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BELL MICRO LPGA CLASSIC

September 10, 2008

Se Ri Pak

MOBILE, ALABAMA

JASON TAYLOR: Se Ri, thanks for joining us today. You have won down here twice. What are your thoughts about being here this week?
SE RI PAK: Well, that's been a couple years ago. The golf course has never changed, so it should be the same.
Actually, it's all the same. This golf course never been easy, especially greens kind of tight. So I mean, even today. I played yesterday nine and tried get back to the back nine, but I was rained out.
But, still, the greens feel really soft, so got to be a lot more difficult. But I think I feel it's great to be here, and hopefully have a great week.
JASON TAYLOR: Okay. Questions.

Q. Talk about the grind of playing on the professional tour and all the flying that you girls do. You get a couple weeks off and now you got to come out for a week and another week off, and why some girls came here and decided to play and others decided to stay on vacation, so to speak.
SE RI PAK: I just wish a little more time off, too. Still, the season is not really finish yet. Especially this year, I don't play much as before, so I don't really much time to play the rest of the year.
So I mean, as I said, some players, all year long they have traveling and lots of work though, so some players maybe take a little more off.
For me, I was taking good off and then came out and play for the week and hopefully have some fun, and then off again and come back again.
So I think it wasn't too bad. I mean, this is kind of a little slow of the year, but for me it was good.

Q. The big story of the day in LPGA news is that Michelle Wie entering qualifying school in stage one and trying to earn her card. Have you heard about that?
SE RI PAK: No, actually first time.

Q. What are you thinking as far as her chances of making it through the tour and if she could breakthrough and get out on the tour what that would mean to the tour?
SE RI PAK: Well, I mean, she's such a great talented player. I mean, such a young age and she got a lot of -- I mean, going on for all year long this year than last year, but as I say, probably she make it. I'm pretty sure. Guarantee she going to make it.
But at the same time, she make so (indiscernible) for the player, that's gonna be great. Going to be exciting tour again. Because lately a lot of great top players from all over the country, so that's going to be great competition.

Q. Do you have any thoughts about what we're seeing in the marketing of young players in their early teens and what she went through and virtually became a multimillionaire overnight without ever winning a tournament? Do you think we'll every see that again? Any thoughts on that?
SE RI PAK: Well, I mean, it happened once, but it's going to be happen in the future, too. But you never know. I mean, especially, her, as I said, she hits it long and she's really strong. She got some games.
So as I said, all she need is a great experience. Everybody does that. So I mean, I know that everything's gonna go harder and difficult for her last two years, but so I said, overall, I mean, it's going to be happen to everybody. It's going to happen for the future of whoever comes out. Going to be another great opportunity being happening like Michelle.
But probably everybody learn from her, too. I mean, as I said, it's going to be good. We just giving more positive side.

Q. Is she the LPGA's Tiger Woods?
SE RI PAK: Yeah, I mean she got -- kind of hard answer for that, but she will. She can be pretty good in pinches every week, I think. As long as she gots more everything together, I mean, the mentally, physically, games-wise, probably, yes, it's a possibility.

Q. There's been a lot of discussion recently about the English-only rule that LPGA is developing. It's not final yet, but they're getting a lot of opinions from players and others about it. What's your reaction to that, and do you think the rule is necessary? What would you like the rule to say, maybe?
SE RI PAK: Well, I said that language-wise, basically, it's probably the hardest thing, I think because we came from the different countries. But overall, I mean, the LPGA is -- we are a whole family. We just know it's a family.
So we trying to help from another country. We don't know how to speak, but it's got a lot easier for us. I mean, better for us for success in the future.
So as I said, it's coming just too much overwriting, overtalking, just too much going through for the last couple weeks. But it wasn't like everybody thinking report it.
I mean, we trying to communicate each other for what make it better for the tour, for our rookie, our great talented player to help them to know what the public sees.
Because when they play so well they can't speak and they can't talk, nobody know who she is. I mean, even though she have a great talent and she's a good player, that's kind of another points.
We just really care about the LPGA, so that's why we are kind of talking about this for already couple weeks. As I said, just wasn't really as much as you guys, everybody thinking about writing or report it.
But we trying to make what is better for everybody. So as I said, I mean, I don't say this is bad or good, but I think this is better for the future. We're very positive side trying to work together.

Q. A lot of critics have said that this thing came to fruition because of the success of the Asian players, specifically the Korean players. What is going on in Korea that is developing so many great players at such an early age?
SE RI PAK: Well, I mean, they're good, I guess. I think they are -- I think the -- mentally actually they are, even at such a young age, actually they are pretty much mature to control the pressure at the same time from different country.
Like we grow up in only Korea, our country, and we move to U.S. trying to play and every week we traveling and different, like, language and food and things like that. It wasn't easy.
But actually they're really quickly learning and used to it. That's what makes it helpful them to being like more make themself comfortable and learn at the same time. I think that's why -- I think at such a young age you learn quick, you know. You don't really have to tell what to do.
Just basically they are just a great talent players and they came over here and they love more and they can see bigger side. So that's why, they are play well.

Q. Would you encourage the young players from foreign countries to learn the English language? Would you suggest that to them as a veteran, because you learned it early in your career.
SE RI PAK: I think I very (indiscernible) for the -- from different country that can't speak, even Japan, Korea, Thailand, Chinese.
But I think we should know more than one language. I mean, of course English wasn't easy to learn, but this is more like language -- you know, like, I know takes a little while and a lot of time to start speak or to learn it.
But I think it wasn't -- you know, as I say, I think this is really good. This is very positive side as I said it is. We should learn in English.

Q. If this policy as it was presented in Portland when a suspension was on the table, if that was instituted when you first came over here, would you be in the Hall of Fame now? Do you think that would have been something that would have been hard for you to get the English language in that amount of time?
SE RI PAK: Well, as I said, it was 11 years ago. First time I come over here nobody here from my country. I'm the one first. Of course I can't speak any -- well, I speak some a little bit. Like say hi, thank you, very basic things basically. Everybody know that.
But as I said, after 11 years, I mean, I'm still really -- I know it. I don't really have it -- I don't feel I'm good enough. So as I say, it's kind of take lots of time to get used to met people and start speaking.
But, overall, I mean, this is our job. Traveling every week, we all need to talk to caddie, ask the yardage, the golf course. I mean, basically we don't really have time to spend the time together with some new friends. We have a hard time to make the relationship, you know.
So I think this is a lot harder to, you know, learning, but this is -- I mean, first time I heard about the language situation basically wasn't makes me happy either, because I know how difficult it is.
But overall we know it's better for the future, such great talented player from different country. They're like hiding behind a shadow because all they just can't talk and can't really get attention for it. Only American player, even though play good or bad, at least they speak and communicate.
But from a different country they don't speak anything. They kind of hard to or really nervous to say, you know, how was the day, what's going on. Just kind of not easy.
So that's why I think LPGA is right at this point actually, and I'm totally now understand what's going on through and trying to help such a younger player from -- not only Koreans, but other country basically.
The LPGA, we think about all the family together, so we trying to care about so much as possibly. So that's why I think this time the meeting was I think good. I mean, it's going to be have a better in the future and the LPGA tour player or younger players.
So overall, I mean, everybody was talk about kind of too much over -- you know, report it. I heard it and I read it. Just kind of makes me hard time, too, because it wasn't as much as the way that it is.
But I said, this is very positive already and great to have the players together.

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