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CHEVRON WORLD CHALLENGE

December 4, 2009

Yong-Eun Yang

THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA

DOUG MILNE: Okay. Y.E. Yang, thanks for joining us for a few minutes here. 7-under par 65. Congratulations on a great second round. With the 65 that puts you, at least temporarily, in the lead by two strokes at 9-under. If you could just give us a couple of comments on the round today and obviously what went right for you.
Y.E. YANG (through interpreter): As you can hear, my voice is really -- I've got that nasal sound. I'm actually coming down with the flu or a fever. I don't know which one it is, and coming from China, I'm not really happy about that.
And I've got a pounding headache. I tried chucking some cold medicine, but it wore off probably at the Back 9. I didn't try to force anything because certainly I'm not really -- I'm sort of under the weather right now, and my putter really didn't work very well for me, but somehow I rolled in a few putts, so it resulted in a good round today.
DOUG MILNE: We'll go ahead and open it up for a few questions.

Q. Were you sick when you left China?
Y.E. YANG: Monday here and Monday afternoon.

Q. Did you think about not playing?
Y.E. YANG: There's only 18 players, and I'm guaranteed. (Laughs). I am sick, but I just more enjoy it.

Q. You don't need a translator. This is great. You chipped in today. Is that kind of indicative of the round? You were saying you didn't putt all that well, but things happen. Is that kind of how things went for the round for you?
Y.E. YANG (through interpreter): I think I missed about three or four short putts, like 10-foot putts that I should have made. That's why I said I really didn't have a good day, but then again, if you say so and 7-under isn't really a bad score, right, so yeah, it just seems that I'm missing out on something right now probably today. That's why I wasn't really 100 percent satisfied.

Q. Are you getting more comfortable with your English? Are you looking to do more interviews in English this year?
Y.E. YANG: My English, always translation. My interviews in Korean is good. English is difficult.

Q. Do you work on your English?
Y.E. YANG: No, no.

Q. I'm wondering on your Twitter account, who posts your Twitter? Do you post your Twitters in English?
Y.E. YANG: I talk to him, and he writes in, yeah, tweet.
THE INTERPRETER: I usually have a little 10-minute session with him on today's tweets probably before and after, probably before we go to sleep. He tells me what he wants to say, and then I write it down. He doesn't really speak that eloquently.

Q. You beat Tiger to win your first major title. You arrive here sick. Tiger's not here. Are you a little bit embarrassed maybe to be leading his tournament in his absence?
Y.E. YANG (through interpreter): I don't think embarrassed would be the right expression on this occasion. But a disappointment it is because it's Tiger's event, and the sponsors would be a bit disappointed as well.
And myself as a player, I am also disappointed like the other players as well because competing with him is always fun, and trying to win over him is always fun as well.
But at the same time, as professionals, we try to play our best with our without the No. 1 player in the world. I just hope that we can see Tiger Woods on the course as soon as possible.

Q. Obviously if you start to feel better, but if you doesn't and it gets worse, will you see yourself having to possibly pull out even though you're in the lead at this point?
Y.E. YANG: Uh, Uh, no. (Laughs).
Y.E. YANG (through interpreter): If I do collapse, I'll collapse on the course. (Laughs). And then I'll withdraw on the course.
Y.E. YANG: Today a little bit sorry, a little bit difficult distance and number of par-3s, and some holes maybe different country, difficult place, wind is strong. It's difficult.

Q. Q-School is going on this week in Florida, and I wondered if you have thought much about the fact that you were there last year, and since then you've won Honda, you've won a major. You've risen in the world ranking and you're not there this week.
Y.E. YANG (through interpreter): No, I haven't really thought about Q-School. Come to think of it, just as you mentioned, back then, well, a year ago I had a huge headache because I was under a lot of stress mentally. There was some huge pressure, psychological pressure.
Right now, after a year, I still have a headache, but it's more because of illness, not because of any pressure or stress. So it's a different situation, yes.
And unfortunately, I cannot -- I don't have the opportunity to compete at the Q-School for about five years now. So even if I wanted to, I think I can't really think about that situation. And it just seems right now like a distant memory. I hope that everybody who's competing there has a good time, but for me, I've been there and done that, so I'm moving on.
Personally it was just a horrendous experience. I don't want to do it again.

Q. Can you give us your reaction to everything that's happened in the last week with Tiger, just sort of what your feelings are on that situation?
Y.E. YANG (through interpreter): I'm only about three years older than Tiger, so I don't have enough infinite wisdom to provide him right now.
I am sad that he's not here. I've only met Tiger on the golf course. When I first met him, it was on the golf course. Last time I saw him it was on the golf course as well, and I only remember him as fun and really focused and competitive, but also a great guy on the golf course and off in the clubhouse and locker room. So I miss him, and I hope to see him on the course and the locker room again quite soon.
DOUG MILNE: Okay. Y.E., congratulations. Thanks for your time.
Y.E. YANG: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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