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KIA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY J GOLF

March 26, 2010

In-Kyung Kim

CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA

HEATHER DALY-DONOFRIO: Welcome In-Kyung, and congratulations on another 3-under par round. You're at 6-under. Can you talk us through your round?
IN-KYUNG KIM: This morning there was no wind. It was really calm and the green was smooth, but I couldn't really start on the front 9 with the birdies, so I made one bogey on 14, which is a long par 4, and I had some birdie chances but, you know.
Back nine I made birdie on 10 and 11, which is good because they're tough holes out there, and that gave me momentum to go into birdie on par 5s and finish strong.

Q. You shot 1 over par 37 on your front nine and then made the turn, did you say anything on the turn to get yourself ready for the front nine? Because you reeled off three straight birdies.
IN-KYUNG KIM: Yeah, actually, you know, there was no wind, you got to make birdies in the morning. I left it short and the putt just didn't go in, so I just talked to myself, you've got to be patient out here, you know?
This is not the golf course you make birdie every hole, so that's what that was. And No. 10 I hit 7-iron, which was kinda downwind. 7-iron and made birdie on that, which was, yeah, relief. After that I was feeling good, feeling better on the back nine.

Q. How is it for you playing at your home golf course, because you do practice and play here at La Costa.
IN-KYUNG KIM: It's great, you know, I get to stay at my house all week, and I've been practicing over here since last year, and they have always been great to me, and it's good that I see the LPGA coming to La Costa, which is a great golf course. I like it.

Q. How happy were you when you found out they were coming to the course?
IN-KYUNG KIM: I should have known earlier; they didn't tell me until the press. (Chuckles).
I was very happy, you know? This is such a great golf course, and they put a lot of effort into it after they announced the tournament. They raked the bunker, and I've seen that already, so I really appreciate that, and I was pleased to come out here earlier and practice, which we had two, three weeks off so it was good.

Q. How long have you lived in the area? What brought you here?
IN-KYUNG KIM: I was kind of all over the place. I lived in South Carolina for two and a half years, Maryland, Florida, and finally I got here because my family friends live here and they look after me. I have friends out here now and it's been three years, actually.
Living out here, and the weather is like this all the time, so no excuse for a day off, even though I have day off, it's sunshine, so I love it here.

Q. Do you live here in Carlsbad?
IN-KYUNG KIM: No, I lived in Encinitas, and I just moved to Rancho Santa Fe. I have home now, villa, which is great; it's right on the golf course, too, so I can go out and practice and stuff.

Q. (No microphone.)
IN-KYUNG KIM: No, it's Whispering Palms, near Fairbanks.

Q. Do you feel a home course advantage? Just the fact that you're used to putting on these greens, you're familiar with the winds, the weather, that stuff?
IN-KYUNG KIM: Yeah, definitely I know the wind direction. The front nine, which is actually the back nine -- no, front nine. Playing 7, 8, 9, you are always into the wind. Everybody can see it, but I played here before so I know exactly how much, yeah, it gets strong in the afternoon.
This is definitely my home course, I can say, because last year, I lived in San Diego and I hardly go to Torrey Pines and play, but I played the Samsung, and I didn't feel much advantage, but this tournament I play a lot here -- not a lot but more than any other course in San Diego, so I think that gives me a little advantage, knowing the course.

Q. How many times would you say you're out here a month, two, three times?
IN-KYUNG KIM: I come here to hit balls and chipping around the green because they have good facilities, and now I am really good friends with a couple of members so I come out and play. But after I knew they were going to have tournament here, I played it more than I used to, so that was good.

Q. Why did you move around so much, South Carolina, Florida, and then out here?
IN-KYUNG KIM: Well, first time I came to U.S. was South Carolina. I went to golf school there, for two years, and that's how I learned to speak English. And I went to Maryland, which was, you know, school really didn't fit my golf.
I didn't go to college, I straight came to the LPGA, so I went to Maryland, stayed with close friends, and then I went to Florida, by myself, but I didn't like being by myself so I came here, and finally I can have a home base now. Everything's, yeah, better.

Q. You have had two wins on the LPGA Tour and you finished off 2009 winning the LET event in Dubai, which is their biggest tournament of the year, so do you feel like you're more prepared to win going into the weekend?
IN-KYUNG KIM: It's always fun, you know, knowing that you have a chance to win the tournament on the weekend. That's good. Yeah, Dubai was great. I enjoyed playing there and it was my first LET tournament, and I had such good memory.
Also I play well, and I think everything kinda comes together, you know? Even though I play well last year, I felt like there was something more I can continue to improve on, and I work on that in the wintertime and I think, yeah, it's just a matter of time, you know? Everything is in the right time.
I wanted to pick on the Majors, so I focused on that, also, it's good. When everything comes together, all the plans come out together.

Q. Your English is good. Is that something you've picked up since being here or did you study it in school?
IN-KYUNG KIM: I studied it in Korea since I was little, but I didn't really get to speak English, but I learned in South Carolina. All my roommates was from other countries, Slovakia, Germany, America, so I think it was good that I went to some kind of school before I turned pro, so I get to know the culture better and learn the language.
So I think it's all good, and also I'm still studying English. My vocabulary is not so good yet. Sometimes, I don't know -- but all my friends helping me out, so it's good.
HEATHER DALY-DONOFRIO: Thank you In-Kyung.

End of FastScripts

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