MICHELOB ULTRA OPEN AT KINGSMILL

April 30, 2003

Se Ri Pak

NEIL REID: Thanks for joining us today. I saw you in here yesterday on the upper deck press conference and that was pretty neat I guess.

So I was wondering if you could talk about your big win last week, the 4 hole playoff over Shanie Waugh and just the whole weekend in Atlanta and how you feel coming into this week.

SE RI PAK: Actually, I feel really great especially after I won, probably much more great time. I feel really confident. I struck the ball really well. That will help. I mean last week was kind of little -- it's a great week but it's kind of a little tired because two days in a row, two 36 holes, then 22 holes, make tired my body. But otherwise everything is great. I played 9 hole yesterday. The golf course looks like in great shop. I don't think it's kind of easy, but it's going to be fun this week.

Q. Can you talk about the playoff, great up and downs and you putted really well toward the end?

SE RI PAK: Well, I think my putting was really well last week. Second last two rounds. The first round we got rain delay and then I got a lot of, you know, great chance to make birdie and not get close, 10 to 15 feet. Of course I can make every putt. But it was a pretty good changeoff all day, but I make only one or 2, that's it.

I finished like one under first round, kind of disappointed because the way I'm swinging, it feels great, but I didn't score well. It looks like everybody is doing well. At least 5 and 4 are easy. It upset me, kind of complicated the first round. I only have 30 minute before I tee off on second round. I practice a little bit for my putting and then, well, just before I tee off I clear my mind. The first round is starting to start and I still have 18 holes to go. So I clear my mind and just go out and tee off and striking the ball really well. I go out there, trying to have fun as I can, and I start making putt, and I finished 7-under second round and give myself a lot of confidence the final round. And then after I make a lot of putt the last day, and then it looks like every single putt looks like it worked pretty well.

NEIL REID: Yes, sir.

Q. What will it take for you to overtake Annika as the No. 1 player in the world, do you think?

SE RI PAK: I think I need to have more experience about -- I think -- around the golf course. Or I take care of myself more. She pretty much carry herself really good, I think. Of course, I did the same thing. I'm just trying, as best as I can, to carry myself.

At the same time her mental mind is pretty much always ready to go because right next to her is her husband. She needs to go out and play. Of course her goal was going to be the best, right? That's the same as my goal trying to be the best. But I think I need a little more time to learn more about -- I think I learn my game, too, trying to be more consistent.

But the first three years for me, has been up and down. Everybody scores pretty good. Next week scores bad, up and down. The last two and a half years getting much more consistent every year. That makes me need a little more time to get used to be a good player.

This is my 6th year, I'm getting much more comfortable to go out there and play at the same time. I have a lost confidence, too. When you win a lot, you have a lot of confidence on the golf course. Whatever it takes. Mentally, physically, I'm getting great shape. And I enjoy it every week. I think right now I need to go out there and play as best as I can and I'm trying to play as well as I can. It can take a couple of years, who knows? Golf you never know. I don't want to push myself to catch Annika, she is a great player now. She is in great shape. She is amazingly playing really, really well. I want to take more time and go slowly. I don't want to jump in and come down quickly. I wanted to take more time to be there.

Q. Do you think people lose sight of the fact this is your 6th full-time year, you won 20 events, do you think people lose sight of the fact that you are only 25 years old?

SE RI PAK: For me, sometimes it's a problem myself, too. The first year, rookie year, 1998, was a great season. I would never have thought about myself, too, to get that quickly. Going to win the golf tournament. After 25 years old, 20 times, I think -- I don't expect more than that right now. I mean it was pretty amazing when I'm done. For me, my country, yes, the first year I won. This is such a huge news for my country. Now it gets much better to step back and watch me, watch another player or understand more. But it was exciting for six years for me, to, it was fun.

Q. How different is it for you in the United States when you walk around as compared to when you are in your homeland walking around? I imagine when you are home and you are recognized wherever you go?

SE RI PAK: Right, that's true. Here I think so many people recognize me, a restaurant or shopping mall. Or drinking tea or coffee in a shop. They just walk by me and say hi to me. They see me on TV, or they said they are a big fan. It's good.

When I go back to Korea, I don't have any time to be with my friends or family. There is always a crowd. They want my autograph. They want to take pictures. They want to try to talk to me. So many things around it. But I mean I really enjoyed it to. It's hard. It's not easy. But I mean they love me a lot, so I am really going to take it. It's no problem for me.

Q. Did you play the back 9 or front 9?

SE RI PAK: Today?

Q. Yes.

SE RI PAK: Front 9.

Q. What makes this golf course so tough?

SE RI PAK: The way the greens, I think is much harder. Foreign greens, a lot of undulation, around the green a lot of thick rough. I don't know about the green speed wise, but the way the green looks is difficult. You can hit the fairway. The greens are fine, hard to get on the green. Especially the greens are being undulation, you have to be in perfect position of the pin. I just play 9 hole but it works so hard for the green, I think.

Q. If I counted correctly I think there were 30 players in the field this week that are 25 or younger, how difficult is it for a young woman say at 19 or 20 as you were when you came out to come out here and to start a career at that young an age and the travel and the different courses every week, can you talk about that?

SE RI PAK: Yes, travel wise is much difficult things. I mean you play every week, every single week, and then you stay in different hotels every week, and you just fly in, pack, unpack, or driving. That's the most hard thing on TOUR. You don't have any time to go back home and rest or sleep in your own bed. It's pretty much we spend a lot of time in the hotel. That's the most hardest thing for me, myself to do that. But otherwise I think they don't have to push too much themselves to play well. I mean so young, so many golf to go, right? They should learn more. They have a future goal to be best. They have to see more great players, how they play, or they have to study more or to learn. They have a lot of experience to learn about it. Especially a golf player in the LPGA, so many different fields. Every week there is a strong field. So many people. They have more of a chance. But the best thing is just to go out there and try to have some fun for themselves, because I did it. I did it. I did it the same way.

The first year, totally different golf course, I never played here. The food is different. It's not easy to get used to that. The best thing to tell myself. I need to learn more instead of trying to play just right away. So I just learn. I look at the good player, the best player, how they play. They play the golf course, or just go out there myself and just go out there and try to have some fun.

Of course, it's hard, but trying to relax outside and of course every year is different. Every year they are going to learn more. And take some more time to themselves, to, to get used to that. This TOUR they have much more chance to be a better player.

Q. Do you pass that advice along to younger players? I know there are a lot of young players from Korea here, I imagine they come to you and ask you for your thoughts.

SE RI PAK: Right, some players ask me. They are shy, or they ask me, but I always tell them they are really doing a great job. They don't play well, but they will. Some day they are going to be a really great player. Always I tell them, you know, you do a great job right now, go out there. Play the best as you can and just relax.

Their dream is quick. Just go out there and take some more time. After next year it's much more better. It has to be a little bit more time for yourself and think about more instead of just push yourself in trying to win. And they said they understand and it looks like they really enjoyed it out there.

Q. Do you think the fact that you had as much success as you did early may make some of them think that it comes easier and it's hard for them to be patient?

SE RI PAK: Well, to tell the truth, yes, I think so. I played with them as an amateur. Everybody on the Korean TOUR, I know them for a long time. We play together in school. Yes, I mean I think so. They think about she done that before, why not? I mean for me, it's going to be some day like her. Of course it's going to be patient for that. It's not easy to do that because they know me pretty well.

But it's different, I'm playing golf in Korea, and here it's totally different golf. They are strong here, physically mentally. They have a lot of experience here than TOUR players than the Korean. So that was big difference. I think they are going to kind of realize it.

Q. In your own mind when you tee it up the first day, do you think there is anybody in the field that can beat you?

SE RI PAK: I never thought about it that way. The first tee, first day, on the tee I always go out and try to have some fun, that's what I need to think. Otherwise I never thought about who is going to be beat me or I'm going to beat someone to win this tournament. So I am pretty much challenged for myself. I have to be myself on the golf course or otherwise I don't think I can play my best golf, I think. I have to control myself better or be patient on the golf course and play otherwise I don't think I can play golf at all.

Q. When you come in, do you think you can win each week?

SE RI PAK: Always, yes. Give myself a lot of confidence, yes. I'm trying to win this week or next week, every week. I just always say, okay, I'm here for the win. I mean nobody thinks I am here for the 10th place or make the cut, right?

So every week, yes, I just give myself a lot of confidence.

Q. You mentioned that you thought from when you played the nine holes the course was difficult with the greens, do you think that you have a better chance when the course is more difficult because then your shot making might give you an advantage over some other players?

SE RI PAK: Well, to tell the truth, I always like to have a lot of challenged golf course. Instead of a pretty simple golf course. I always play well at difficult golf course, I think. I mean I'm not actually sure saying, I'm going to play well this golf course, but usually I play better when the golf course is hard.

Q. With all of the publicity that Annika is playing in the PGA event, is it going good for you all that so much media attention is being focussed on her and you all can do what you do every week and kind of not be involved as much by the media, or in some ways would you rather get the amount of coverage that she is getting?

SE RI PAK: It's not only me, the LPGA too. She is an LPGA player. We are the LPGA. The way she is doing part of it is perfect and really great for herself to challenge. Okay, she play good or not. But the way she is taking advantage because she plays so great and she has a lot of confidence. She knew she can play or she just find something new and specially challenge. But really we are the same as the LPGA player. It's not always me, Annika every week. It's not only me. Everybody was kind of a little bit saying Annika, Annika, or all of the newspaper and TV saying Annika playing PGA.

We have a lot of young players from international, they play great. But we need to give them a little more confidence to play in the LPGA instead of right now everything is too much attention on Annika, then it looks like we are not a member of the LPGA. She is LPGA. She plays for LPGA, so we are all a family. So hopefully after -- I don't know, after not this week, but every week give them the other players, or the future for the LPGA. We just try to give them a little more. Understand what we are doing right now.

Q. Do you think it could hurt the LPGA how she plays at Colonial?

SE RI PAK: Actually I'm not sure for that. Basically she is challenging herself, setting up the challenge for herself and the LPGA. But there are so many different opinions. For myself it's pretty good because she play some different golf. Women LPGA players against PGA that was pretty neat. We never done that before. If she not play good, I don't think -- hopefully people think -- don't think about it negative for the LPGA. I mean that's all I can say.

Q. I guess from the player's standpoint obviously they want to see as much publicity for the LPGA as possible. But the fan standpoint or people that don't really follow the LPGA, if they watch Colonial and see Annika play, maybe as she played in the matches at Big Horn where Annika or Carr, neither played well, that could be a negative from the fan standpoint from the LPGA, does that worry you?

SE RI PAK: Personally, yes, it might. But hopefully not to think about it that way. That's what we wish. I mean I can't say anything, but hopefully she play well. It's pretty hard to say something like that. But all I need to say -- just go out there and play the best as she can.

Q. Would you ever see yourself trying to do that?

SE RI PAK: One day, hopefully. Right now I think I need more time to be for Annika. Just kind of wait.

Q. If you look at the LPGA media guide, there is only pictures of Annika on the front of it, obviously, as you said there were other players that played well last year, are you concerned from your standpoint as a player that maybe there is too much focus in general on Annika, and if she, in a year or two from now decides to stop playing, that there is going to be a vacuum and there is going to have to be a way for the LPGA to kind of reinvent itself around other players?

SE RI PAK: I think so. Right now she has played well for a couple of years, three of four years kind of consistently she plays such great golf. And while, the way you play your best, where you go, which is always just that No. 1 instead of second player. They are not going to put second player on top of the leader board or to meet newspaper, right. So right now it's understanding right now Annika is everywhere or media guides. I understand that.

But one day, it's going to be changing. So just tell us -- Annika, yes. Hopefully we change their mind a little bit. Or some young player makes it much more better than the LPGA. Hopefully some day.

NEIL REID: A side note for the media guide thing, we always put the Player of the Year on the cover historically. It's a perk of being Player of the Year, you get the cover of the media guide.

SE RI PAK: Who knows, next year it's going to be me.

Q. Do you have any thoughts on Suzy Whaley qualifying for the Greater Hartford Open, and taking the chance, could do you know her at all?

SE RI PAK: No.

Q. She is playing this week.

SE RI PAK: I don't know. Actually I wasn't following that, sorry.

NEIL REID: Anything else? Thank you very much.

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