U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 21, 1999

Sung Yoon Kim

SUNG YOON KIM: I can't really feel anything right now. I'm sort of on cloud 9.

SUNG YOON KIM: I am aware, yes.

SUNG YOON KIM: A little bit excited. I know that my life is going to change a little bit. Very excited, yeah.

FRANK BAIK: He was mistaken.

SUNG YOON KIM: I didn't really mind losing, I didn't have any fear of losing. I just wanted to do my best, give the best match possible. Take one shot at a time. That's the best I could do. When I put that in my mind, I didn't really feel any pressure.

SUNG YOON KIM: In the morning -- I didn't play well, my body -- I don't feel comfortable in the mornings when it's a little cold. So my condition in the morning -- I didn't feel that comfortable with my swing. I felt like if I could stay in the match, when I felt comfortable, like towards the back 9, I played a little better, and that's what happened.

SUNG YOON KIM: Yes, I just don't adapt to the cold very well. I don't like playing in the cold, in other words.

SUNG YOON KIM: I did wear a sweater. I just don't like the cold weather.

SUNG YOON KIM: It's pretty much that's my life, when I play golf. It takes me a few extra holes to warm up properly in the mornings, when I have to play early morning. I was talking about that last night about the early tee times. I was a little bit worried about the early tee times.

SUNG YOON KIM: I don't know right now, but I'm sure when I go back to Korea, people will start recognizing me, and that will probably make me feel funny, more than anything.

SUNG YOON KIM: That's all I've been talking about.

SUNG YOON KIM: It's every golfer's dream is to play Augusta National, especially in The Masters. For me to get that kind of a chance, it's like a dream right now.

SUNG YOON KIM: It will be the biggest tournament I've ever played. And today is the best tournament I've played so far.

FRANK BAIK: There's a professional named Sang Ho Choi in Korea. He's played a few tournaments overseas. He's finished third in the Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand. He played with Fred Couples and Greg Norman in the final round and beat them both. Kyung Ju Choi, he played in the British Open and qualified. He made the cut. I think he finished 20-something, and he also finished in the top 20 of the Memorial.

FRANK BAIK: Sang Ho Choi, S-a-n-g, H-o, C-h-o-i. There has been one Korean who played in The Masters, back in the early 70's. I think he won the Order of Merit on the Asian TOUR, and they invited him in The Masters. When he does play, he'll be the second Korean.

FRANK BAIK: S-a-n-g J-a-n-g H-a-n.

SUNG YOON KIM: They show it live, and I've never missed a day of the Masters.

SUNG YOON KIM: Like 3:00 in the morning. I've never missed a day of the Masters.

FRANK BAIK: The only thing is, Korean, the language, "You" is not very proper. You don't want to say "you," because it's improper to say "you" to somebody you don't know. So I don't know how to go around that.

FRANK BAIK: Can I answer that? I stayed with him last night. He's not nervous. He never gets nervous. I had to wake him out of bed. He was complaining he was sleepy. He doesn't get nervous, I guess you can see it in his eyes. Maybe it's because he's 17. I really don't know. I was talking to him outside, and he's calm, real calm.

SUNG YOON KIM: I enjoy it. I enjoy the crowd, when they clap or whatever. When I see cameras and the people, I enjoy them more than being nervous about them.

FRANK BAIK: It's all changed.

FRANK BAIK: It doesn't matter now, does it?

FRANK BAIK: We had dinner at a Korean restaurant we've had dinner at every single night. He saw himself on Sportscenter and The Golf Channel, and he went to bed.

FRANK BAIK: Actually, the restaurant we went to yesterday, Palmer eats there regularly every year, with Jack Lemmon.

SUNG YOON KIM: I feel it is a little strange, but I felt like I was real lucky this week.

FRANK BAIK: I remember when Jack Nicklaus wanted to turn pro. That's not it anymore; right?

FRANK BAIK: He wants to go to college. He wants to go to a university here and play college at golf. But obviously, it's going to be difficult. He wants to turn pro, the sooner the better.

SUNG YOON KIM: August 29th I have to go back to school.

FRANK BAIK: Actually, in Korea they start every February. He's a junior until February, and then becomes a senior. He doesn't graduate until 2001.

FRANK BAIK: He has no aspirations to be a TOUR professional in Korea. There's not enough tournaments over there, for one thing, and he wants to play the TOUR over here.

SUNG YOON KIM: I probably couldn't play very well. (Laughter.)

SUNG YOON KIM: That would make me nervous, yeah.