home

jobs

	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

MICHELOB ULTRA OPEN AT KINGSMILL

May 4, 2005

Se Ri Pak

WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA

KIM YURKOVICH: Welcome back, defending champion, Se Ri Pak. I know you said it's a little bit different because the golf course changed a little bit from last year. Talk about that.

SE RI PAK: The first time I played 18 today, I didn't play nine yesterday. I had something to do in the afternoon. But, this whole golf course has changed. Some holes are bigger. Then it is still, it is not easier on the greens. The fairways are much more softer. It seems like I can hit it lower than I used to. The greens seem like they were a little firm, a lot of releasing, too. Much more difficult.

Still, the golf course is in great shape and this golf course was always a great golf course. I was really excited to come back. Last year was very special week for me and this week is same thing. My parents are here, whole family is here the first time. We will have a lot of fun, hopefully. I am pretty much enjoying my game.

Everybody knows I am not doing so well for the last couple of months. Golf game comes and goes. I think it seems like this time of year I think I need to need to work on my game, my swing. I lost a little bit of my rhythm here and there. We play every day but still a lot of work to do.

At least I am very relax out there and of course I am trying hard, but games are nothing I can do about it. I just probably go out there and try to play the best as I can do. This was the same thing. I have good memories, which will help me out a little bit more than other tournaments. I am very excited about it.

Q. Is it hard to work on your own game when you see what Annika is doing both last year and beginning of this year? She is playing so well. There is all this space between her and everyone else.

SE RI PAK: She has always been that way for the last couple of years, not really any difference. The difference is just about my game actually. I guess last seven years I really had great successes myself in different country, which it is not easy to do that. The biggest goal was trying to get Hall of Fame. That is the goal of my career. Last year, this tournament, since that I probably have so much going on before and now I think I try to little more have time for myself instead of too much one thing. I am still really having a hard time do nothing, which is not too much playing golf instead of doing something in my personal life. I am still spend a lot of time for my game. That makes it difficult for me, I guess.

Probably Annika is doing well because she was great about her life, I guess. She practices hard. She is going to work hard. At the same time, I think she spend whatever she like to spend time in her personal life, I guess she has much more better balance. That is a great experience for herself.

For me, through last year, I always just make one thing, trying to be the best. So I work on and spend the whole years for my game. I guess I have missed myself. I might be a little tired. That is why I guess I have a hard time. But since that, I realize that starting last year. Now I try to be a little more doesn't mean I am not work hard. I am trying to have some more time without the golf. Just trying to everything has to come together. I am not really use to this and that. My swing has changed and I am not really use to it. I am a little bit of waiting.

Q. Are you putting too much pressure on yourself to get in the Hall of Fame?

SE RI PAK: I was. I was, but probably everybody does that. Whatever you have such a great, difficult goal you have a lot of pressure every single week. You have to tackle it. I was having a lot of pressure on myself for the last seven years I guess. That is why I am tired for me because only one thing in my mind, always makes it difficult. Now I realize that trying to be a little better same thing, work hard but at the same time trying to make a perfect balance for my life. My golf game is right here, my life is right here. My parents are here. My dad tell me last week, I think after the first round he said same thing in business just you can be always having selling so much product. You can't be the best businesser. Sometimes I have a perfect day, great day; sometimes you can't sell anything. Golf is the same thing. Sometimes you play well, and can't get a win. I have to relax and have some more time. Nobody can tell you you don't want to practice, don't practice. Just do something. You want to shopping, just go shopping. I want to go shopping but I have to work. Don't be like that. I always be like that. I just want to waste any single minute without my game. That is the way I am used to. My dad said if you don't want to practice, fine. When you are here don't practice Tuesday or Wednesday, fine. Nobody will tell you and say anything about it. If it feels right, practice. At the same time you don't want it, do something else. Make yourself a little more relaxing out there. I was so much focused on it. At the same time there was so much stress for it. It doesn't look like you are enjoying it. It doesn't help my game.

I am pretty used to being this way for the last seven years. It was difficult to change a little bit. I think I have to live with having some more balance in my life. This game is I love this game, but it is really hard work. I guess my life is more important than this strange game.

Just what I said, always trying to do my best and hopefully my parents understand. All my friends are understanding. I have super friends supporting me out there, which is good. I think all I can do is go out there and do my best and try to enjoy it.

Q. You talk about having more balance in your life, what kinds of things are you doing now? Are you devoting time to other things than golf when you are away from it?

SE RI PAK: I think I have to find something I like to do. Well, I was think about it what really I want to do is I am used to spending so much time in golf. I really doesn't say. Not the shopping, but I love to spend time with my family and my friends, or I am trying to go out and watch more movies and stuff like that.

I mean, I can't think about the golf all day long. When I do something like after golf go out there and see my friends. We can talk about something else instead of golf. I am used to talk with my friends. All the friends love golf. We talk about golf and stuff like that. I am still like thinking about the golf instead of like, you know, personal life, fun stuff.

Q. Maybe taking up sky diving or mountain biking?

SE RI PAK: I love to. I really don't have time. I think I should I can be one day having stress free. Go out there and do something really fun instead of staying home all the time. I always stay home. That is no fun. I think I can go out there and have some fun like action so I can spend my day as mine and not think about the golf.

Q. Did this really hit you after you won this last year and got in the Hall of Fame? Did those feelings hit you then?

SE RI PAK: I was before. I am starting some reason I have to push myself more and more every single year. My game is getting better every single year. I realize I can do better than this. I work harder and spend more time for my game. I enjoy it. I try to always every single year try to say I can do is enjoy my game.

At the same time, I get a lot of pressure on myself. Nobody can say that. Nobody can tell me you have to win every week. I am the one that keeps telling me that. Every single week I want to see my name on top of the leaderboard. Now I give myself to a lot of pressure, every single time I miss one little miss that would bother me. I don't like that. Now, seems like I am tired about the game.

Starting last year and end of last year, and so I just say wintertime I talk about my game with my coach and I think this is my problem. I have too much expectation more every single week. I don't think that will help me out at all. This year if I play bad, I don't expect to play bad. I am a human being.

Annika is special. Always I will see her I just want to wish I am like her. She is good. I think she is really perfect. I have to learn from that.

Q. Have you talked to her about whatever secret she might have for a balance?

SE RI PAK: I don't have any time to talk about this because I don't have any even her, we don't have much relationship. It is not the close relationship. I will think about that. Maybe one day I just maybe I have a question for her too. She is like old enough having her great experience that can have some talk about this and that, which is Nancy did that.

I always talk to Nancy. She is always saying when she was a rookie she felt the same way. I think I can ask her. Why not? I am always trying to find myself but I guess it is not smart.

LPGA is all friends. You go out there and ask something and they will give the great answer. I think I might just talk about this with all the friends probably. Start opening my mind more.

Q. What do you think a player will have to do to beat Annika this year?

SE RI PAK: Well...

Q. Or can someone beat her this year?

SE RI PAK: She was like the last four or five years been this way already. Everybody already said that starting January 2005 season it is going to be Annika. Nobody is going to forget about it. All they can do is work hard and try to do well every single week. Annika is a strong player, she is the one help us to make sure we work hard enough to get there. I mean that is a good thing to see.

Everybody is work hard now to take care of all the players are trying to get in better shape fitness wise. Now they care about themselves instead of just going out there and play a round. This year, I don't know how if I will catch Annika but everyone will work hard.

Q. With all of the course changes that were made from last year to this year, do you throw the book out on what you had, or what you knew about the course last year, or do you start all over again, or are there some things that carry over?

SE RI PAK: I don't think you can use the yardages for the last year. We have a total new yardage for this year. They are changing the whole golf course, especially the greens. They are changing the fairway. But I feel this year is much longer than last year, I guess. Fairways are such soft. I got a lot of medium irons on my hands, instead of short irons.

Last year I had sand wedge, pitching wedge, things like that. This year I have got 8 iron, 7 iron, sometimes 6 iron. Looks like much easier than last year but it doesn't. The fairway is a little wider but the distance wise much longer. The greens are firmer.

So it is going to be a lot of work out there. Hopefully the weather is going to be nice and sunshine instead of the wet.

Q. How did the greens roll? It seems like they are more subtle breaks on the greens?

SE RI PAK: It is. They are much more last year, well, old greens you have huge hills. Sometimes we don't have anywhere to put the pin on the greens. They have a hard time to find a place to put the pin. This year is really great greens. They are pretty new. They have done a really great job.

Q. You talked about the last seven years putting pressure on yourself. Do you think you did that because you came out here and won immediately? You had successes earlier?

SE RI PAK: I think, that was my personality more. I am always trying to be the best instead of everybody probably same thing as I am. I am pretty much always doing the best. No matter golf, businesswoman, same thing. I am trying to be as good as I can do.

First year I came out and said I am doing well I know I can do better. I kept working hard. Suddenly I get better every year. I feel that same way. Every single year I do well I next year I do better and better. I keep pushing more and more.

Q. How many family members do you have here this week?

SE RI PAK: My mom, my dad, my two sisters. We have our lovely dog with us. She came from Korea. Hopefully I will win here. First time actually they ever come. My parents come to the big events, US Open or McDonald's, or first major of the season. My whole family this time is the first time.

Q. How come did you all decide was it a group decision to come here?

SE RI PAK: Let me think. My younger sister came first for like a couple of weeks ago. Actually last winter she spend time with me for an month and a half, then she moved back.

My parents arrive for the first major. My mom always came; my dad sometimes. And still my dad didn't want to come but my mom kept pushing my dad to fly together. They came over for last four weeks. Originally my parents must go back to Korea, somehow my dad decided to spend a couple more weeks. He wanted to see more tournaments. My dad called my sister and she fly over. This time is the first time ever. My dad thinking we never have any time to spend together, especially since I have a tournaments. I think he decide we would try to have some more fun like a vacation.

KIM YURKOVICH: Anything else? All right. Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297