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AT&T NATIONAL

July 3, 2008

Anthony Kim

BETHESDA, MARYLAND

NELSON SILVERIO: 67 today, just talk about your day.
ANTHONY KIM: Overall it was a good day. I was happy with how I played but hit some squirrely shots out there, and coming off a two-week break, I was pretty happy getting out of there with 67.

Q. How does this place set up for you? Do you particularly like it? What do you think of these poa greens?
ANTHONY KIM: Well, these greens are so much better than last year. At least this morning, they rolled so pure that you hit it on line, it was going to go. If the greens stay this smooth, I think everyone is going to enjoy this course.

Q. You're kind of one of the guys that everybody is like, let's follow him now; do you kind of enjoy that or what was it like out there?
ANTHONY KIM: Well, I think I've been playing pretty well recently, and obviously people want to find somebody that's going to play and be able to challenge the top guys; I'm just going to keep practicing hard and hopefully everything will work out.
I think the thing I learned from last year is to focus on what I can, and that's to work hard and see where that gets me.

Q. Speaking to Lee Janzen yesterday, the only thing he noticed was missing in your game is you don't attempt a lot of different shapes of shots and that you tend to rely on a couple of different ball flights; is that something you're working on?
ANTHONY KIM: You know, not really, to be honest with you. I have a go-to shot and that's a fade, and off the tee it's a power fade. But I usually hit it pretty straight. Working the ball is actually one of my strengths I thought, but obviously I guess when we play together, I hit it pretty straight, so I didn't get to show him the shots. But I feel pretty comfortable when working the ball around the golf course.

Q. A 64, 63, is that in play today given how the greens are and the fact that pins are pretty generous?
ANTHONY KIM: Absolutely. I think I gave away about three or four shots, that were -- I call them chippies, but they are ones that are layups. And I should hit some better shots from the fairway. From 110 yards, I shouldn't miss the green, and I 3-putted from eight feet.
So there's definitely things that I can clean up tomorrow and hopefully I can shoot a score like that.

Q. For a long time this town has seen new players emerging from the days of Greg Norman on. Have you picked up any gallery out there or are you yet to be discovered by D.C.?
ANTHONY KIM: Well, I think there's definitely been a lot more people following me after I won, and I'm not just the kid with the belt buckle. I actually have a win and I'm starting to play some good golf, so I'm excited with how things are progressing and hopefully I can be discovered here.

Q. Did that kid-with-a-belt buckle thing get to you after a while?
ANTHONY KIM: No. I got a new one coming up this week, so not at all.

Q. Can you give us a preview or no?
ANTHONY KIM: You know, I can't. It's that nice. (Laughter).
I actually had to get insurance on this thing; that's how nice it is. So it will be here on the weekend.

Q. So it's not from the mall in Oklahoma?
ANTHONY KIM: No, I have graduated from those roots.

Q. What's working really well in your game right now? When people follow you, what should they be looking for and what are you trying to spruce up right now?
ANTHONY KIM: I think my demeanor has gotten a lot better and it's gotten better in all aspects of my life but definitely out in the golf course, it's definitely helping me to stay a little more patient.
I 3-putted No. 14 from about eight feet, 8- to ten feet, and on the next hole I made a birdie, and I didn't let that really affect me. I hit a great drive and I hit a 9-iron that was right at the flag and it just went over the green and I chipped in.
So I'm trying to stay more focused on the task at hand and not get ahead of myself.

Q. Can you talk about the win at Wachovia and what it did for you and your confidence?
ANTHONY KIM: It definitely helped me prepare for this FedExCup. It gave me some vacation time. I've played one tournament in the last five weeks and that was the U.S. Open.
I feel really refreshed and I'm eager to come out here and contend and play some good golf. So it gave me the luxury of taking some time off and preparing the right way to attack this FedExCup.

Q. When is the belt buckle date?
ANTHONY KIM: Just depends on how I'm playing, but it will be there at least by Sunday.

Q. Also, you talked about the FedExCup, there's a lot at stake coming up here, not just the majors, but one of the No. 1 guys not there; so did you look at time to get hot? Can you put the pedal to the metal here?
ANTHONY KIM: I try to put the pedal to the metal every time I tee it up.
What I learned again last year is that you can't force it, and I'm trying to be patient on the golf course, and preparing for the tournaments; and if I don't have a great round, it's not the end of the world; I'm still going to keep working hard and see where that gets me.

Q. Talked to a number of veteran players about you and one of the comments came out was: "Last year, he was the Grey Goose and now he's back to being the Golden Goose." Have you totally changed your off-course mentality?
ANTHONY KIM: I have. I mean, I definitely -- whatever they said about me was probably true last year. I definitely a.m. not that same person. It was hard to be out here, and I quit playing towards the end of the season, because I was getting beat up every week by these guys. And they weren't going out; they weren't looking for trouble and I think I was. I didn't even know -- I felt like an eight-year-old kid out here. You get free golf clubs, you get free food, everyone takes care of you, you can't do anything wrong, and it's easy to get lost in that mix.
So I had a great off-season, worked out, and practiced quite a bit and definitely have a new mind-set for this year.

Q. Can anybody put more pressure on you than you put on yourself, given the fact that everybody pretty much says this is the guy you've got to watch?
ANTHONY KIM: No. It's hard for me to listen to that because I feel like if I just keep practicing hard, everything is going to work out, and if that -- I don't think last year I was comfortable saying that if I never got to the top, that I would be okay with that.
But if I work hard and I don't get there, then I don't get there, but it's time for me to putt in the work and see where that leaves me.

Q. Were there any one or two older players who talked to you and helped you a little bit to the new mind-set?
ANTHONY KIM: Absolutely. Playing the Merrill Lynch Shootout with Mark O'Meara was huge, just to get involved with him and pick his brain about what he was thinking when he was winning tournaments, when he first got out here was huge.
And I played some golf with Jeff Sluman this off-season, and obviously I'm friends with Todd Hamilton and guys that are older have given me great advice, and I'm actually starting to listen instead of just shrugging them off.

Q. I just wonder, was there like a wake-up moment in all that or was it just they talked so much, you finally heard?
ANTHONY KIM: No, I just got tired of getting 35th place every week. I felt like I should be winning out here and I felt like I should have won out here last year, but I'm glad I didn't, now that it's all said and done, because I would wouldn't have woken up and I would have lost my card because everybody out here is so good.
I don't know what it was, what tournament it was, but just finishing 25th, 35th, just making money isn't what I want to do. I'd like to win golf tournaments and be in the hunt.
So just that feeling of getting kicked in the face every week woke me up.

Q. Was there a moment or a tournament?
ANTHONY KIM: Every week. It wasn't one week. It was just every week ran together, and saw -- I just had to think about what I was doing to prepare and how I was preparing if I was going to play a practice round before a tournament. If you haven't even seen the golf course and not playing practice rounds, you're asking to get beat. I'm not going to put myself in that position anymore.
NELSON SILVERIO: Anthony, thank you.

End of FastScripts

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