MCDONALD'S LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY AIG

June 4, 2003

Se Ri Pak

Q. Welcome, Se Ri. Thank you for joining us. You're the defending champion this week, can you talk about the year a little bit and how you feel coming into this week.

SE RI PAK: I am basically really happy about this season. I mean, I am doing really well. And every single year I am just getting better and better and much more happy to play, and it was pretty exciting to come back here.

Q. Se Ri, how difficult is it to repeat the champion in a major and why?

SE RI PAK: Well, I don't think it's easy at all, any tournament, when you win them back-to-back, and especially in a major. There was a lot of pressure on the tour because this is pretty important for my -- you know, myself. And at the same time, I want to really play well, and a lot of, you know, great players, everybody here this week. And at the same time, just -- the way the shape was different than in other tournaments.

So everything all together was pressures and is exciting at the same time; a lot of stress at the same time. So it was pretty exciting. Kind of -- it's not easy trying to win back-to-back, but I'm just pretty much having fun for myself right now.

Q. Is it more difficult in a major, do you think?

SE RI PAK: Yeah, basically, yes, different than other tournaments.

Q. Se Ri, when you won last year, it was hard and fast, dry. This year it looks to be wet. Where is that going to make a difference? Do you think that helps, hurts?

SE RI PAK: Well, I don't think any help, either. Because it looks like it will play much longer distance-wise, and it seems like the rough is much more longer. I mean, I practiced Monday and Tuesday, and I practiced a lot around the greens, and just -- you can't even find your ball. I mean, I missed a couple fairways on the tee and lost two balls. I don't know where my balls went. So I was kind of a little scared to miss the fairway, but -- which is -- I think this year is much harder, greens much softer, can stop the ball on the greens, but the speed is much faster, and hitting much longer, and having a lot of stress because the rough is much more longer, you don't want to miss your ball.

Q. They have marshals out there to find them.

SE RI PAK: Hopefully, there will be enough fans out there helping us.

Q. Se Ri, how has the tension increased on the LPGA Tour over the last month or so, considering what Annika did over at the Colonial? How is the tension?

SE RI PAK: I think it's huge. I missed last week because I just came back from Korea. I was kind of a little tired, for me it's too much scheduling, and trying to get ready for this week, so I heard about it last week. It was amazing. They said, "It's like you can't even see that many gallery at all," just for like long time, so it makes pretty much big difference after she was playing in PGA as before.

So it's going to be fun this week, too. I like to see a lot of fans out there and trying to show our fans -- have some exciting golf on the LPGA, so it should be fun.

Q. How did the players feel -- a lot of the attention is going to one player now. Do you feel it will trickle down to you and other players in the weeks ahead?

SE RI PAK: Kind of a little boring, because always Annika, Annika, Annika. But what she is doing is great, I mean, great for the LPGA, but at the same time, looks like Se Ri got lost a little bit, too. But just -- I think it just happened -- I mean, of course, she is so many things on public, so she have a lot of people just realize that it's Annika, but for me, I just still -- doesn't bother me yet, so just do whatever I just have to do. And I am trying to play as well as I can and work out as well as I can, and probably I am going to be soon like Annika, so I just kind of wait a little bit.

Q. Will it increase the motivation to do better than Annika for some of the players?

SE RI PAK: Well, actually, has to be strong mentally. I mean, Annika looks like her game is stronger, and physically get stronger, and at the same time, especially her mental was really strong. So we have to learn from Annika for like -- how to control yourself so well. That's pretty important to be in the top. For me, it does -- was pretty good taking care of myself, but I don't think not as good as Annika, so should just try to learn more and see more what she do to herself to be always -- to consistently take care of herself. So that's pretty much important to learn about her, I think.

Q. Se Ri, you have won more tournaments and twice as many majors as Annika at this stage in her career, after only five years. Can you see yourself as good as her when you have been on tour for ten years?

SE RI PAK: Yeah. Yes, that's just -- why not? I mean, always I have a lot of confidence in myself. I don't know I can do it or not, just -- for myself, yes. One of my goals was trying to make many history as I can, but -- which is not easy at all, but I think pretty much I feel as great about the next five or more for my success going to be -- going to be much more better, I think.

Q. She is number 1 now. How close are you to that, do you think?

SE RI PAK: Pretty close. I mean, not actually -- exactly yet there. Let's say she is 100 percent, I am probably 80 percent, probably 20 percent behind it. But still, I just kind of -- I need to learn more about, you know, just like earlier I said about the care about myself more and then how to make myself much more consistently, you know, being with the top.

So I am getting there. It looks like I am pretty much closer to what I want, and looks like I know what I am doing on tour, and I have a lot of confidence getting -- you know, having more myself, every week, every single year. It makes a big difference a couple years ago and now, so I am getting there.

Q. When you say "more consistent," is that where she is above you, hitting more fairways, more greens, or more week-to-week performance?

SE RI PAK: I would say like week to week, and at the same time, much more hitting -- like average-wise, like green regulations, putting and driving increases, pretty much like more consistent. Annika is much more -- I think she is pretty much 98 percent, pretty good, always consistent. She has not much missed like, you know, horribly.

So for me, it's not -- I don't have much big problem in trouble there, but still, sometime I just trying to get my game together, but some tournaments I can't even get work together at the same time and consistently. Sometimes I have a bad week, but it looks like I can have a more better cover, you know, for like bad day or bad week, it's like kind of a little bit behind it, but as I say, I need to be a little bit more, you know, time to learn more, I guess. Golf never ends, just keep learning and learning. And after this week, much more learning this week, too.

Q. Can you hit the ball as far as her?

SE RI PAK: I didn't play much with her for a long time. I don't think -- I don't know. She was a little bit behind me before, so I don't know right now exactly what she is hitting the ball that far at all.

Q. Have you guys played together this year at all?

SE RI PAK: I think I played with her at -- whatever that tournament is, Kingsmill, right? Oh, yeah. I play with her Saturday or Sunday. I forgot. Yes, but looks like she is not actually hitting the driver much because she looks like getting ready for the PGA, she trying to push herself to play some different shots. So actually, I can't even find her -- how much she is hitting for right now.

Q. Se Ri, you have a history of playing well on hard courses. Why do you think that is?

SE RI PAK: I don't know. I think I pretty much -- I don't know -- naturally, I think, my more -- focus much better, I guess. This way, difficult golf course or a lot of pressure in a play-off or big tournament, I always play better because I think I am naturally, I don't know, much more focused on it or just more -- I am not exactly sure. I don't know myself, either, so I don't know.

Q. Se Ri, there are 18 women from Korea on tour this year, which is the largest international contingent, and I am just wondering what your thoughts are on why that is. Obviously, your break-out year had a lot to do with it, but why do you think that is?

SE RI PAK: They play much more better golf, I think. Just kidding. For me, myself, trying to be the best, always, whatever I am doing. When I really play golf, probably to be a businesswoman, whatever I do, I just trying to be best.

So before I came here, trying to be number 1, not just trying to top players, and after awhile I just give them a lot of confidence at the same time, but before I came over in US, actually, pretty hard to decide to come over here and live here, play here, just food and languages. Those things are not easy at all. Just hard to decide, to play this tour, instead of playing in our country and do it on tour.

So after I think I gave them a lot of confidence, and I am the one first time from Korea, and then second was Kim (Mi Hyun), I think. Kim is the next person to be here and play, and at the same time she play really well, then now everybody thinking, oh, she doing well, why not for me, and everybody just come over and try and try, and they learn more golf.

They just -- which is -- they really find their game. They not realize it, the golf never ended, learning and learning and play well, and just a strong feel always, and probably trying to -- kind of a little change for themselves.

Q. Do you notice when you go home, for example, a big difference, even though it's a short period of time, when you left and came here in terms of, let's say, the number of young girls that you see out playing golf now?

SE RE PAK: Yes, big changing, yes. Everywhere, in public, on range, golf course, looks like much more younger age kid and juniors, amateur, trying to play golf, and be like a Tiger Wood or me or Annika.

Q. Your first victory was here five years ago.

SE RI PAK: Yes.

Q. Right? Do you remember much -- does it seem like a long time ago?

SE RE PAK: No, looks like yesterday.

Q. Why is that?

SE RI PAK: Well, I have always -- well, I mean, basically, this tournament is really special for me because first time I won this tournament, this event, and then I really didn't know this is major when I won, that's the thing, so after one, everything going crazy and really doesn't know what to do, and at the same time, can't really speak English much, and I don't understand it at all, and I just kind of -- so many things going on for myself, my mind.

And then later, everything -- all finished, I am ready to go home, and then just say -- you know, some player tell me that -- people tell me that congratulations, your first victory, blah, blah, blah, and then I realize this is a major.

I mean, these things come to my mind first thing, and at the same time, after this tournament, my game was huge difference. After winning my first year, for me, first event I won, was a major, was tough. Mentally I pretty much hung really well, and especially like great players on tour, which is I learn a lot. I have a lot of confidence, first of all, and you play next week, every two weeks, it feels like I am getting stronger, you know.

So after all, always remember this event, always great, great memory, always happy to come back and always excited about it, and still, pretty much, looks like yesterday. It really doesn't have anything change at all in my mind or memories, at all. This is like five years have passed already, but still, pretty fun, I mean, always smiling myself, talk about the way my friends or my mom, or even my, you know, manager here, still, we talk about for five years ago I won first time. Many things -- every single hole, which I still remember that.

Q. Do you know the Women's Open was a major when you went there?

SE RI PAK: Oh, yeah, I am pretty sure when I get there. But this really was helping a lot my successes, really great, great.

Q. What has your day been like today with the pro-am being cancelled? A day off?

SE RI PAK: Actually, right now, still, I really not having fun for off day yet. More stress. It's not an off day, just trying to practice a little bit earlier and then trying to rest early. But I can't do anything in between, I just -- all morning I trying to play Pro-Am. I wake up at 5:30, get ready to go, and then I leave my hotel like 6:15, I am always get here golf course an hour before, especially Pro-Am, and trying to get a Dunkin' Donut, coffee in my hand, and then my caddy is calling, you know, "Pro-Am is no more today."

"What do you mean?"

"Raining so much last night and they cancelled it."

"Oh, thank you for calling earlier," almost halfway on the way. U-turn and go back to my hotel, and I just don't know what to do, I am already totally awake.

So I got changed and then go back to work out and just kind of a little exercising and then wake my sister up and trying to feed her a little bit of breakfast, and then I was waiting for this time, and I am back and I go back to practice a little bit. That's about it. So after practice, probably I can enjoy the day off, I guess a little bit of day.

Q. Did you play yesterday, Se Ri?

SE RI PAK: Yes, 18.

Q. Would you rather win -- at the end of each season, would you rather win a lot of regular tournaments or just one or two majors?

SE RI PAK: Oh, I love to win all the four majors for one time, one year. That's my goal. It doesn't matter for me, but actually, truly for myself, I want to win more majors, yes, basically. I mean, not only two, hopefully I will win four at a time. I try every single year, but I already miss the first one, but still, this is my second major to have a chance, so who knows? Three times, next year four times.

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