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U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR PUBLIC LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

June 27, 2009

Jennifer Song

DEVENS, MASSACHUSETTS

Q. You wanted this so badly, what does it mean to you now that you've won?
JENNIFER SONG: It means that, you know, I thought -- I told one of my friends before the championship, I said, maybe I really don't know how to win. But she told me, you know, "Jennifer, you're a great player, so don't give up. You're very close."
So I just kept telling myself that if I work hard and keep focusing on what I'm doing, some day I'm going to win. And thank God I got one today.

Q. (Inaudible.).
JENNIFER SONG: I told her that I don't know how to win and she said, "Oh, you do, you'll be so big in the future, you don't even know."

Q. Did you believe that?
JENNIFER SONG: She really meant it, but I need to work to be there.

Q. It's not an easy golf course, a lot of elevation, the greens have a lot of roll; is this the best you've played on a championship course, in competition?
JENNIFER SONG: Yeah, I think it was my best round of golf. I think I shot under par, even though it was match play. But I was out there and whenever I was on the green, I just told myself, if you can see it, it's going to go in.

Q. (Inaudible).
JENNIFER SONG: I knew that whoever smiled at the last moment, they are the biggest champion, and I think it was worth it.

Q. At the prize-giving, when they gave you that trophy, you looked like you were just given a brand new car or something; is it a relief?
JENNIFER SONG: Yeah, it's a relief, and it tells me that I need to work harder, because the Open is coming up, so I need to get some good rest and just try to get good practice sessions in.

Q. How were your emotions the few days or week after the Amateur?
JENNIFER SONG: I was very depressed because at the beginning of the school year, Coach gave us a goal sheet, and I was kind of arrogant, but I'm very competitive, so I said, "Coach, I want to win all of the championships." But I didn't win anything, and that got me really depressed.
But today winning the Pub Links gave me a lot of confidence.

Q. (Inaudible.).
JENNIFER SONG: Yeah, I didn't even know that. I told them that if I made a birdie on the hole before, I didn't even though that I made a birdie, I just forgot about it. Whatever was there at the moment, I was so focused on that shot.

Q. (Inaudible).
JENNIFER SONG: I leave my cell phone in my room, whoever wants to call me -- I just want to talk to my dad and if it's very important they'll call me.

Q. What did your mom say when you won -- inaudible.
JENNIFER SONG: He's a big Christian, so faith probably to God. Probably she called up all her friends saying that, oh my God, we finally won.

Q. Even though it's the middle of the night there, you're just going to call them up?
JENNIFER SONG: Yeah, I think she's kind of like soaking it all in. She said she can't wait to call some friends.

Q. Did you hear from any of your teammates or friends last night, phone messages or text messages?
JENNIFER SONG: Everybody on the team, for the past few days, they have been texting every day: 'You're going to have fun.'
And Coach told me: 'That was good, faith is good, you're a champion.'
I said, 'Thank you and I'll hang in there and do my best.'

Q. Was there a turning point, did you feel there was a hole or a shot that was a turning point when you look back on any of the holes or a shot?
JENNIFER SONG: I think it was the 7th hole when I made the downhill left-to-right putt and I made a birdie and I was 7-up. At that point I thought: Okay, you've got it, so don't change yourself. Stay in the attitude that you had this whole week.

Q. What was the difference --
JENNIFER SONG: I think mentally I was very focused, and I wasn't looking into the future, oh, I see myself holding trophy, that's not a good idea.
I told myself, don't ever smile until you get the trophy. Do not see the future.

Q. Is that why you broke down and cried so much?
JENNIFER SONG: Yeah.

Q. You weren't just thanking your mom and your dad --
JENNIFER SONG: Oh, I know, I was so happy, I just lost my words.
It really required a lot of help from many people around me for me to be at this point, and I really appreciate that.

Q. Did your dad remind you to stay in the moment all day?
JENNIFER SONG: He definitely did. Yesterday I said I intentionally -- I said, dad -- (Inaudible.) He was nervous, too, and he wasn't saying anything. I said, "Say some good things for me, it's too quiet."
He said, "Jennifer, you're great, you're a champion. I love you so much. I'm so proud of you and what you've done this week. Don't worry about it." It just gave me a whole big relief.

Q. What did he say to you after?
JENNIFER SONG: He just lost his words. Gave me a hug a bunch of times.

Q. Is he going to caddie for you at the Women's Open, too?
JENNIFER SONG: Yes.

Q. Do you feel like there's kind of a monkey off your back that you got this win now, and that maybe there's some momentum that you can use from this and continue on? You've come so close and now you've finally broke through, how big will this be for you going forward do you think?
JENNIFER SONG: Like I said, with any other thing, I think just one step at a time. Obviously this will bring a little bit of confidence to me, saying that actually I could control my mental mind and that I'm strong enough to control what I do, especially my attitude. And I'm really excited for the upcoming tournaments.

Q. The Open and the Amateur?
JENNIFER SONG: And I'm going to play in two Duramed FUTURES Tour events, the top three collegiate players can play in it and I got the exemption.

Q. Have you ever played for Korea on a team?
JENNIFER SONG: Yeah, I was on the Korean National Team.

Q. Did you play in the World Amateur?
JENNIFER SONG: No, I didn't do that. I lost in the qualifier.

Q. Your closest match all week was on Thursday; is that the toughest match of the week?
JENNIFER SONG: Yeah, Brittany was very tough. She knew the course so well that I knew she wouldn't mess up. She played here, and probably she knew when to attack and when not to. That was the toughest matches, one of the toughest matches.

Q. Was there a turning point in that match which helped you win that one and then followed you on for the rest of the week?
JENNIFER SONG: Not really. I was very patient and whenever there was a next player, I just put myself into the new match and be focused on my attitude. I was very focused. People are probably like, why is that girl not smiling.

Q. Where is that trophy going to go? Is it going to go back to Korea?
JENNIFER SONG: Maybe I'll send it to Korea.

Q. Can you recall a time when you were as on as you were today, all of the elements, can you remember a day where you played as well as you did today?
JENNIFER SONG: No. Today I was super hot to play. I can't believe I made a bunch of birdies, and some of the putts were like really hard, the speed was really crucial, and I didn't even expect to make them. I just said, 'Jen, get the speed right,' and I'll be very happy. They just dropped in and I'm so grateful.

Q. What is the putt you made that you're most proud of?
JENNIFER SONG: I think the 7th hole.

Q. How long was that?
JENNIFER SONG: It was like an 8-footer, but the break was super hard, hard left-to-right and a downhill.

Q. Using driver on every hole, had you been doing that all week, or was that a function of you knew you were hitting it well today, so you might as well?
JENNIFER SONG: I like my driver a lot and I know that if I'm playing well, I can hit it straighter than any other club. So I was very confident.
Even Coach knows about it. Like when I'm playing in competitions, it's not a hole where you have to hit the driver, but if it's a hole that I can hit a 3-wood, I'll say, "Coach, I'm really comfortable with my driver, so I'll just stick with it."

Q. As an average, how far do you carry your driver?
JENNIFER SONG: Average, I think I'm like 240, 250 yards average.

Q. Are you very familiar with Kimberly?
JENNIFER SONG: Yeah, she's a great putter, so I expect her to make almost every putt. So I was very -- maybe did you guys notice that I was never looking at her putts? I was always looking away, looking at the birds chirping away.

Q. She made two long ones in the first three holes. So you must have known that she was probably, you know, in a groove with her putter, too.
JENNIFER SONG: Yeah.

Q. What did you think of the course?
JENNIFER SONG: I think definitely the undulations here are really tough. Like you really need to place the ball high, and even on the greens, if you don't hit it where you're supposed to, it just trickles off.
It's very tough. And I really enjoyed it, it's a small course where you need to play a smart game and even if it's a par 5, you are not always supposed to hit a 3-wood on your second shot, maybe use your iron. I had a lot of fun.

Q. What are you going to do tonight?
JENNIFER SONG: First I'm going to go over to the hotel and take a nice shower, maybe go to a nice restaurant and enjoy the afternoon with my dad, talk about something other than golf.

Q. He's going to want to replay every shot. Are you going home back to L.A. first?
JENNIFER SONG: I'm going to New Jersey to my dad's friend.

Q. Where do they live in New Jersey?
JENNIFER SONG: I didn't ask that. Probably my dad knows. I'm going to stay on East Coast until August.

Q. When will you call your mother?
JENNIFER SONG: As soon as I get back.

Q. Tonight when you get to the hotel?
JENNIFER SONG: To the hotel.

Q. So it's about three in the morning there?
JENNIFER SONG: Yeah, I'm pretty sure she's awake right now. (Laughter) She can't go to sleep anymore. She's like my best friend, like we would go to mauls together and she looks so young that people say is that your older sister, and I'm like, no, she's my mom.

Q. Do your parents play golf?
JENNIFER SONG: They both play golf but my dad shoots like 90s and he barely practices.
But my mom, she's a golf enthusiast. Every time I don't use a certain club, she'll be like, 'Oh, I'll take it, I can swing a club,' even if it's not the right shaft, and my dad will say, 'oh, that's not for you.' (Laughing).

Q. Are you going to graduate?
JENNIFER SONG: I really don't know. I really want to do what's -- at that moment, just everything, I want to do what's best for that certain time. And obviously I'm going to have a great time anywhere I go.

Q. And what's your major?
JENNIFER SONG: I'm a business major.

End of FastScripts

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