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SYBASE CLASSIC

May 19, 2005

Christina Kim

NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK

MODERATOR: We have got Christina Kim here in the interview room, our leader at 6-under par.

We will start off with your score card. You started off quickly birdieing No. 1.

CHRISTINA KIM: Yeah, you know, I will be honest with you, the only thing I was thinking before I teed off was the fact that last year I haven't made a cut here ever, the last few years I have been on Tour, haven't made a cut. I remember my second round last year started off eagle with the first hole and ended with eagle on the 18 and I missed the cut by one.

The first hole had a birdie, I was about 25 yards short off the green. Chipped it to about six feet, and made the putt.

MODERATOR: Came back with a birdie at 3.

CHRISTINA KIM: Yes, I was about 50 yards away with my third shot. 60-degree lob wedge hit it to about 15 feet, made that putt.

MODERATOR: How far were you?

CHRISTINA KIM: 15 feet -- not a very good chip, thanks.

MODERATOR: Birdie at 5.

CHRISTINA KIM: No. 5 I was 124 yards to the hole. I used my 10-iron, I guess my pitching wedge, put it to about eight feet, made that putt.

No. 6, birdie, 64 yards to the hole. Used my 60-degree lob wedge, put it to five feet, made that putt.

Bogey at 8, I hit my tee shot, it ended up actually in the bunker, no one even notices it's there. I was 157 to the hole. Took my 7-iron, hit it in a little short of the green, failed to get up-and-down. I think my par putt was about twelve feet, made that.

MODERATOR: Then on the back side. Three in a row, 13 through 15.

CHRISTINA KIM: No. 13, I was 132 yards to the hole. A little par 3, going a little bit into the breeze. I decided to choke up on an 8-iron, and I hit it to about two feet, made that putt.

No. 14, I was 128 yards, used my 9-iron about 15, 16 feet short of the hole, made that putt.

Then No. 15, I was 188. 5-wood for my second shot and 2-putted from 25 feet.

MODERATOR: Leading at 6-under par, you have got to be happy with the round. Talk a little bit about your thoughts holding the lead right now.

CHRISTINA KIM: Well, the way I see it, I am a quarter of the way through. Very excited I am on this side of the spectrum as opposed to the other side, scorewise. I have just been -- I feel like I have been very, very close to finding something within myself playingwise the last several weeks. I am just very happy to be where I am at right now.

MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Clarifying, you say last year your first rounds you went --

CHRISTINA KIM: Second round.

Q. You went eagle on the first?

CHRISTINA KIM: First hole eagle, eagle on the 18th, missed the cut by a shot.

Q. That was last year second round?

CHRISTINA KIM: Yes. I haven't made a cut here. I am on my third year here, haven't made a cut yet. Kind of different.

Q. You have addressed it a little bit there, but did you feel a round like this coming at all?

CHRISTINA KIM: I felt something this morning I thought it was gas -- I am kidding (laughs). To be honest with you, I know that the rounds are within me. It's within my capabilities. In all honesty I actually thought just by watching how Annika played last -- just annihilated the entire field last week. I thought to myself -- I am not saying that I am one of the best players in the world. I am not saying that I am Annika status whatever, skillwise, but in all honesty it is possible. I always have that thought in mind and coming into this week I was very -- honestly I was very very apprehensive just because of my past performances. But I was just trying to stay focused and calm, be patient; that's one thing that I started to learn this year, is to try and stay patient and so you know, I felt the round is coming just not necessarily today. I just knew it was somewhere in my bag. I guess I unpacked it today.

Q. Because you missed the cut a couple of times here, did you do anything different in terms of preparation, stay at a different hotel or house or --

CHRISTINA KIM: No, I changed some of the things in my bag but that doesn't have anything to do with this week. The way I see it just any given moment anything can happen. Anything is possible be it good, be it bad, so was just trying -- last year was very difficult for me to stay in the moment when I was here and also the greens are very, very difficult to read. You have to be so precise with these greens. So I am not -- within the last couple of years I wasn't necessarily one of the best putters on Tour, so you put a little more stress on the fact that you have to hit your irons to like an inch to make sure you have a straight putt or you know, this, that, so you just sort of -- I tended to put a little pressure on myself. I just sort of said, you know what, it's not the end of the world regardless of what happens, beautiful day out here, the course is in amazing shape, good a shape as I have ever seen it. And I just sort of am just trying to focus on just making contact with the ball; making sure I can find it after I hit it and just keep going from there.

Q. Were there any particular examples of the patience that you talked about out there today?

CHRISTINA KIM: I birdied 1, 3, 4, 5, No. 6 the par 3.

Q. 6, par 4?

CHRISTINA KIM: I mean, 1, 3, 5, 6, No. 7 the par 3, I can still remember some of the shots that I have hit off that tee into that hole which is, you know, God awful, but I hit it a pretty good shot but I missed the green. The first green I had missed all day, and that's -- I had to aim it a good four, five feet left of the hole and let it trickle back toward the cup, and I haven't really been very, very successful with my short game, but I just had a certain shot that I wanted to hit. If I had allowed myself to, I could have made a very big number there and just because I didn't want to -- I came off two birdies, missed the green, I was a little flustered but I said you know what, if I do end up making bogey here I can always come back with another birdie, but just try and stay with this one shot. Chipped it to a couple of feet, made the putt No. 8 as well. I could have -- No. 8 could have been a disaster but I walked off with bogey. I told myself, hey, even though you birdied it four times in the last two years, you know, I mean it's not the end of the world. Maybe I shouldn't birdie that hole and I will make the cut, I don't know.

Q. What is the significance of the head covers, the three the cow, the pig --

CHRISTINA KIM: And the duck. They are called Butt Head covers. The company is called Butt Head Covers. I saw them and I thought they were hilarious. It was my birthday, the lady that owns the company, it was my birthday she gave me three of them for free. Sort of reminded me of my coming of age my now being legal, I guess, thinking of that but I am waiting on the donkey, it's coming out in a couple of weeks.

Q. When was your birthday?

CHRISTINA KIM: March 15. 21st birthday.

Q. Are you any more working on your game practicing than you were when you first came out here?

CHRISTINA KIM: In all honesty, I think that I actually portrayed to others that I am screwing around more, I am having more fun now than I did when I first came out here. Because when I first came out I was still you know, very young, very naive, not that I am old and wise now, but I was you know, very -- I was 18, 19 years old. I just had -- I mean, the world was just opening to me. I had no idea what I was getting into. So I think people now actually think I am a little more outgoing a little more, you know, you know, not as caring as I used to be back in the day but I think now I am just more comfortable, but you know, it's hard for me to really say -- I mean, I know deep inside that I do work harder than I have before. I actually -- I really, really care and this is something that you know, I have had a taste of victory and now that I know how good a high it is, you know, I just want to get it again. So I am actually working harder on my game than I have in years past. People don't necessarily think so just because I talk a lot.

Q. Even though you missed the cut twice, did you like the course; did you enjoy the course?

CHRISTINA KIM: Well, the thing is, I try and find beauty in every course that I come across. You would probably take that as me saying yes, but no. It's a beautiful course. It's very demanding. Requires every shot in the bag, requires a lot of patience, and I mean, this is just -- I mean, I came here on Monday. I was like wow, they put so much effort in making the course in as great a shape as it could possibly be. It's a beautiful course. It really is. I don't know if it necessarily suits my game but it's really pretty. (Laughs).

Q. (Inaudible)?

CHRISTINA KIM: I like big wide open fairways and flat greens. No, I am kidding.

I guess that's part of it. It does stress hitting the fairways a lot. Which is -- I am actually not that bad with my driver. I was a little today -- I am pretty good with the driver, the little shots, you know, you can hit two shots 550 yards get it 3, ten feet, so just one of those things. Beautiful course. Great people here.

Q. Kind of alluded to it a little bit earlier do you think people misunderstand you because of the style that you have on the course? Do you think people misinterpret your --

CHRISTINA KIM: I can understand -- I can comprehend what they are saying not necessarily understand it or you know, agree with it. But my thing is, I mean, as far as we as human being know, we only get this one shot at life. You should enjoy everything that you do. Be it going out and having fun with your friends, be it going out clocking in at work. In all honesty, the way I see it, look at my office, I have got it made here, I mean, don't get me wrong, I worked my ass off to, my tail off to get here, but I mean, I am not necessarily reaping the rewards but it's just -- life cannot be better than what I have right now. I realize that. I know everyone, all the other players they do realize that, they just sort of you know portray it to others, you know, in a different light. Which is fine. I respect that. But I mean, to extent I really -- not that I don't care what people think because I would be lying if I said I didn't, but there's nothing that I can do to change how they feel. I am just happy with where I am.

Q. You said something before about watching Annika. You said it is possible. What exactly is possible?

CHRISTINA KIM: Annihilating the entire field.

Q. That you can?

CHRISTINA KIM: Anyone can. Anyone of these girls can. Because the thing is, it's such a huge accomplishment just to be out here and I think that if they or myself truly believe that it can be done -- I mean we witnessed it. It's finally click -- she's annihilated me like 95 times. I think I have only played 70 tournaments, (laughs) I mean, I finally actually saw -- wow, she beat me by 20 shots last week if I am not mistaken. I was like wow, I mean, you know, don't get me wrong she is by far the best player -- best women's golfer in the world maybe in the history of the world, I don't know, but I mean, I have seen it happen, so it can be done. Not necessarily just myself, but any of these girls out here we can go out and shoot lights out any given day.

Q. Is there a method you think in her annihilating the field? Is it attacking the course? Is it hitting the ball farther than everybody else? What do you think is separating her?

CHRISTINA KIM: A lot of it has to do just with her experience of being in that situation. She's won 59, 60 tournaments now. But I think a lot of it is -- there are a lot of intangible, indescribable things, I think, that define who she is because a lot of people were asked to pick a word to describe Annika, no one can just because there's no one thing or no 20 things that can describe who she is, define what she is, but she just does everything better. The way I see it, I just think that she's going to pull what Tiger did for the PGA TOUR several years back, where he just -- I mean, he was crappin on people as he was flying past them and she's doing that right now and so it's going to eventually -- our level of play -- don't get me wrong, we have got great, great players, the level of play is as high as it's ever been but I think we're eventually going to get to an even higher plane of golf consciousness, I think.

MODERATOR: Anymore questions for the zen master? Thanks a lot.

End of FastScripts.

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