and archery and table tennis, also.

AMY YANG: Me, too, yeah. Same.