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MCDONALD'S LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA

June 5, 2007

Se Ri Pak

HAVRE DE GRACE, MARYLAND

PAM WARNER: Se Ri, thank you for coming in and joining us today. You're the defending champion here at the McDonald's LPGA Championship. Just talk about being become here.
SE RI PAK: It seems like yesterday though. It looks like a year hasn't passed already; time flies.
Actually it feels great to be back. I don't know, it just feels like getting to this golf course all day, just smiles, I don't know why. I just feel comfortable. I'm very -- having fun already. I don't know, just makes me feel something special, this event. So I'm really glad to be back.

Q. Is it strange at all to be thinking on one hand, it's a major championship and on the other hand, two more rounds until you are eligible for the Golf Hall of Fame?
SE RI PAK: It makes me nervous, since '07, I keep counting, when is the date for my 10th event. They keep asking me the schedule, keep moving it around. But realize it's going to be 10 years at McDonald's and that's my defending tournament and this is my 10th event (year). It's pretty special, it means a lot. On the other hand already you feel like this is the first time I feel nervous about something I'm going through though.
It's very exciting but I don't know, just kind of feel weird, it's like my dreams coming true, it's special.

Q. What are you nervous about?
SE RI PAK: I don't know. Maybe all of it.

Q. The speech? Are you nervous about the speech?
SE RI PAK: Oh, wow, I don't know about speech either. Now that's all I'll be thinking about it, the next couple of days.
I'm already -- this is my biggest goal if I came to U.S. I set my goals to start playing golf, basically as I said, this is part of my dream come true. Basically I'm pretty much a lucky person to be here, so maybe that makes me nervous about it. I feel really, really full of it and very happy about it.

Q. You said you're feeling very nervous. Can you compare it to anything, were you nervous before, like maybe the first time you won which was at this tournament in '99?
SE RI PAK: I don't think it's as nervous as ever. The time I won my first tournament, this event -- just really exciting about it, and it feels different, and different than winning a tournament or winning a major. It's really different.
Just being part of my success, to basically think about the last ten years, I've had great success, I've won so many tournaments and won a lot of majors. And you know, there's so many things have happened in the past ten years, and I still have many years to play, but it seems like ten years is so short time for me to be out here to play. Finally I get to get in the Hall of Fame, and already my friends are saying, "You're that old?" They talk about, "You're that old?"
It's hard to get into the Hall of Fame, but basically the age I am -- I'm never expecting that, too, but it's happening and that makes me feel very proud of myself. My parents are already proud of me and all of my country, so I feel really grateful.

Q. Do you feel old?
SE RI PAK: You know, I say it's not that old, but different from a couple years ago. I'm still pretty good, in good shape.

Q. When you look back at the past ten years, what's been the best win you've had?
SE RI PAK: Probably last year.

Q. Why?
SE RI PAK: Well, because first time I ever have two years rough season. I never had it in my success, ever. But totally my mind was outside the golf course, I don't know how to fix it, and I just didn't enjoy it. It's the first time ever for me that happens.
Just a year came and I know how important for me to have my own time to figure out what to do and just really having a great time and then finally I come back and I'm always probably last ten years, everybody would ask me about, how is your season, what are your goals and all the time they ask me about it.
And I said, probably most important, I would really like to enjoy it. I just want to have some fun out there and do as much as I could. But starting last year first time ever, I feel when I play golf, it's really fun and I'm very grateful to be out here traveling and playing with all the players and play all different golf course. Always same routine over the years but it's just really different. That makes it really exciting and I'm really having fun.
It's great coming back from all the way behind and had a chance to win and won it, a great shot on the last shot and won in a playoff. That was the most -- even though I won so many times, I guess that's the last great, great tournament, if I ever think about it.

Q. Just wonder, how often do you find yourself thinking to the shot last year --
SE RI PAK: Oh, I'm still thinking about it. Today I was practicing, remember 18 I was making a 3-putt and I practice the distance to that hole. But today's not that fast, but same thing, my mind, every time something just keep repeating it. I know that it's something I probably never will forget about it. Even the people out here, fans, media, just keep talking about that shot, even to now. So I don't think I can ever not think about it. If you think about it, that was a great shot.

Q. Will you try the same shot this week?
SE RI PAK: No. (Laughter) I don't think I'm going to do that again. But I'm trying to make an easier way; not a hard way, an easier way.

Q. What do you remember about the shot? Where were you aiming? What were you going for, that kind of thing.
SE RI PAK: The first, my plan was just fairways and greens. I know missed the tee shot on 18 in the playoff and basically left me a really difficult situation there.
The next thing I think about the shot before I hit it, I thought, well, I'll just do my best. I'm already happy with getting that situation with Karrie. So I just said, I'm already really to be here, so just do my best and try to make as great a shot as I could, and it really worked. So I won a major.
But just everything, really, really grateful. All of the majors, all of the tournaments, I think just fairways and greens is the most important. So it's the same thing.

Q. What's changed for you in the last ten years as a professional?
SE RI PAK: What has changed?

Q. As a professional, what have you learned?
SE RI PAK: I've learned the most biggest problem are human beings and I'm trying so hard last eight, nine years, I've been trying to play really, really well. I'm trying to get the No. 1 spot. I really totally 100%, 110% push myself to play out here as good as I could.
But you know what, I've already done it really great and I never realized it and I kept pushing it and pushing it and pushing it, ask suddenly I was totally lost for two years. I realize that now, I'm saying just as anyone here, I'm a human being and I'm always trying to be as perfect as I could, but it's kind of impossible. I'm trying to get there. It's hard to make myself understand that, but now I understand the most important thing is -- I think I'm pretty much a lucky person that I'm here and I'm doing what I want to do, and I really have to be here and play; and I love my job still, playing it. So the most thing is health. As long as I'm happy, everything will be great.
So that's what I've learned most, biggest in the last ten years, which is I never realize it, how lucky I am.
PAM WARNER: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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