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MASTERS TOURNAMENTApril 6, 2010Chang-Won HanAUGUSTA, GEORGIA BRIAN ROBERTS: It's a pleasure to welcome Chang-won Han from Daejeon, South Korea, one of six amateurs in the field and the Asian Amateur Champion. Before we begin, I'd like to give you some background off the Asian Amateur Initiative. You may remember that our Chairman, Billy Payne, made an announcement in February 2009 to partner with the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation and the R&A to form the Asian Amateur Championship. As the Chairman has said, the goal was, and is, to continue our long history in committing energy and resources to the game of amateur golf and its growth. This is a tradition inspired by our co-founders Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts. With the help of our partners, we successfully conducted this event at the Mission Hills Golf Club in China at the end of October. Our winner joins us today as the first in what we hope will become a great tradition in Asian amateur golf. He shot a staggering four rounds of golf at 12-under par, 276, to win the event when he was just 17 years old. He's 18 years old today. So we welcome him here this afternoon to his first Masters Tournament, Chang-won Han. Questions, please. Q. You played very well at the IFQ a month or so ago; how did you keep your game sharp during the Korean winter? CHANG-WON HAN: Actually it wasn't that cold. It was pretty warm. And it was in China. Q. You spent the winter in China? CHANG-WON HAN: Are you talking about the tournament? Q. No, you played so well at the qualifier for the British Open, just six weeks ago, whatever it's been. Curious how you kept your game sharp in the months leading up to that? CHANG-WON HAN: I don't even practice in Korea, but the group of the Korean National Team sponsored by the Korean Golf Association went to outside Korea where the weather was warmer. Q. Have you graduated from high school yet? CHANG-WON HAN: Yes, I just graduated high school. Q. Just within the last few weeks? CHANG-WON HAN: About two months ago. Q. Just wanted to get your impressions of Augusta National, the course, its the atmosphere, the clubhouse, and how do the realities compare to your imagination? CHANG-WON HAN: It's more than I imagined coming here, and especially Monday practice round at the 10th tee, I was very, very nervous. Q. Were you relaxed with it more today with your countryman alongside; did that help your confidence going through the difficult holes? CHANG-WON HAN: Yes, it was very helpful playing with the U.S. Amateur and also K.J. Choi. He's been very helpful around the course, because he's been here before, and he's a veteran and he showed me a lot as far as course knowledge is concerned, and he helped very much. It was a very pleasant round today. Q. Are you staying in the Crow's Nest? CHANG-WON HAN: Yes, I'm staying at the Crow's Nest. I just checked in yesterday. Q. Who else is in there with you? CHANG-WON HAN: All of the Amateurs are in there except for Nathan Smith right now, everybody else. Q. This is your first time playing the Masters, is your goal just to make the cut, or is the goal to go and try to do the best you can to win the Tournament? CHANG-WON HAN: Yesterday when I was playing, I was very, very nervous with the amount of crowd that I saw, and as I played and got used to the crowd, I think I will do well. And my goal is to make the cut. Q. It's very, very difficult for amateurs to make the cut; what is your goal in making the cut, what is your number? CHANG-WON HAN: Last year, I believe the cut was plus one. And I think this year will also be similar, and my goal is to make the cut. Q. What is your timetable for turning professional? CHANG-WON HAN: I have no plans of turning pro at this time. My goal is to play the best I can right now. Q. And I assume you have two years of mandatory military service coming up at some point; is that correct? CHANG-WON HAN: Yes, I know. Q. Is there any idea when you may fulfill that obligation? CHANG-WON HAN: I have not thought that far yet. Q. Is there a favorite hole or area or shot on this course, and is this course the most difficult you've ever seen? CHANG-WON HAN: No. 16, par 3, is challenging, exciting and it's really hard. Q. The No. 4, par 3, the back tee, what club do you use? CHANG-WON HAN: If it's a back pin, I'll use a 3-wood. Q. After you won the Asian Amateur and you knew you were going to be coming to Augusta, how did you prepare? Did you watch tapes of the Tournament or anything like that to do something to try to familiarize yourself with the golf course? CHANG-WON HAN: I saw the 2001 Masters, bought the DVD and saw it. I saw a lot of magazines and read up on it and studied the course on the Web sites. I think the Web site just changed, before that there was a lot more information about the course, and I actually got some information from the Korean Golf Association and they supported me. Q. How important is the new event, the Asian Amateur, to inspire young Asians? What difference do you think it will make in the growth of golf in Asia? CHANG-WON HAN: I knew it was a big event when I found out that there was a spot for the Masters. But I think in the future, this event will be bigger than ever, and I think a lot of people from Asia will really take this Tournament seriously. Q. We had Y.E. Yang obviously winning the PGA Championship last year; the Korean team won the Nomura Cup, and I believe you were a medalist there; and not only did you win the Asian Amateur, but seven Koreans finished in the top 20 at the Asian Amateur. Is it exciting for you to be part of this new force to be reckoned with in world golf? CHANG-WON HAN: I'm very happy, not only for myself but also for the golf associations throughout Korea. Q. I wanted to ask, along a similar line, the inspiration that Yang has brought to Korean golfers your age, the way he won, how he did it; what are the emotions like? Has he helped inspire the next generation of Korean golfers? How much did his victory give you that dream? CHANG-WON HAN: I'm very happy he won, and when he won, I was not available. I was in another tournament, but after I finished the tournament and found that he won, I was really, really shocked, and very happy for him. Q. The Amateur, Byeong-Hun An, he's a long hitter, very powerful off the tee, and you are more precise with irons and short game; how is that going to play in the tournament this week? CHANG-WON HAN: Yes, it's great to be a long hitter and to be in the fairway is the key. If you're not, it's going to be very difficult. And also, the pin placements and so forth, it's where you want to be on the green that's more important to have a good score this week. Q. If your plans of turning professional are indefinite right now, are you considering going to college? CHANG-WON HAN: I'm planning on going to college next year. Q. In Korea? CHANG-WON HAN: In Korea, yes. Q. Do you know where? CHANG-WON HAN: I have not determined which college yet. BRIAN ROBERTS: We all wish you great success and a memorable week, thank you. End of FastScripts |
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