THE ANNIKA DRIVEN BY GAINBRIDGE AT PELICAN

November 14, 2024

Jiwon Jeon

Pelican Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Okay, here with Jiwon Jeon after her first round at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. I know you had an ace in the round today, third of the season. Just tell me about the ace, yardage, club.

JIWON JEON: I mean, I'm using meters so it was 169 or six meters I believe. So was wind's coming off the left, little into. I had exactly the same yardage the last hole for the second shot, so I was talking to Bruce, my caddie, like just hit the same shot? He was like, yeah.

Then I hit it and then I saw the one bounce and went in the hole. It was very cool to see the hole-in-one actually going into the hole.

Q. I just want to follow up on that. Obviously you know this now, made three this season, going to make another $20,000 donation to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. How much fun is that to not only have that kind of a shot, but get to contribute something to charity?

JIWON JEON: Yeah, definitely meant a lot for me I was able to contribute some of the fundraising to St. Jude foundation.

So I'm really glad that I got to donate 60,000 this year. I mean, at least I can help with my hole-in-one. I want to keep doing it, but it's hard. I'm really glad that I was able to help the children out there that needs help.

Q. How many have you made total in your life?

JIWON JEON: Oh, my fourth one.

Q. Fourth?

JIWON JEON: Yeah, so this is my fourth. Three in competition. In this year.

Q. How old were you when you made your first?

JIWON JEON: It was like two years ago actually. I never had hole-in-one until like two years ago.

Q. So can you rate your celebration for all the aces this year?

JIWON JEON: Actually, the first two hole-in-ones I didn't see it going in so I didn't -- I knew halfway walking to the hole.

So I was like, this one today I actually saw it going into the hole, but I wasn't sure because it was pretty far, like 180 yards off the tee. So I see some people raise their hands and I'm like, oh, is it actually going in or not?

I gave like a high fives to everyone. I rate myself like five out of ten. Pretty bad.

Q. What club did you use for the other ones?

JIWON JEON: Even today or... I used 5-iron in China and then 8-iron in Portland.

Q. What was today again?

JIWON JEON: 22-hybrid.

Q. Some players, even professionals, go their entire life without getting a hole-in-one. How do you wind up getting it in a bunch all in the same year practically?

JIWON JEON: I don't know, I feel like I'm just getting -- I don't know, hard work just pays off I guess. I didn't even really trying to make the hole-in-one. I just see a target and let the environment do the rest of it.

So that's what I did. I just hit the target and just went like perfectly, and then, yeah, just happens I think. Yeah.

Q. St. Jude ought to be giving you a gift for all the gifts you're giving them.

JIWON JEON: Yeah.

Q. I know this might be the last event in the season; looking to stay within the top 100; maybe play your way into CME. What are some goals you set coming into this event?

JIWON JEON: Obviously I'm just inside top 100 right now, and then obviously I want to keep my card for next year, but I try not to think about it too much. I literally gave everything for last three days practice. I trying to figure out what I have to do out here and then really focus on like each shot.

And then I think that work really paid off today. I want to continue to do the same thing for the rest of the rounds, rest of the tournament.

Q. I was going to say, not only have you made an ace today, but you're co-leading heading into tomorrow. You might have just answered this, but was it the hard work that you put in? Was it a mindset this week that maybe kind of has let you play as well as you did today?

JIWON JEON: I think it's both the hard work and the mindset change as well. I think I played too much under pressure, so I try to take some pressure off myself and trying to really focus on getting my mindset very like confident.

I am trying to trust my process. It'll just pay off. If it doesn't go well, I just think it's just bad luck or I can just still have something to work on after the round.

So I am just going to keep doing the same thing as what done this week.

Q. Sometimes you make a hole-in-one, shot like that, and it kind of can rattle you in a way, right?

JIWON JEON: Uh-huh.

Q. How did you manage that?

JIWON JEON: Obviously after making a hole-in-one you get adrenaline going on, you get really pumped. I was trying to settle down as fast as I can, use the breathing techniques to calm down.

And then talked to my caddie. It was just a shot. It was nothing really important. Just like two stroke off, right? Yeah, we really just focus on the next target right away. Then, yeah we did really great today overall.