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LPGA STATE FARM CLASSIC

September 1, 2007

Christina Kim

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Thanks are for joining us again today. You are tied for third, shot a 71 out there and you're 10-under for the tournament. Can you talk about your third round?
CHRISTINA KIM: Well, you know, today it was -- the winds were probably between I'd say 30 to 45 degrees east of where they were yesterday, and so that just made it a completely different golf course. It changed everything dramatically, a lot more shots where you had to play left-to-right wind or right-to-left, as opposed to straight down or straight into.
So it was kind of tough out there. The greens were firmer. The pins were in some very difficult spots. But you know, I still went out and had a great time, had a great group, so it was a lot of fun.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Can we go over your scorecard? That first birdie was on hole 4.
CHRISTINA KIM: I was 177 yards out, hit a 9-iron to about six feet and made the putt.
No. 6, I was about 45 feet to the flag into, and then just chipped it up, put it to about a foot and a half and made the putt for birdie.
Bogey on 13. I was probably about 20 feet to the flag. Hit my putt, left it about three feet short and couldn't get the camera guy to shut up while I was trying to get ready to hit my putt and just sort of lost my concentration and just kind of basically 3-putted from 20 feet. The putt I missed was just inside of three feet probably.
Birdie on 15. I was 92 yards to the flag, hit a 52-degree wedge and spun it probably about 15 feet right of the hole and just made the 15-footer for birdie.
Bogey on 16, I was like 180 to the flag into the wind. Hit a 5-wood, the wind stopped, flew the green, bounced all the way over into the long grass right at the edge of the long grass and then that was probably about a 35-yard chip. I had to hit it underneath a tree, try to bump it up there, and the way the ball was sitting, I just kind of caught a little underneath the ball. I didn't really -- it didn't really progress very far, and then I had probably about a 20-yard chip that lipped out. Put it to about seven feet and just lipped out for my par putt.

Q. After birdieing two of your first six, are you disappointed where you finished?
CHRISTINA KIM: Well, I'm disappointed in the sense that I'm playing really well and I've been hitting the ball great and putting great all week.
However, it was not an easy day. I was just trying to play steady and stay patient and made a couple of early birdies early on and just stay focused and centered and stay calm. But the winds were whipping out there. They really started to gust quite a bit. There was some really strong gusts and they would die down and it's just a lot to have to factor in together. But I'm still hitting the ball great.
There were a couple of shots where I hit it exactly where I wanted to but because I wasn't able to walk 150 yards and look at the green, you know, I landed it almost where I thought I wanted it to, but then there's some brown spots out there because it's so dry right now that just kind of bounce off and probably, you know, didn't spin the way that I wanted it to of the.
But overall, I'm still pretty happy. I'm only two back. I don't like going into the final round with a lead. I like coming up from behind.

Q. (After not being picked for the Solheim Team, are you even more motivated to win; do you feel like you have something to prove)?
CHRISTINA KIM: You know, for the rest of my career, I'm probably going to feel like I have something to prove and sort of -- I'm not going to -- it's a very difficult way to describe it. It's not that I want to snub, per se, anybody, but I do want everyone to know, hey, you know, regardless of what anyone's opinion is, I felt like it would have been nice to be picked for the team.
But people keep talking about it. I'm six days past when I was, you know, told I wasn't on the team. Everyone just kind of pokes at and you they are like, "What do you think about Solheim, Solheim, Solheim." And the way I see it, I'm a year, 11 months and three weeks away from the next one. So I'm kind of, you know, what's past is past. But I just want to play well because I don't want to have to be a pick. I just want to play well and make my way on to the team and play the way that I know I should be playing.

Q. On 18, you were in the rough; was that a 3-wood you hit?
CHRISTINA KIM: No, it was a 5-wood. I was 176 front, 200 yards to the flag and was sitting pretty nicely in the rough and just hit it sky high, because I remember yesterday's round, I landed it probably five on and it just catapulted to the back of the green.
Even when you're standing 200 yards back on the tee box, you look at the green, there's a lot of brown area because it's slightly elevated and so it's one of the drier greens, and since the lake kind of draws the moisture away from the dirt and grass over there. So I knew that was one of the firmest greens that we get on the golf course. I was trying to hit it sky high and land it four or five feet.

Q. Crowd-wise, Springfield, I know it's a different venue, you were with the final group, Annika and everything -- I don't know if you really keep track of crowds in certain venues, but this looks like a really good crowd today.
CHRISTINA KIM: The crowd was awesome. Granted, a lot of it is since we are in Labor Day weekend, the kids, they have a little extra time off, but the crowds I thought were as good as I've ever seen them. Obviously it helps having someone like a Sherri Steinhauer or an Annika Sorenstam in the final group and me just being able to latch on and tag along.
The crowds were awesome. The people are friendly here and so supportive. You'll hear a couple scream, "Annika, Annika." And another couple other, "Christina."
It's really great. The people here are awesome and I just love coming here. Huge crowd.

Q. Is this event anybody's to win tomorrow?
CHRISTINA KIM: Definitely I believe this is anybody's tournament. Granted when you know you have someone like Sherri Steinhauer at the top of the leaderboard, she hits all the shots, she knows all of the putts, she's got it all. It does make it a little difficult to try and catch and then pass her.
Obviously Annika is still in it and Michele Redman, 8-under, fabulous round. She's coming in with some great feelings, great memories. Definitely it's very crowded and it really is anybody's tournament. But you know, I don't know, we've just got to wait and see. Some people play better in certain types of weather and wind I'm guessing, so it's anybody's guess.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Christina, thank you and good luck tomorrow.

End of FastScripts

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