CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 21, 2024

Angel Yin

Tiburon Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Angel Yin after her first round here at the CME Group Tour Championship. You got off with two bogeys, but then turned it around really, really well. Just tell me about the day.

ANGEL YIN: I mean, started out a little bit rocky just because I was trying to adjust to the golf course: Golf course is playing quite difficult with the early winds this morning, which I really like and I enjoy, because it's our last tournament and it's a huge purse, bigger than a major.

Doesn't have a title of a major, but I think it deserves every bit of difficulty it brings to closing the season out.

Q. Yeah. Awesome. When you talk about it's that difficult, what was the turning point for you mentally to pop off and shoot that 7-under?

ANGEL YIN: Well, I got the green speed down. The first bogey was a three-putt because I hit it too hard. The greens here are really difficult with the grain and then the slope and the speed, so try not to hit the first putt too difficult where the second putt is like a six-footer coming back.

So that was my first goal.

Second one was to play more conservatively. Although the hole I made a birdie on Jen and I both went in the water. That hole is just really difficult. The wind picked up and just took it right away.

Q. For you to get a low number like this on the board early, what kind of confidence does that give you looking ahead?

ANGEL YIN: Well, I don't think I've ever led a round in my career, so it's a bit different. It's a good head start for the big ole prize we get at the end of the week. Hopefully I continue it and see how it goes on Sunday.

Q. Obviously you became a millionaire here last year when you won the Aon Risk Reward Challenge. I've got to ask, what did you spend that money on when you did get it in your pocket?

ANGEL YIN: Medical bills. Sat in a wheelchair for a while so that was pricey. Although I didn't have surgery, so I think I saved a few bucks there.

Yeah, I didn't really -- I think that million dollars just really -- I don't think, I know -- it got my freedom. Allowed me it hire people that I want, add more members to my team this year. So I had my friend come out and help me manage myself, I don't know, manage things.

I just bought myself freedom. And then I was lucky enough to pick up a few sponsors this year. I'm just creating more financial freedom for myself and can do whatever I want.

Q. How would you describe the season?

ANGEL YIN: Interesting because at first I didn't play for a third of the season I think. I came back real quick. I mean, when I came back in Vegas it was like I've only walked week and a half, so...

I really, really wanted to play in the Olympics. I knew I had a good chance, but I don't know how Rolex Rankings works. Few missed cuts really shoots you down, so I was really sad about that. Spiritly (sic) I was down. I struggled with finding my momentum and my tempo, and then the majors started coming in. Just couldn't really capitalize on something I'm usually really good at.

So I missed a bunch of cuts in the middle. Was kind of depressing, but I figured it out. Now we're turning it around and I'm here.

Because I really didn't think I was going to make it here in the middle of the season, because it's hard to move up in the points unless you finish solo. So, yeah, I'm just pretty grateful.

Q. What did you figure out?

ANGEL YIN: I figured out that I just need to trust myself. I didn't really like trust myself that much, but I went out and played with Juli Inkster and I just like not played that great and I think I missed a cut or something. I played with her and shot 8-under with the training aid for a putter. She goes, you know, your problem is you just need to trust yourself.

I was like, okay, yeah. So I kind of went off on that and experimented. I got my friend to come out. She's a golf coach so she's not really telling me what to do on the golf course. I started doing everything. Even my own wind. It sounds funny, but I just started doing everything that I can possibly do, even what a caddie would do, other than carry the bag. That's not allowed to.

Q. You said winning the million dollars gave you financial freedom. What would $4 million do for you?

ANGEL YIN: Even bigger financial freedom. To me it's not something I would buy, something I would get, because I'm really happy with my life now. Maybe I would like try to make it better, but I have everything I need.

Just moving forward would be financial freedom of what I want. All my friends around me, if I could support them, support a group around me, that's what I like to do in life and where I'm at.