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EDS BYRON NELSON CHAMPIONSHIP

April 22, 2008

Anthony Kim

IRVING, TEXAS

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Anthony Kim, thanks for joining us here at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Coming off a great week last week at the Verizon Heritage, where you tied for second behind Boo Weekley. Maybe a couple comments about your play last week.
ANTHONY KIM: It's been a grind trying to play a little bit better every day. I'm starting to progress as a player, and I think there's good things to come in the future.
JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Just overall thoughts on the week. Harbour Town is generally considered a shot maker's golf course. Looked like you had a lot of parts of your game working.
ANTHONY KIM: I played solid. My short game has come back, and that's what I lost early this year. I'm starting to get it up-and-down from some tough spots and getting all the easy ones up-and-down. So I'm looking forward to hitting the ball a little bit better, and I should have a good week.

Q. You touched on it a little bit, but was that the main thing? You just went through a little slump there; that was all short-game related?
ANTHONY KIM: I don't know about that. I think my mentality changed a little bit this last week. I realized that there's a lot more important things than golf in my life. When I put all that together, a bogey doesn't mean that much anymore. Obviously I still get mad, but it's to a different level. I think I'm doing a better job of handling myself out there.

Q. What is it other than golf that kind of has your attention these days or focus?
ANTHONY KIM: Just hanging out with my friends. I lost touch with a lot of my friends once I turned professional and started going because it was such a grind. When you're out here, you're out here to put on a good show for everyone that comes out. I just kind of wanted to be by myself, so I was away from a lot of my friends all the time.
It was hard to call everybody back, but I'm starting to hang out with my friends and do stuff that a normal 22-year-old would do. So I think adding a little balance in my life has helped me a lot.

Q. Does that relate to buying the house? Are you moving back to California, or have you?
ANTHONY KIM: No, I'm not moving back, but I'll be there for the off-seasons. I did that this year and I think that helped me tremendously, even though the scores haven't shown it. I've been playing a lot better than I played last year. I feel like I'm a more complete player. I think my swing has gotten better and every part of my game has gotten better, but the results haven't shown it, and obviously last week showed that I have been working at it and everything is getting a little bit better.

Q. Is there anything in particular that kind of caused this change in attitude before last week?
ANTHONY KIM: It's been -- there's been a lot of things that have happened in my life in the last month or two that have changed my view on a lot of things. My girlfriend actually had -- there was an incident two Saturdays ago where she cut her foot open on a broken glass, and it actually cut the muscle open and she lost a ton of blood. That was probably the scariest thing that I've ever gone through. A triple bogey is not even so bad compared to that.
Looking at something like that, it's really -- I felt like it was a time to put golf into perspective and everything else in my life.

Q. Did she get rushed to the emergency room?
ANTHONY KIM: She did go to the emergency room. My coach actually drove her there. She's fine now, and I think she'll be walking in about a month.

Q. We really enjoyed some of your comments a year ago here in the pressroom and everything, but you seem a little different this year. You were a brash guy last year.
ANTHONY KIM: Yeah, I was (smiling). I didn't know any better. I feel like I've learned a ton in the last year. I'm out here as a professional golfer, and I need to act that way. Maybe I need to bite my tongue a little bit sometimes. I learned a little bit of what to do and what not to do. It was a great learning experience, and it was tough but I'm glad I got through it and I'm here now.

Q. Did some of the veterans talk to you about certain things you can say and can't say?
ANTHONY KIM: Yeah, a couple, but nobody -- I think they knew that I would figure it out. I'm around these guys so much, and everyone out here is a professional, and I need to act that same way.

Q. Did you come out here at all before to see the changes since you live in the area?
ANTHONY KIM: I actually don't play golf when I'm home, so -- I mean, I don't practice or anything, so this is the first -- today was the first time I played. I played nine holes today. I try to stay away from golf. I play quite a bit of golf as it is.

Q. What do you think of the course, the nine holes that you played?
ANTHONY KIM: It's a lot tougher than last year I know. The rough is a lot tougher. It feels like the grass is pretty sticky out there and the rough, so it's going to put a premium on driving. That's a strength of mine, so hopefully that'll play into my hands.
Obviously the greens are more consistent than they were last year. They were a little bit bumpy last year and there were some spots where it was dead and there was no grass. The course is in better shape.

Q. So you basically just give up golf in your off-time or downtime, just cold turkey?
ANTHONY KIM: Well, I've done that for the last while now. It really feels a lot better when I come out to tournaments. I feel a lot more fresh coming out and I have a more positive attitude out there. I think that's helped me a little bit.

Q. Was your attitude -- I don't want to read anything into it, but I was noticing earlier in the season that you had a couple of stretches where you -- like on last holes, that caused you to miss the cut. I think there was a triple bogey on the last hole of one. Am I making sense at all? Something happened like at the very end of the round.
ANTHONY KIM: Well, I think the one you're talking about is Louisiana. I made double on the last hole. To be honest, my head wasn't in it, and I did have a negative attitude. And ever since two Saturdays ago with whatever happened to my girlfriend, I think that changed the way I look at everything now because it could have happened to any one of us in here and it could have happened to me and ended my career. It could have happened to my mom, it could have happened to anybody. To realize that made -- I think it really did change my life.

Q. Did she just step on a broken glass or something?
ANTHONY KIM: Well, it wasn't broken. She actually broke it with her foot when she stepped on it, and it broke, and it cut through the muscle. It was in the bottom of her foot, so what happened was it just kept draining out.

Q. Is she okay now?
ANTHONY KIM: She's stitched up, but she's fine. She wants to be out here actually, but I don't think that's a good idea.

Q. Is she from around here?
ANTHONY KIM: She's from Virginia.

Q. From UT, college girlfriend?
ANTHONY KIM: From college.
JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Thanks.

End of FastScripts

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