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CN CANADIAN WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

August 9, 2006

Se Ri Pak

LONDON, ONTARIO

DANA GROSS RHODE: We have Se Ri Pak here. You're having a great season so far. You have to be happy with it. Talk about coming to Canada and golfing in Canada now.

SE RI PAK: I really do. I'm very happy about my game. I'm not expecting anything more right now. I'm already good to be here. Like I said, it's always exciting to be every week in different golf events. But especially Canada, the last couple of years, it's good when I play good and be back and it's really exciting.

Q. How are you feeling today?

SE RI PAK: Well, so far right now, it's okay. Yesterday I practiced and not too much bothers it. But I wake up first thing in the morning and my arm bothers me again. I'm still going to play this week, and hopefully I'll have a good week. I don't think it's getting worse, which is a good thing. I don't want to really give up this week and not play, so I'm here ready and I feel ready to go. Hopefully I'll have a good week.

Q. I want to ask you about the Order of Merit Award you received from the government of the South Korea. Talk about that and what a big honor that was. In 1998 you won that. I was wondering how many they've handed it out and how common it is for an athlete to get that award.

SE RI PAK: It's a very special award from the president of my country. That is mostly how do I explain? Well, it's pretty hard to explain. But for me it's for the rest of my life or even for my family, my kids, whatever. I'm pretty proud of it, myself and my family and my country. They gave me a great award from the president that you get for all your life. It's unbelievable that happened to me. That was how many years ago?

SE RI PAK: I didn't think I got one lately. It was very special to get an award from the president and I was very proud for my country too. That was great.

Q. Talk about your impressions of the course and do you like this style of course, the older courses?

SE RI PAK: I do like a lot of old style golf courses. It is different from the U.S. but I like the way the golf course sets up, too. A lot of trees, I know it's not easy. The golf course is very tricky too. You hit it long, like 6,500. It's pretty long, but I like the golf course. I don't have any complaining. I don't really have a problem. So hopefully I'll play well.

Q. Big greens too?

SE RI PAK: Yes. That makes it harder. It is the biggest greens. Sometimes you miss the wrong side of the green and basically you can almost chip it. But I like it, it's fun.

Q. (No microphone.)

SE RI PAK: I think so. Like No. 10, the par 5, if you miss the green or the wrong side of it, it's like 100 feet away. We can chip around the green, but it's not on the green. It's going to be a challenge. The greens are pretty tricky, a lot of undulations. The speed is really good. It's really fast.

Q. Is it an obstacle, on some of the holes you're almost playing a blind shot to the green and they are such huge greens and you don't have Sky Caddie or Lazer Link to help you. So you really don't know the exact yardage to the pin, do you?

SE RI PAK: It's not really easy to play that shot, but basically our caddies go out there, the regimen for the distance and how many yards is uphill, downhill. They're working the last couple of days, so it helps a lot.

Q. You really have to trust your caddie and the yardage?

SE RI PAK: Definitely.

Q. Could you explain what the injury was at the British Open?

SE RI PAK: Basically at the British Open, it was my neck. The muscle is getting tight and it comes down to my arms, but I don't think just from that. But a little while ago, starting the last couple of weeks, but basically last week it was my neck. It's bothersome, but I don't worry too much about it.

Q. Did it start before Evian or after Evian?

SE RI PAK: No, a couple of weeks ago. I don't really know when. It just comes and goes sometimes. I don't really take it seriously. Last week it felt really hard, like a rock there. Maybe that's why I feel it a lot more than a couple of weeks ago. Maybe just for the last week, it's too hard. This week, I'm not trying to think about it too much.

Q. A quick comment about your season, if we could. Fairly consistent and then the great finish at McDonald's had to be a huge boost for your confidence.

SE RI PAK: I feel a lot of confidence already in myself. My game is getting better every week. I have really enjoyed it out there. Whether I play good or bad, it doesn't matter, but it makes me comfortable out there on the golf course and just being a really happy person that I've never been.

Then I won at McDonald's and getting a lot better and better. That can happen any time, anywhere. Suddenly I was in the last two years just being I don't know what happened. I can't remember anything about it. And then I don't want to play golf at all, for the first time ever in my life. I just don't know why. I just can't focus. I don't want to be out there.

But this year, 2006, is different. I like to be out here and for the most part it's a lot of fun. I like to see the players. I have a lot of friends out here. It's just different. It's kind of strange what happened to me in the last few years, but now it's perfect. Every week I try my best and it's always exciting.

Q. Do you feel proud of your role, when you look and see 20, 25, 30 Koreans sorry, I won't ask this next year.

SE RI PAK: It does. The first time I feel like I have a lot of pressure because basically I'm the one started and then so many number of Koreans are here and play so well. And I thought, well, I should do better, so I've been pushing myself a lot for the first couple of years. But I look back and I'm really proud of it. I'm proud for them. I'm proud for myself.

It's a lot more fun to see that, because most of them I know them for a long time. We played together as amateurs and as good friends together. It's good to see it.

Q. Taking a look at the course, do you have any idea, is it going to be minus 8, minus 7? Do you have any idea what this is going to play to over the week?

SE RI PAK: Not too low, but probably 10 to 12 at the most, I guess. The golf course is so great and the rough is thick and long. The greens are really a great speed. Who knows, maybe even par, maybe 15 under par. Who knows.

DANA GROSS RHODE: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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