FORD CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY WILD HORSE PASS

March 30, 2025

Hyo Joo Kim

Whirlwind Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, we are joined by the 2025 Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse champion, Hyo Joo Kim. Congratulations on your win. It's your seventh career victory on the LPGA Tour, your first since the 2023 Ascendent. Can you just talk about what it victory means for you?

HYO JOO KIM: So it's been a while since I had any winning so I was getting a little bit stressed. But I did work out a lot during the wintertime so now that I have a win I'm a little bit lighthearted.

Q. What does it mean to get another victory in Arizona? I know you said you had really good memories here. What's it like to capture another victory here?

HYO JOO KIM: As soon as I arrived I believe my first win was in Arizona, but maybe not here, so I really had good thoughts, and now that everything got connected again, it's pretty amazing and I will have a wonderful memory about Arizona.

Q. You finished and you sat inside and watched Lilia finish her round. Can you just describe what you were thinking while you were watching her complete her round?

HYO JOO KIM: So I kept on thinking we might go on a playoff so I kept on stretching.

Q. And can you describe what you were thinking about during the playoff, what you were feeling, especially as you hit it very close on your last shot?

HYO JOO KIM: Because it's been a long time since I had any winning, but I was winning on a first round, so I thought it would be very nervous but I really wasn't.

So everything worked out.

Q. What was your mindset heading into today's round? You were near the top of the leaderboard but not at the top. Did you have any competitive mindset heading into today?

HYO JOO KIM: So I think I was top 10 so I was thinking I would be happy if I made it to Top 5.

Q. Is there a certain way you like celebrate a victory, a certain food or a certain drink or certain way you like to enjoy the moment?

HYO JOO KIM: So first I have to go to hotel and shower because I have to move to Vegas very quickly. So I'll probably have something good to eat tomorrow.

Q. Congratulations on the win. You had a lady bug on your golf ball on the 18th fairway. Wondering what you thought about that. A lot of people consider that to be good luck. Do you also?

HYO JOO KIM: It supposed to be a good sign. Because I was in a rush to play, but that lady bug won't go away so I was waiting for it to fly away.

Q. And do you consider that to be good luck, a lady bug?

HYO JOO KIM: Yes. (Smiling.)

Q. This victory, what do you think it does for your confidence moving throughout the rest of the 2025 season?

HYO JOO KIM: So I think it will -- I have the feeling I can continue to do it because people are surrounding me sometimes say I'm getting old. With this event I think I can go to do better or do a good job.

Q. And Mi Hyang mentioned you'll be heading up to Vegas after this. And it's her birthday. So kind of you to win on her birthday. How do you switch your momentum and mindset to match play next week as you head to Vegas?

HYO JOO KIM: So I am very delighted that I have won, but next week it's going to be another game. So I'm going to enjoy this wonderful feeling but next week it's a whole different course, whole different game, so I'm just going to enjoy the moment.

Q. And lastly, what was it like to see Mi Hyang and your other supporters out there and shower you in champagne?

HYO JOO KIM: So, yeah, it was Mi Hyang's birthday and she congratulated me and I really appreciated that with all the friends, trainers, and managers. Actually champagne got into my eyes so I could feel the champagne all the more.

Q. Obviously it was a very hard-fought victory for you. You had to come back and obviously came away with the win. Can you talk to me about the level of competition that was played today by you and your fellow golfers and your mindset trying to come back and obviously playing in a competitive environment?

HYO JOO KIM: So it seemed like maybe the game ended and I went to playoff, but I didn't feel that it ended so I just felt it was an extension of the continuous game from 18.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much, Hyo Joo.

HYO JOO KIM: Thank you.