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LPGA STATE FARM CLASSIC

September 2, 2007

Christina Kim

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Thanks for joining us today. You were hot for the second week in a row, your second second-place finish in as many tournaments. Do you want to talk about how it felt to play this week?
CHRISTINA KIM: Well, you know, I just had an awesome time. I had a blast. I came off a great week last week and just, you know, you can't really pick two better weeks to come and play tournaments. Portland is a great tournament, but coming to the Midwest, there's no place better than Springfield. The people here are awesome; the volunteers are stellar, huge crowds. It's just a little warm today but that aside it was an awesome week, you know.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: You really put the pressure on Sherri on the back side, especially the last three holes. Can you talk about what you were thinking and what you were feeling?
CHRISTINA KIM: Well, you know, I was just focusing on all day, especially on the front side, I missed a lot of putts, I left a lot short, lipped out; this, that. I admit I was getting a little frustrated but managed to make two birdies in the back on 6 and 7 and just started rolling the ball a lot better on the back side.
On No. 16, I just missed the green and my caddie, Donna Southam, it was our first week together actually -- it was No. 17. She just said, "Envision the ball going in."
I just said, "I've made three chip-ins my entire career, right." I just tried to see the ball rolling into the hole and took a great swing at the ball and just landed on the green and just rolled right in.
Same thing happened on 18. She said, "Just envision it going in." I had a great feeling, I wanted to see the ball going in and I just said, you know, this is your last chance. There's no 19th hole, unless Sherri does something to create one. This is the last stand, you have to try and make this.
You know it was actually very reminiscent of when we played at Crooked Stick in 2005. I believe I was playing against Cristie (ph) and I believe I was on the 11th, 12th or 13th and I made a huge bombing putt from a couple feet off the green. I don't know if I jumped higher there or I jumped higher today.
I wasn't actually thinking about putting pressure on Sherri. I'm trying these days to focus on making as many birdies as I can and playing as well as I can, because if I worry about what other people do, that's when your mind starts wandering and starts taking away from where it should be focused on, which is yourself.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Can we go over the first birdies of the day on hole six?
CHRISTINA KIM: 6, I was 235 to the flag, snaked up a 3-wood, hit it down the left-hand side and cut it in with a little fade and -- is that the right one? Sounds right.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: How close to the pin?
CHRISTINA KIM: Sorry. And then I put it to 35 feet and left it about six inches short for my eagle putt, tapped it in for birdie.
I cannot for the life of me remember No. 7.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: 393 yards, par 4.
CHRISTINA KIM: Oh, 17, it's over the water and it goes around -- No. 7. 7, 17; whatever. I started off, I hit driver down the right-hand side and I was 138 yards to the flag, hit a 9-iron to six feet and made the putt.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: On the back side, when you really heated things up, hole 13.
CHRISTINA KIM: 13, I was 236 to the front, so it must have been 253 to the flag. The hit a 3-wood through the green up past the green and from probably about 2 to 30 feet, hit it to two feet and made the putt for birdie.
16, I was 170 yards to the flag, I believe, and I hit -- I was actually trying to sneak up a little 7-iron down the right-hand side. So I hit a 7-iron into the fairway, into the green-side bunker, blasted out with my lob-wedge and probably put it to about three feet just past the flag on the right and made the putt coming down.
17, I was 174 yards. I hit a 6-iron left of the green probably about 35 feet or so and chipped it in.
18, I was 170 yards to the flag, hit a 6-iron to the middle of the green, which ran up, just tapped the green pin-high and from, I believe it was 27 or 28 feet, made the putt for birdie.

Q. 17, where were you? The pin was down the front on 17.
CHRISTINA KIM: It was nine on and seven from the right. I was pin-high on the left, just off the green pin-high left.

Q. And on 18, were you still on the putting surface?
CHRISTINA KIM: No, I was just off the green and just past the fringe actually just in the first cut. But based on the way the hole was, it was about pin-high.

Q. Feel good to chip-in?
CHRISTINA KIM: Yeah, it does. I had two today. That makes five in my career total.
18 was a putt really, but I was off the green.

Q. How was it keeping your emotions in check and what did you think when you were tied for the lead?
CHRISTINA KIM: When was I tied for the lead?

Q. 18.
CHRISTINA KIM: Oh, God, yes, for eight minutes. Well, I was just so excited the way I played; that's the only thing you can really focus on. To be honest with you, I saw Sherri birdied 17 and I knew, you know, I knew it was pretty fruitless for me to stay there if I was going to anticipate a playoff because I knew she was going to make par if not birdie. So she did what I did where she birdied 16 and 17. So I thought she was probably going to birdie 18 because she's playing great.
You know, I'm playing out of my mind right now and Sherri is playing awesome. I just knew it was going to happen, so I was just very pleased with how I played. Granted, part of me was hoping maybe something would happen, but not too much. You know, I just wanted her to play her best and if that ended up that she made birdie, she made birdie. If it ended up that she made something else, you know, then so be it. But I'm just so happy for her right now.

Q. What did you think after seeing in her in the bunker with the prospect of playing 18 again in a playoff?
CHRISTINA KIM: From the moment I saw her in the bunker I knew she was going to get up-and-down. Sherri has one of best short games out here. I knew she was going to get up-and-down. And she's made so few bogeys all week long, I didn't think she would want to add one on the 72nd hole.

Q. In 2004, you're in here in tears crushed by the moment of a runner-up finish, and now you're here, you're just flying. Are you that different as a person now and a player than you were in 2004?
CHRISTINA KIM: I don't know if I'm much different a person or a player but you have to understand, circumstances are a little different. You know, it's not -- it has nothing to do with different winners. It's not Cristie Kerr versus a Sherri Steinhauer, but it's more I think maybe I've matured a little bit more where I can be the type of person where I'm happy for someone else as well as be happy with how I finished.
Granted, you know what, if you miss a 3-foot putt on the 72nd hole to tie, I think you would be pretty pissed off, too. So the fact that I made a birdie coming into the last hole, I'm just ecstatic with that. I'm just floating right now.
But I do believe I've probably matured a bit since 2004 when I just became legal to drink and now, you know, it's kind of over and done with.
But, you know, I don't know, it's a very good question.

Q. You're always so happy and bubbly, but coming up 7, you were laughing and cutting up with Donna. Some people say, oh, you know, how can you cut up like that and still stay focused and stuff.
CHRISTINA KIM: Well, to be honest with you, for me because I'm a gregarious, extroverted type, I need to let the steam out. If I keep it in, it's just going to bubble and bubble and then, you know, something is going to happen where I'm going to hit a 9-iron 287 yards or something like that.
So as long as I maintain the same type of attitude, you know, throughout the day -- I said a lot at the beginning of this year, because I was focused so much on Solheim Cup that I was putting too much stress on myself and too much pressure. And especially a week like that, you come to a great city -- and the people here, I want to the mall yesterday and people recognized me and I thought, oh, that's kind of cool.
You know what, this is a great life we lead, and I couldn't pick 143 people that I would rather spend my time working with. But I'm the type of person that I relieve pressure by, you know, relieving -- I don't know, jokes and laughing and making bodily noises and things like that, I don't know.

Q. When you look at Annika Sorenstam, do you wonder how she stays so calm and reserved compared to the way you play the game?
CHRISTINA KIM: You know, it took me a little while -- I grew up learning that everyone is different. We're all different colors but we're all cookies. We're just different players. And whatever floats your boat. She's the type of person that she has the Tiger-esque sort of focus and she's got the tunnel vision, which is something -- that's something that I can, you know, except for when I'm actually standing over the ball when I've got a club in my hand, throughout the rest of my life I can't even fathom that. That's something that I really admire and respect about her.
I was always taught people are different and you just have to accept them for who they are. I learned that especially here in 2004. I was playing with Jennifer Rosales and Cristie Kerr, and they are polar opposites, as well. You have to respect them and let them play the way that they play. Last thing I would ever want to do is try and affect someone else's golf game in a negative way.
We spoke a bit on the golf course, but I made sure that she had adequate space where I wouldn't try and like smother her or anything.

Q. You're off to a good start Solheim points for '09. Congratulations.
CHRISTINA KIM: Woo! Thank you.

Q. You do play Arkansas; right?
CHRISTINA KIM: Yes, absolutely I do, yes. My agents are running that event next week. You know, it's always nice to say that we have a new tournament, and Arkansas is a great area, as well. I get a little more of the southern hospitality kind of folk and they have all got their accent, so it will be fun.

Q. What will you play after that?
CHRISTINA KIM: I'm not really sure. Since I am an alternate, I'm still not sure if I'm going to actually travel to Sweden and be with the team or not; when I make up my mind.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Thanks again, Christina, and congratulations again on a great week. Good luck in Arkansas.

End of FastScripts

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