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GINN CLUBS & RESORTS OPEN

April 30, 2006

Mi Hyun Kim

ORLANDO, FLORIDA

PAM WARNER: We're joined here by Mi Hyun Kim. Congratulations on your sixth victory. Talk a little bit about your day and your win.

MI HYUN KIM: Before, when I start, I was so nervous to play because I don't have a win until three or four years, maybe.

PAM WARNER: Since 2002.

MI HYUN KIM: Yes. I really, really wanted to win this week. Too much thinking and too much, you know, thinking about the swing, thinking about the greens, thinking about the interview thing. I was so nervous before I start. And then the middle of the whole Lorena Ochoa and Karrie, high score with me, I was so nervous. That's why I had a lot of bogeys today.

PAM WARNER: Let's go over your scorecard.

MI HYUN KIM: No. 1, 160 yards, six feet.

Bogey on 2, 8 iron, left side of the green and then like 30 feet putt, 3 putt.

Bogey on 4, 8 iron, was a little short of the green and then 20 yard chip shot to six feet, 2 putt.

Bogey on 6, 7 wood left side of the green, and then chip shot 20 yards, 30 feet putt, 2 putt.

Birdie on 9, sand wedge, 60 yards, 10 feet.

Birdie on 10, middle wedge, and then 7 feet.

Bogey on 13, I hit 5 short of the green, just short, and then 20 yard chip shot like 7 feet, 2 putt.

Birdie on 14, 9 iron, seven feet.

Birdie on 17, I had 190 yards, two shots on the green, 7 wood, 2 putt, 25 feet, 2 putt.

PAM WARNER: We'll take questions.

Q. You sound like you're more relieved than you are happy about winning. Is that true? Is this more of a relief to finally win again?

MI HYUN KIM: Yes. If I lose the win today I will feel like too loser, you know, never win again maybe, I feel like. So this win is big for me.

Q. What will this do for your confidence, then, to finally get one out of the way?

MI HYUN KIM: I was praying every moment, maybe God helping me.

Q. Did you ever think you might not win again, since it had been four years? Had you gotten to that point or were you confident this day would come eventually?

MI HYUN KIM: Before when I started this game, I feel like I can win any time not here, any time. But after nine holes I'm tied with Lorena Ochoa. And I feel like if I lose, I lose this win, I'm not going to win again maybe, I feel like.

Q. When you didn't win all those years, did your game slump? Did your game get worse or did the players get better, or is there any one reason you went so long?

MI HYUN KIM: Both. (Laughter) everybody plays good on the LPGA. They used to be short courses, but they make longer and longer and longer because everybody hits so far, like the men's Tour. There are a few players that hit as far as the men. I think that's why the LPGA makes longer courses.

Q. You talked yesterday about being nervous with a three shot lead going into today. When Ai made her triple did you feel better or more nervous with an even bigger lead?

MI HYUN KIM: I feel better. Honestly, I feel better. But I feel too much better, that's why I made a 3 putt.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about what was going through your mind on 18? You knew you were up 2 at that point. Did you feel like at that point, even then did you feel you could relax a little bit, or did you not feel that way until that last one went in?

MI HYUN KIM: After the 18th tee shot that tee shot is a little, you know, scary to me because my ball style is a little draw. That course is a little left to right course, so if I hit a good drive I can be better, I feel better. So after I hit it good, I felt very relaxed and I feel, "I got a win!"

Q. Your swing is so long. Is it harder for a swing that big to stay together when theres pressure? When there's so much pressure, Lorena Ochoa is after you, Karrie is after you, Ai Miyazato is there, does the pressure work harder on a long swing like yours?

MI HYUN KIM: Definitely, but I'm a very short player. I play long hitters every week, so I'm used to this.

Q. Your tee shot on 17 was we all remarked it was pretty long. It was a good time for you to hit a long one there. Was that a confidence boost for you to be able to get there in two?

MI HYUN KIM: Yes, sure. I hit 7 wood from the second shot. So that club is number one, I like the club 7 wood, so I feel more confidence with that. When I see the ball

Q. (No microphone.)

MI HYUN KIM: Everybody thought that was her ball. I said, "That's my ball." It was a surprise to you guys. It was a big drive.

Q. About how long was the tee shot, do you know?

MI HYUN KIM: Maybe 280, 290, something like that.

Q. That was something special for you?

MI HYUN KIM: Yes, sure. Even a surprise to me, you know.

Q. You tore up the par 5s today. Little Kimmy was 3 under on the par 5s. For you those are mostly all 3 shot holes?

MI HYUN KIM: Yes, every one is a 3 shot hole to me. On the 17th tee, you know, it was a big downwind. After the tee shot I felt very solid. I hit it very solid so I thought maybe I have a chance to get two shots on the green. I saw Karrie is on the left side maybe behind a tree, something like that. After 16 holes I saw her have a little bit of trouble so that makes me feel a little easier.

Q. Take us through No. 3. You were in trouble the whole way and you still made par. Sort of take us through that hole and how important was it to get out of there with a par?

MI HYUN KIM: That is a big par. That was a big save. I didn't know there was out of bounds over there, so I just wanted to try to lay up and I hit the cart path and almost out of bounds. It was lucky. It was almost two shot lucky to me.

Q. How far did you have for that fourth shot into the green and what shot did you hit? What club and yardage?

MI HYUN KIM: It was 123 yards. But usually 123 is a 9 iron. I take the 7 iron and choke down a little bit and then a punch shot. It was a good shot.

Q. Yesterday I think you were talking about last year you used a longer driver. Did you do that because you felt you needed to try to hit it farther and did you change back because you didn't think the benefits were worth maybe sacrificing some accuracy?

MI HYUN KIM: Someone, an LPGA player, she was using a 47 inch driver and she tell me, you know, this driver hits longer, because her game is sort of like mine. And I saw how long she hit, and she hit it like 20 yards farther than me. So I tried and I gained 10 yards helping me. So I thought maybe one inch more. I tried to change to a 47. And it hit farther, but my backswing is already big. But when I'm using a 47 inch driver, the head almost hits the ground. My backswing is bigger than John Daly's. I'm an accuracy player, but I lose accuracy a lot, so I changed back.

Q. How difficult was it this week, a new course, the first time, and wind all four days, high wind, wind the whole time? How tough were the challenges out there?

MI HYUN KIM: I live 30 minutes from here, so I'm used to this wind. This wind is not so bad. I like this course, this grass. Normally in Florida they have Bermuda grass, but not here. The fairway is like bent maybe. And especially they have a lot of run on the fairway. A little bit hard, tougher, but not a big deal.

Q. How do you like the purse, the money?

MI HYUN KIM: I like the purse. Thank you for the car. I didn't know that.

Q. You talked about being nervous after the third round going into this final round. Did it make it easier that you got to sleep at home? You were at home. You're more comfortable than being at a normal Tour event.

MI HYUN KIM: Yes, easy to sleep, because it used to be when I played in the last group before, the night before, I couldn't sleep at the hotel, but last night I could sleep good and made it easy to play.

Q. Two part question: You mentioned in the four years that have passed maybe your game wasn't as strong and the field got so much better. Why did the field get so much better? What changes did you see in the players out there?

And the second part, how strong have your native countrymen gotten to the point in this game now?

MI HYUN KIM: I changed putters Wednesday after Pro Am day.

Q. After you stunk it up in the Pro Am?

MI HYUN KIM: In the Pro Am I used a Two Ball putter, but I feel uncomfortable with that putter so I changed back. I used a putter a long time ago, maybe five years ago maybe, so I take the bad putter back. And putting helped me this week.

Q. The strength of the golfers that are coming out of South Korea, your thoughts on that?

MI HYUN KIM: They're not from South Korea. I think they're living here. I have a lot of American friends here too and Korean friends that came here cheering me. They're helping me a lot. When I made birdie, they were like, "Woo!" They were so excited. They made me cheer up.

Q. There is an image that the Korean golfers just work harder than the other golfers out there. Do you find that is true?

MI HYUN KIM: Yes, because normally it is a practice round Tuesday and Wednesday is a Pro Am day, and Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday are tournament days. Monday is a move day. But normally on the course there are not many American or other players on the range, but a lot of Korean players on the range and chipping green and putting green, everywhere, so they work hard.

Q. Have you noticed that that has had an effect on the other competitors? Are they working harder, or is that still mainly a Korean thing out there?

MI HYUN KIM: I don't know. They're young. I'm not that much young, so I don't know what they think.

Q. Why is the work ethic is so much better? It would seem like they see it's successful for Koreans, it should work for everybody?

MI HYUN KIM: I'm not sure why they work hard. A lot of Korean players are doing good. They want to be we have eight LPGA events this year, but already four wins with Korean players. So everybody wants to maybe get a win. They're looking for a first win or second win. Everybody wants to win maybe.

Q. Is that your mom and your dad and your boyfriend that have been out there all week following you around?

MI HYUN KIM: Yes.

Q. Do your parents live here in Orlando with you or just visiting right now?

MI HYUN KIM: My mom every time be with me, and then my dad, like sometimes goes back to Korea and sometimes back to here.

Q. Is it a little more special they were both able to be here to see you win this thing?

MI HYUN KIM: Yes. My parents keep on cheering me. So they're helping me out a lot.

Q. Is your dad going to let you get married now?

MI HYUN KIM: Maybe, yes. I'm going to ask him today.

Q. Yesterday you said you had a nephew finally. Do you think that he bring the luck to you for this win?

MI HYUN KIM: Yes. Not much today, but the past three days I have a lot of luck. I have many good bounces and made many good putts. I had a lot of good luck.

Q. You talked about the Korean, the strength of the Korean players. The Solheim Cup matches, America and Europe, do you think the rest of the world with the Korean players, yourself, Lorena Ochoa from Mexico, Karrie from Australia, Ai from Japan, should they be included in that mix? Has the rest of the world caught up with the Americans and the Europeans or maybe passed them up?

MI HYUN KIM: Korean players talk about that many times, because when we watching the Solheim Cup it was so exciting to play. When we talking about that, we're going to play like they have a men Tour's like that, right, American and National team, yeah, we were talking we're going to play like that one.

PAM WARNER: Thanks and congratulations.

End of FastScripts.

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