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WACHOVIA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 2, 2008

Anthony Kim

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

DOUG MILNE: Anthony Kim, we'd like to welcome you to the media center at the Wachovia Championship. Great playing today, 5-under par 67. Currently you've got the lead. The day is not over. Just a couple comments on the round today, and obviously what went right for you.
ANTHONY KIM: I think staying patient was a big deal out here because even after a couple good solid swings, I missed a couple greens. If I let that get to me, I feel like I could have shot 75 out here because at the drop of a hat you can make a bogey or a double because the greens are so firm and the wind is pretty tricky out here.
I feel fortunate to get out of there with 67.

Q. I thought for you staying patient was supposed to be a tough day. Are you starting to learn?
ANTHONY KIM: I'm starting to learn. I'm still not there. I have a long way to go. But I'm definitely doing a lot better in that department. I learn every round I play.
I feel like last year it was all a blur, and I didn't learn that much on the golf course. Now I'm starting to learn what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong out there, and it's helping me tremendously.

Q. If there was a flash point that made you realize that I need to adapt to the TOUR, the TOUR is not going to adapt to my style of play, what kind of precipitated that tough reassessment? The numbers just weren't there?
ANTHONY KIM: I guess not being as successful as I wanted to be. I went back to the drawing board this off-season and had a couple people help me out and give me some advice, and everything worked out great, for right now at least. So I'm going to keep working hard and see where that gets me.

Q. Was that an O'Meara reference?
ANTHONY KIM: There was quite a few people. Mark obviously helped me a lot. Hanging out with Jeff Sluman, just listening to him, any bit of advice that I've gotten from some of the veterans have been able to help. There's been a lot of people outside the golf course that have helped me, so it's been quite a few people.

Q. Hilton Head, what do you take from that experience and being in that position, and did it carry over and impact you here?
ANTHONY KIM: Well, I'm just going to take it shot by shot. I think on Sunday I let it get out -- I started thinking about what I was going to do on No. 2 when I was on No. 1, and I was trying my best to stay focused on No. 1. But my mind still wandered a little bit. So I'm going to try to do a better job of staying in the moment and hit one shot at a time.

Q. Second trip here, you played well last year. Is there something about this golf course that you like?
ANTHONY KIM: I think you have to be a pretty good ball striker, and obviously if you put yourself in the right positions, you're going to have uphill putts all day.
The greens are so tricky here that if you hit the ball well and put yourself in the right position, you're not going to score too poorly because even if you have a 50-footer up the hill, it's better than having a three-yard shot from over the green.
There was an instance today where I hit, I think it was No. 5, a par-5, I hit it about a yard over the green, and it was the fastest shot I've had all day. I would have rather been 30 yards short and in the bunker, so I think just staying below the hole and staying patient is a big key out here.

Q. You can handle this question, so I'll just throw it at you. Did last year knock a little of the cocky out of you and feed you a little humble pie? That's meant as a compliment. You know what I mean by that.
ANTHONY KIM: Right, yeah. It did do a little bit of that. But I just realized I wasn't putting in the time, and to play against the best players in the world, you have to do that. I think if I practice hard, anything is possible. So I just -- I guess I was talking a little bit more than I was practicing when I needed to be practicing. So this year I've changed that and I'm going to keep riding that wave.

Q. Did you ever find a place to live? I know last time we saw you, it was in Atlanta. Were you living in an apartment in Texas or something?
ANTHONY KIM: Yeah, I actually bought a house in Dallas about six months ago, bought a house out in LaQuinta about three weeks ago.

Q. Where you went to high school?
ANTHONY KIM: Right. I spent my off-season there this year, so I felt like it would be a good spot to go every year.

Q. What 22-year-old type stuff did you rig your houses up with?
ANTHONY KIM: Well, that's why I'm here. I need to make some money so I can decorate the place.

Q. Are you Ryder Cup eligible? I can't remember.
ANTHONY KIM: I am.

Q. You're an American citizen and all that good stuff?
ANTHONY KIM: Yes.

Q. Is that on your --
ANTHONY KIM: Absolutely.

Q. You allow yourself to think about that?
ANTHONY KIM: I try not to think about it because it is a goal and I want to get there so bad, but I have to do my part and play well, and everything will take care of itself.

Q. So you have U.S. citizenship?
ANTHONY KIM: Yes.

Q. I just couldn't remember whether you were born here.
ANTHONY KIM: Yeah.
DOUG MILNE: If you wouldn't mind, just run us through your birdies and give us a little information on clubs and yardage. You started on 10 and birdied the 10th hole right out of the gate.
ANTHONY KIM: On 10 I hit two good shots and hit a chip, almost made it, to about a foot, and made that for birdie.
14, I hit a driver on that short hole and felt like I got kind of unlucky and stayed in the rough and hit a sand wedge to about 12 feet, made that.
On 15, I hit two good shots, a chip and a putt.
1, I hit driver, wedge to about 20 feet and made that from off the green.
No. 5, I hit two 3-woods, one over the green, and made about a six-footer for birdie.
6, hit a 2-iron in there about 12 feet, made that for birdie.
And 7, I hit a poor drive but laid up to the right spot and made a 10-footer for birdie there.
DOUG MILNE: Anthony, congratulations on a great round today, and good luck on the weekend.

End of FastScripts

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