ASAHI RYOKUKEN INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

May 17, 2002

Grace Park

DEBBIE EARECKSON: Let's go over your score card, on the 10th hole.

GRACE PARK: I birdied 12, got to the green-side with a 3-wood and just chipped up, made the putt for birdie.

14, I hit a wedge into the bunker and it was plugged in there, in the lip so I had no chance of getting out. So I bogeyed there, made like a 10-footer for bogey.

16, par-5. I was just short of the green, chipped up, made a putt for birdie.

17, hit my 9-iron to about four feet and made that for birdie.

3, hit 7-iron to about 25 feet, made that for birdie.

And then starting forward to 9, I just hit everything to the left, chunky, left, left, left and just kept hitting it left to make bogey, bogey.

And really 6 was a bogey for me. I had a 6-iron left, left, left and finished left.

LAURA NEAL: Do you want to comment on your round other than left shot on the back 9?

GRACE PARK: My six left shots, starting whatever hole that was, 4, I played decent. My first 12 holes were good. And then it just -- horrible. Actually started on the third hole, par-3. It was actually a bad shot, but I got a lucky break.

LAURA NEAL: Questions?

Q. Grace, was the reason that you were going left at the end, was the course just getting a little too hilly for you? Was it too much fatigue? Did it wear you down?

GRACE PARK: No, not at all. I know what I was doing. I didn't feel really comfortable with my setup, and when I do that, it's like something that I do when I'm not feeling so well with my swing and I just get sideways and hit bad shots left. I mean it happens. It happened last week. It happened the week before.

Q. Just like that it happens, all of a sudden in the middle of a round?

GRACE PARK: No. It wasn't just in the middle of the round. I didn't strike the ball as well as I had been and it happened. It just happened, the wrong time, difficult hole and I had no chance of making par, and another shot left and another shot left. And then I blocked the next shot way right because I didn't want to hit it left. And it happens on the course.

Q. Grace, you've had all these top-10 finishes this year. Are you getting tired of the top-10s and not winning? And is this year better than last year for you?

GRACE PARK: Oh, definitely. Definitely I'm a better player than last year. And I've been 5th, 4th, 3rd in my last three tournaments. So hopefully I can get to skip the second and jump to the top. I'll definitely take this over last year where I was just struggling to make cuts and just struggling, you know, definitely less stress.

Q. Any explanation for why last year was so difficult for you? There was a lot of expectation. Can you explain why?

GRACE PARK: First of all, my swing was just way out, out of plane, as you say. And I just struggled to hit straight shots and I hit a lot of shots in the water. And a lot of OBs, and when you do that you don't score. I got a new coach, Peter Costas, in Scottsdale over the winter, and I worked with him and got my swing back. But it's not quite there yet, but it's getting there.

Q. How much more receptive were the greens today?

GRACE PARK: Very much so. It was more like Wednesday, after we had all that rain earlier in the week. It was much better, but toward the end it may have dried out a little bit. But I didn't hit any greens, so I wouldn't know.

Q. Now that you do have your swing back together and are more comfortable with everything, what are your new expectations? Are they higher than they were before?

GRACE PARK: Oh, yeah. I know that I'm definitely closer to getting to where I would dream to be, which is right at the top of the money list. I'm working toward it. I'm slowly taking the process and hopefully I'll get there.

Q. You talked about trying to break through and get that first win this year. Did you see what K.J. Choi did? Is it helpful to see how well the Asians are doing with the victory in New Orleans? Is that inspiring to you and for the Asian players as well on this Tour?

GRACE PARK: Sure, why not? I'm really happy that he won, and it's great for people in Korea, but I had my first win before him (laughter.)

Q. You did have that first win. I guess that came in South Carolina, down at the Myrtle Beach tournament. You're back here playing well again in South Carolina. Something about this state that you seem to like playing well in?

GRACE PARK: Sure, if that's the way it is, then I like it that way. Maybe it will be my good luck state. I could do well here.

Q. On that same vein, you got your victory long before K.J. did. Why is it do you think that Asian women have been so successful and for longer than the men?

GRACE PARK: I knew that was coming. Well, I think -- in Korea golf has really become popular over the last decade and more and more people are picking up the game and working really hard. Fortunately we've had some wonderful Korean women that played well. And as for men, it's just that much tougher for men, the competition, and the number of people that play this game, and that's different for men and women. There are a lot of great -- there are a lot of good Korean men players. They're just -- it's just too tough in the men's field. It's so much bigger.

Q. I've read where you thought that maybe ten years from now golf might be in your past and that you'd be ready to raise a family and do something different. Does that put more pressure on you to try to reach your goals sooner? That's pretty much a prime age for a lot of pro golfers.

GRACE PARK: It is, but I mean I love this game, but I don't think I can see myself traveling every week for 20 years. It's just too tough, too stressful and too lonely and too challenging. I'm too lazy.

Q. What does that do for your goals, then?

GRACE PARK: I'm just taking it day by day, week by week, year by year. I didn't really say in the year 2010 I'm quitting. I said eventually I want to have family and kids and have a normal life.

Q. Just going along with that, there are some examples out here of women who do have families and continue to play pretty successfully. Can you see yourself kind of trying to balance that out?

GRACE PARK: You know, not really. It's either all or nothing for me. I don't know how they do it. It's so tough. I have a hard time just taking care of myself. I can't see myself with husband and kids. I would be so lost. I admire them.

Q. Did you see the 12-year-old girl?

GRACE PARK: I played practice round with her on Tuesday, and she is amazing. I used to -- I still do, but I was the longest player when I was growing up. But she out drove me. I'm one of the longest out here, and she got by with a 4-wood. And I hit my driver. But it looks like she's working too hard. I hope she can relax a little bit and have a little fun.

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