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ADT CHAMPIONSHIP

November 17, 2007

Christina Kim

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA

Q. Could you tell us what exactly the bump was, the chest pump?
CHRISTINA KIM: The guys I played with in the Pro-Am, which were the guys that created the pairings guide, they're with Mainstream media, Inc., or International, I can't quite remember. Every time that we made a birdie, all eight times or whatever, seven times, they did something, which was a chest bump or high five or run around and hug each other, whatever. So I thought -- I just thought -- it was perfect timing. The moment was right.

Q. It was well-timed. What were your thoughts when you hit the 7-iron in there?
CHRISTINA KIM: Yeah, I hit a little 7-iron in there, it was 153 to the flag. I said, just hit it closer than Nicole, put a little pressure on her. I didn't realize it was as close as it was. During the round in regulation I had hit it probably pin high and about probably 18 feet or something left of the flag. So I knew what the putt was going to do around the cup. I knew how it was going to break. I said, just get it on the short stuff and then just go from there.

Q. You were the only player that was outside that got back inside. For everybody else it was a one-way street going the other way. When you birdied 17 in regulation, got back to the number, there's not a lot of people making birdies on those last two holes to keep their noses above water.
CHRISTINA KIM: My last four holes, I think, it went birdie, birdie, bogey, birdie, par in regulation the last couple holes. I three-putted 16 and I thought that was it for me. I was standing on 17, and I said, God, you have to get it to 2-under. To even force a playoff you have to get it to 2-under.
So I birdied 17. I said, come on, you've got to birdie 18. It's like staring down into an abyss; something not very feasible but you've got to do it. You've got to grind.
Then I saw Sophie missed her par putt on the last hole, so I said, okay, there's one spot, I'm no longer T9, I'm T8. Then after I finished I heard Kimmy had doubled the last.

Q. It changes fast, doesn't it?
CHRISTINA KIM: That's the thing, I was looking at it, I said, the numbers -- coming down -- I made a huge par putt on No. 9, I saw where everyone was on their score, and I thought I'm nowhere near anywhere that I can be comfortable. Then I kept plugging along, and I love this golf course because so many things can happen out here. And then before I knew it I was in it, so I said, you know what, it's your one shot, you've got to do it.

Q. Are 16, 17 and 18 maybe perfectly made for this format because of the chance for these wild swings?
CHRISTINA KIM: I wouldn't call it perfect because that shit is scary. A lot of people don't want to end their season with ulcers. The format it is designed very well for it because it's a death trap for 16. You know, you've got water short, water left, water long, bunker right, bunker front right, bunker back right, and it's just -- it's a very daunting hole in and of itself. If you're not in the fairway you really don't even have a layup because the fairway dips down -- from 100 yards inward it dips down into crap and you've got nowhere to go. 16 is key; you have to hit it dead in the fairway and then -- there are two tiers to the green, and like I did today, it's very easy to three-putt if you're not on the correct tier.
17, it's a very Trump-esque hole with a waterfall. A lot of his courses do have the picturesque hole, the waterfall in the background. You have to know where what the wind is doing because even if the wind is dead at your back, once it hits that waterfall it's going to bounce back against the wall so you have to gauge what the wind is doing.
If you think it's going to bounce back but it's not -- if it's curling around it more than bouncing off of it, you're going to hit it long into that water. If you don't hit it right, you're going to hit it short in the water. Just really, really tough. And then you've got 18, which is very demanding off the tee. It doesn't really favor a short hitter. You have to hit it long enough where you can at least hope to have an iron in.
And then everything runs away front to back, but you don't want to hit it short because then it'll come down and run off the front bank and everything. Now you guys are making me think about all this crap about the holes.

Q. You're going to have to adjust on the fly tomorrow.
CHRISTINA KIM: High and soft, high and soft.

Q. Have you practiced that move before?
CHRISTINA KIM: No, we've never practiced that move. We thought about it yesterday but we were always two seconds off in terms of when we were ready to do it.

Q. You could end up in the lake on that hole.
CHRISTINA KIM: Yeah.

Q. Did you give her warning?
CHRISTINA KIM: I said, let's do it, let's do it. She knew what I was talking about.

Q. How long has she been on your bag?
CHRISTINA KIM: She's been on my bag since the week of Springfield, which was the week after I was not picked for the Solheim Cup team. That was our first week together, when the picks -- not the picks, the points system restarted. We started off with a second place finish there and a couple Top 10s together and just having a really great time, just really enjoying ourselves. She's great, she keeps me for the most part lighthearted because I've been rather serious a lot this season trying to be someone I'm not. And then she's just like, you know what, it's the last event of the year, you're Top 30 on the Money List, just go out and have fun.

Q. You talked about that glass box, seeing it on TV. Is it a little better in person?
CHRISTINA KIM: Yeah, it smells good (laughter). You can't actually smell it, but they've got a nice lock secured on it. It's heavy. I'm not Rain Man so I wasn't able to calculate whether it was actually a million. You always see in the movies they've got the million dollars, and it's a very thin briefcase. I don't know, maybe there's just a lot of air packed in there. It's awesome.

Q. Were you first off in the playoff on 17?
CHRISTINA KIM: Yes.

Q. And then 18?
CHRISTINA KIM: Yes, we kept our same order.

Q. Basically first off tomorrow?
CHRISTINA KIM: Yeah, love it.

Q. Is that cool? Is that what you would want on 17, let's put the pressure on the other guys and then see if they can keep up?
CHRISTINA KIM: Yeah, 17 was just a random draw. I really liked the idea of going first because you set the pace, you set the mood. I put it in there pretty close. It was actually closer than it even looked from off the tee.
For me, everyone is like, do you want to go practice before going to the playoff? You know, I was 2-under in the last five holes or whatever, I feel great, don't want to change anything, don't even want to check the putting green out because it may differ from what's out there on the course, just go and do it.
We kept our same order on the 18th hole, and I just said, just aim for the short stuff and just swing away, and I kind of skied it but it was in the fairway, which was fine. I don't really like being outdriven by anyone, but it happens on occasion. Hey, I hit it really shitty, but that's okay. But it was great because I was able to set the pace.

Q. Were you going at that flag?
CHRISTINA KIM: I was aiming for the exact shot that I hit. I said, aim left and fade it in there. If it stays left or goes left of left, then you're still fine, you're going to be dry. Last thing you want to do is go toward any other color than green.

Q. Like she did, and she had to kind of cut it in there and trickle down.
CHRISTINA KIM: Exactly.

Q. What was the dream about that you told us about --
CHRISTINA KIM: Still can't tell you. It's not Sunday. Don't try that.

Q. Maybe you said this and I just missed it. The first birdie at 17, what did you hit in there?
CHRISTINA KIM: 6-iron to probably about five feet or something like that.

Q. It was 6-iron both times?
CHRISTINA KIM: Both times, yeah. I could have hit 7-iron the second time because I was so jacked, but I figured just try and keep everything the same way it has been.

Q. This was so unusual. What did you think of this whole little deal at the end?
CHRISTINA KIM: Well, I was eighth in picking, so I don't get a choice during a regular event, and during this event I still didn't get a choice so it's not that different for me. No, it's fun. It gives a little added flavor to the rounds.
It's kind of nice, you see how people strategize and who -- someone jumps straight out to play with someone else or if someone avoids playing with another person or whatever. It was interesting to see the mindset of how people go.
No, hell, I'm just happy to be playing tomorrow.

End of FastScripts

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