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EDS BYRON NELSON CHAMPIONSHIP

April 25, 2007

Anthony Kim

IRVING, TEXAS

STEWART MOORE: We welcome Anthony Kim here to the interview room at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Anthony in his first rookie season on the PGA TOUR, currently sits 33rd in the FedExCup points standings and coming off six made cuts in a row, including three Top 10s, one of which was a tie for third last week in New Orleans. Maybe if you could talk to us a little bit about this being your first full season on the PGA TOUR and how you've been adapting thus far.
ANTHONY KIM: Well, I got to play in two events last year, and I played pretty well in those. It was a new experience, but I always knew I could play golf. So I knew it wasn't going to be a big change if I got my card this year, and fortunately I did that and got off to a rough start.
I'm learning how to live the life of a professional golfer. It's a little different, no schoolwork, and you get to -- you have a lot more free time. But it's definitely been a change, and I'm starting to get the hang of it.
STEWART MOORE: As a resident of Dallas, obviously this would be a really special event to win, especially the first year since the passing of Mr. Nelson. Talk about what that would mean to play well here or maybe even come away with your first PGA TOUR victory.
ANTHONY KIM: Well, I'd like to win anywhere I can, but obviously this would be pretty special. I have some friends coming out, and obviously I live here now and have met some great people out here. So it would be nice to do it out here for the first time.
Obviously I never got to meet Mr. Nelson but heard nothing but great things, and it would really be an honor to win out here.

Q. I was just wondering how you hooked up with Royal Oaks, and was there any connections there?
ANTHONY KIM: Well, I signed with Hambric Sports Management, and Rocky and Blake have some ties over there. Randy Smith is my agent's dad, so we've got a little connection there, and he helped me out.

Q. Do you actually consult with Randy at all, or is someone else your swing instructor?
ANTHONY KIM: Well, I have a swing instructor. He's out of Michigan, his name is Adam Schreiber. Randy helps me out a little bit on my putting, and if I ever have questions, he's obviously helped some great players, so any advice I can get, I'll listen.

Q. When exactly did you move to Dallas?
ANTHONY KIM: I moved in August, I think. You know, everything went by so fast. I turned pro and played pretty well. So I don't really remember too much about last year and didn't really even have time to buy a house, I just rented a place for a year, and everything has been flying by me. Just happy to be in this situation now.

Q. When you talk about learning the life of a touring pro, what's been the biggest adjustment? Obviously you've made that adjustment if you look at the results, but what personally has been the biggest adjustment?
ANTHONY KIM: Well, outside of golf, I think, it's just the traveling. In college or amateur golf you play a week, then you go home for two or three weeks, get to hang out with your friends and see if you can't miss a couple days of class (laughter) and try to figure out things to do.
But out here you're on a plane Sunday night if you made the cut, going to the tournament Monday, and trying to find a place to do laundry. I don't like doing laundry anyway, but obviously not on the road because it's harder to do.
You know, off the course, I think that's been the main thing is the traveling.

Q. I had a similar question. Hardest and easiest thing about playing the TOUR, and favorite and least favorite? Sounds like laundry might be the least favorite.
ANTHONY KIM: Laundry is the least favorite. But the best thing for me is you get free food (laughter). I mean, I'd be in there all day if I could. That's it for me.

Q. Easiest and hardest?
ANTHONY KIM: Easiest thing about the TOUR is people cater to you a little bit more and you get a little bit more attention on TOUR than you would than if you were playing amateur or college golf. And I guess the hardest thing -- I can't really say there's a hard thing about being out here. You get treated so well everywhere you go, and you get a courtesy car, you get free food, it's awesome. I can't complain.

Q. Maybe you haven't had time to deposit those checks, but it seems like you've made enough to pay someone to do your laundry. And have you bought yourself anything with --
ANTHONY KIM: I bought a car after last year, after I made some money last year. I've been trying to save it up. I'd like to get my mom a house down there in San Diego. That's where she said she wanted one, so I'd better start depositing those checks pretty soon.

Q. San Diego real estate is a little pricier than Dallas real estate. Are you going to pay her taxes, too?
ANTHONY KIM: I've got to do everything. She took care of me for 21 years.

Q. In terms of golf, what happened after the first four tournaments you kind of struggled and now you're just an automatic Top 15?
ANTHONY KIM: I just didn't know how stressful Q-school would be. It wasn't just the week of final stage, it was first stage, and then you wait two weeks and you go to second stage. You wait another two weeks, and all that pressure builds up and you try and hold it in as long as you can, and after that I needed a break. So I took quite a bit of time off, tried to do things I wanted, hang out with friends, maybe work out and do things that I wasn't allowed to do for the six-week stretch.
I got out to Hawaii not practicing very much, and then it kind of snowballed out there. Then it turned around in LA when my coach came out and we started working, and we had some good sessions, and fortunately everything turned around from that point on.

Q. Who's your coach?
ANTHONY KIM: Adam Schreiber.

Q. What kind of car did you buy?
ANTHONY KIM: I bought a Ferrari. No, I'm kidding (laughter). I bought an Escalade.

Q. What's your mom's name?
ANTHONY KIM: My mom's name is Miryoung.

Q. Does the Ferrari come after the first big one?
ANTHONY KIM: You know, my mom would kill me if I got a Ferrari (laughter).

Q. Have you noticed any -- I think you're easily the youngest guy out here. Has there been kind of a generational gap? Do you fit in well with guys?
ANTHONY KIM: Well, I feel like I get along with anybody if I want to, and a lot of guys that are 20 years older than me have taken me under their wing a little bit and have shown me what to do, where to stay, where to go eat and all the little things that I don't have to worry about.
You know, I guess like in any job you're going to have people that you like and people that you don't get along with. Fortunately I haven't made any enemies out here. There definitely is -- after a round I don't go kiss my kids goodnight or read them a story, so it's a little bit different, and I've got to find different things to do. It's all a learning process for me.

Q. Who have been some of the guys -- you said a few guys have taken you under their wing. Who have you benefitted from?
ANTHONY KIM: I've become pretty good friends with a local Dallas guy, Todd Hamilton, and Kenny Perry obviously, Fred Funk, guys that have had success out here that know what to do. So I'm just glad that they've helped me out as much as they have.

Q. But you can't trade iPods with them, can you?
ANTHONY KIM: No, I can't do that. I don't even think they have iPods.

Q. Are there any guys who TXT with you or anything?
ANTHONY KIM: That TXT? Todd TXTs me jokes all the time. But yeah, I don't do too much of that.

Q. How big was finishing so well at the Texas Open last year for you?
ANTHONY KIM: That was huge for my confidence. I felt like I could play out here, whether I played well there or not. But it just reassured me that I was capable of winning out here without the experience that everyone else has had, or the other veterans have had. So I think it was great for my confidence at Q-school knowing that I've played against all these guys before and I could perform under that pressure.

Q. Those veterans, what were the best couple of pearls of wisdom you got from them?
ANTHONY KIM: Save your money, go to sleep early, and keep working hard. Don't let the money distract you from working hard because it's not about the money. You can't think of it as you're making X amount of dollars and you can buy this now or buy that; it's just keep trying to get better and win golf tournaments, and you'll make plenty of money.

Q. Party like a rock star wasn't one of them?
ANTHONY KIM: No, I get that from everybody else that doesn't play golf (laughter). I try to stay away from that.

Q. What's on your iPod? Just a couple.
ANTHONY KIM: I've got Eminem on there. That's my favorite guy. I have a little bit of everything. I even have Kenny Chesney.

Q. There's a variety.
ANTHONY KIM: I don't think you'd know any of these people. I have a guy named Nio.

Q. Are you saying I'm old?
ANTHONY KIM: No, no (laughter). I don't think rap is something that a lot of golfers out here listen to. I listen to a little 50 Cent. I've got a huge range.
STEWART MOORE: Anthony, thanks for taking time with us today.

End of FastScripts

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