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AT&T NATIONAL

July 2, 2008

K.J. Choi

BETHESDA, MARYLAND

DOUG MILNE: We'd like to welcome K.J. Choi defending champion at the AT&T National. Thanks for joining us for a few minutes. You started off well with the win at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Just a few comments as you head back to defend your title here.
K.J. CHOI: I started out well this season but I think the past few weeks haven't been so great.
You know, I am not really disappointed by that because I think I have learned a lot of things from those tournaments that I missed the cuts in. I mean, the whole year, basically I've been preparing to try to play well in the bigger tournaments, and I've conditioned my body. My body has changed.
My swing is also changing. I think that's why my results haven't been as good as I expected, but it's for the better, it's for the positive. It's a positive change and I think I'm getting -- those tournaments that I missed the cut in, I feel like I've learned a lot and I'm getting mentally stronger.
I still feel like that there's a goal that I need to achieve, and you know, I'm striving every week to reach that goal.
I feel like I've been playing a lot better since last week and I'm looking forward to a good week with all of the fans here, the local fans and everybody.

Q. How much do you think coming back to a course that you won at just a year ago kind of helped that process along a little bit?
K.J. CHOI: Yeah, definitely coming back to a course that I've won, I played two practice rounds yesterday, today. Every hole I remember exactly what I played, what the situation was.
So it definitely helps my confidence and I think it's going to help me a lot this week. I think the course is in very good condition. You know, this course fits my game very well, because I hit a lot of high fades, high cut shots, which suits this course, and I really hope to repeat the same achievement I did last year this year.

Q. Winning Tiger Woods' tournament and winning Jack Nicklaus's tournament last year, what was the reaction to that in your home country? Was it greater or any different at all?
K.J. CHOI: Yeah, I mean, the response, the reaction last year, it was tremendous. To win two great tournaments like that, I think everybody was emotional. They were very happy for me. I think winning those two tournaments was a process for me to achieve something bigger. I learned a lot from those two tournaments.
I was very honored to have won Tiger's and Jack's tournaments, and I think with all of the support that I received from the local fans, especially fans back in Korea, it definitely made me feel like that I've represented my country very well.

Q. I wondered what you thought of Tiger's performance in the U.S. Open as you were watching it or seeing it on TV, and what you thought two days later when you found out how bad his knee injury was.
K.J. CHOI: Yeah, watching him play the way he did, it was tremendous. I mean, to see him go through that pain and still playing as well as he did, I think that's unreal.
But it proves that, you know, he is that type of a player with patience, great patience, definitely strong mentality; the focus that he has, that really -- I knew it already, but it just proved to me again that he is a great player. Especially the clutch putts that he made, the way that he's able to focus in that given moment, I think that's something that separates him from other players.
And when I heard about his surgery, I felt really bad for him, and I just hope that he recovers again and is able to return back to the TOUR very soon, because he's definitely good for the game.

Q. Does it matter that he's not playing the British Open?
K.J. CHOI: Only Tiger knows how well he's feeling and what his body is like. If it felt like he needed to have surgery, then that was his decision. I feel like that if he felt like he was able to play the British Open, he would definitely have made the plans to play it.
Despite him not being there, from what I understand he's not going to be playing the British Open, but there's still a lot of good players out there who are dying to win that tournament, and I still think without him it's still going to be an exciting tournament with the history of the British Open and I want to be part of that, too.

Q. There's a lot at stake the rest of the year; are you curious to see who will get hot and make a run at the FedExCup and everything that's still out there?
K.J. CHOI: It's going to be very interesting. A lot of players have their own goals. Everybody is striving for something. The FedExCup, there's still two majors left, the FedExCup Playoffs; there's a lot of players already in contention for that. I'm definitely one of those players who are trying to win the last two majors and play well in the FedExCup Playoffs.
I think it's very exciting, because even without Tiger for the rest of the year, there's still a lot of players out there who have great stories and who can make great stories, as well.
I want to be a part of that.

Q. A lot of guys, not just Tiger, have had knee surgery; Appleby, perry. Do you think this is a product of the more powerful game now?
K.J. CHOI: You know what, I think the talent pool out there is so diverse. I don't think you can really say certain players are going to dominate. I think the important thing, power is definitely important, but also you have to be very flexible with golf. Someone who has both the flexibility and also the power is going to definitely have a good chance of winning tournaments, and I think there's a lot of players out there who have different talents who also make themselves very suitable for the game of golf.
DOUG MILNE: K.J. Choi, thanks for your time and good luck this week.

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