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THE HONDA CLASSIC

March 7, 2009

Yong-Eun Yang

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA

DOUG MILNE: Y.E. Yang, thank you for joining us for a few minutes in the interview room here at the 2009 Honda Classic. Even-par 70 and you're still leading the tournament at 7-under heading into tomorrow. If you would start with some comments about your round.
Y.E. YANG: Starting out today, I noticed that the winds were very strong, and I anticipated it being a very difficult round today. First hole, I hit my 3-iron 270 yards, and I noticed the wind was very strong.
Third hole, going into the third hole, my tee shot it was bad, so I ended up with a bogey. After that, I continued to save pars and I just tried to stay patient. When I got to the 15th hole, I hit a good shot. So I was able to make a birdie there.
But overall today, today was a very difficult day for me. But I just hung in there and I think you know, even par, I can't complain about that.

Q. How many legitimate birdie opportunities did you have today, or was today a day of taking pars and going to the next hole?
Y.E. YANG: Actually I had probably about five birdie chances today, all within 15 feet, but I couldn't hole a single one.

Q. Will taking a final round into the lead in the PGA TOUR feel any different than taking the lead into the final round at the HSBC or any place else, any of the other tours you play?
Y.E. YANG: You know, I won't be able to answer that question until I wake up tomorrow honestly. (Laughter).
I'm just going to think, I still have one more day of golf to play, and I'm just going to try to take it easy and just play like I've been playing the last three days.

Q. Do you know that a victory will get you into the Masters, and what would that mean to you?
Y.E. YANG: When I played in the Masters a couple of years ago, which was my first time, up until then, my dream was actually to be able to play in the Masters. And when I played there in a couple of years ago, in a way, I've accomplished my dream, because I was in the field.
After that, I guess I sort of lost a sense of a goal, a purpose. And my golf has not been the same since then. I went through a little bit of struggle with my swing.
But to be able to play in the Masters again this year, I think it would take my golf to another level, and I'll be able to pursue another dream.

Q. Can you speak about the difficulty of the conditions, and if today was any harder because you were in the lead or near the lead most of the day, and obviously wanted to protect that; did that add to an already tough day out there?
Y.E. YANG: Actually the course conditions were in very good condition. As I said, the wind was pretty strong today. But other than that, I felt like the course was in very good shape.
I just didn't make the putts that I needed to, the birdie putts. All five of the birdie chances I had missed the hole ever so slightly. I think that was the big difference, not being able to make the putts. Otherwise, the course condition was in terrific condition.

Q. Par was good enough today to keep you in the lead. Would you expect par tomorrow, if it stays like this, would be good enough to win?
Y.E. YANG: I think tomorrow, because there are so many players who are in the hunt at 4-under, 5-under, 6-under, and even the guys that are at 3-under, I think I probably have to shoot at least 1- or 2-under tomorrow to have a chance of winning.
So I've just got to stay very patient, and when I get those birdie opportunities, try to make them, otherwise, I think it will be difficult without shooting at least 1- or 2-under to win.

Q. Did you pay much attention to the leaderboard and the names that seemed to go up the board, get even with you or even move ahead of you by a shot, and then come right back down the board again?
Y.E. YANG: Yeah, I actually was able to look at the scoreboard, leaderboard, a couple of times today. I noticed that on the front nine, there are quite a few players who were shooting under par, and I also noticed that some of them were actually shooting 4- or 5-under today.
So you know, I was aware of that. But you know, going into the back nine, I also noticed that a lot of the players, they were not the easy holes they were actually dropping down. I just told myself that I needed to stay patient and play each hole hole-by-hole and concentrate on every single shot, and I think that made a difference.

Q. How much attention, leading two rounds now, is this getting back in Korea?
Y.E. YANG: I can't really say because I'm not over there right now to know the reactions. But just checking on the Internet, you know, I just read some articles writing about how good I'm playing and that I'm in the lead.
But knowing that all of the PGA TOUR tournaments are being broadcast in Korea, there are a lot of people, my close friends and relatives staying up late and watching me and rooting for me, that gives me a lot of support.

Q. What's more important tomorrow, the win or the million dollars?
Y.E. YANG: You know, both would be good. But honestly my objective is not to go to Q-School again, and if I'm able to win tomorrow, it would save me for going to Q-School for two years, so I would say probably the winning is more meaningful right now.
DOUG MILNE: Thank you and good luck tomorrow.

End of FastScripts

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