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MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 11, 2010

Anthony Kim

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, or is it good evening. We are pleased to have Anthony Kim. He shot a brilliant 65 today, 7-under par, and we invite you for a couple of questions, please.

Q. You were really pretty perturbed with yourself last night. What was the difference? What did you do last night, and just talk about the turnaround and how well you played?
ANTHONY KIM: I was very frustrated, just because I feel like I'm doing all the right things, and I feel like my swing is coming along and I get out there and I still can't find the fairway. So it was very frustrating yesterday, but I was happy at least get it around at 1-over par, because I felt like it could be quite a few strokes over par.
So I was happy that I hung in there and gave myself an opportunity today, where if I shot something silly low, I would have a chance to win this golf tournament.
So last night, my coach and I looked at some film and saw what I was doing wrong. We went to the gym and worked it out a little bit throwing med balls instead of hitting golf balls, and I got out here about 20 minutes earlier than I usually do, and started feeling like instead of trying to fix it, I'm just going to go ahead and play the right-to-left shot, even though that's not my normal ball flight, it's something I just felt like I can play with around here, because this is a drawer's golf course.
And I just aimed right, and hoped that it would hook left and tried to make a couple of putts along the way.

Q. How much of what you were able to accomplish was a carry over from last week with some confidence?
ANTHONY KIM: I definitely gained a lot of confidence after last week. The attitude I had, the mindset I was in last week really helped me this week. I feel like I've actually gotten over a little hump in my golf career when I felt like things were stalling.
I know now that with my attitude, if I can just get my ball-striking to it was, I'm going to be at a different level. So I'm going to work on that and hopefully I'll be ready for the next tournament.

Q. Was this any reason why you were stalling?
ANTHONY KIM: I think I was expecting to shoot 65 every time I teed it up, and when you make two or three bogeys, 65 is pretty hard after the first couple of holes.
Then I start pressing, and I start trying to make birdies and start going for pins that I don't necessarily need to go for, but maybe ten feet right, and end up hitting in the water and there goes your 75.
I think when you get into a negative mind-set on the golf course, or especially on the PGA TOUR, it snowballs. And the fact that I kept it light and I had a good attitude, really, really showed this week in my results.

Q. Could you tell me, or tell us, what last Sunday in 2009 here, how that helped you a little bit this week, as well? You said coming off that, that that gave you some momentum and that you could play this golf course.
ANTHONY KIM: To be honest, I don't even remember.

Q. 11 birdies.
ANTHONY KIM: Oh, that was Friday. On Friday, I remember I made two double-bogeys and a bogey.
So I knew that I probably had to tone down firing at so many flags, even though I did make 11 birdies. But at the same time, I knew that if I get this ball in the fairway, I'm going have a chance, because I am an aggressive player and I'm going to have a couple more opportunities than guys that are hitting further back or who are not willing to go for the flags.

Q. In layman's terms, can you explain what you saw on film when you and your coach were watching and what you were doing with the medicine ball to correct it?
ANTHONY KIM: Well, my hips were just spinning so fast right as soon as I took it back, and I just need to make sure I transfer my weight onto my left side. And when I was spinning, I was -- all my weight was going to my left heel as soon as I took it back, and that was creating a lot of hooks and the brother to that is the push. So I just could not get that ball in the fairway.
So we just said, we've got to go ahead and stay on my left side and just swing as hard as I can, and hopefully it finds the fairway.

Q. I know you've been playing with a bad thumb. Can you tell us what that is, or I've seen reports that you're having surgery next week, or soon; how much pain are you playing with and how do you shoot 65 with that kind of thumb?
ANTHONY KIM: Well, it's definitely uncomfortable and something I didn't want to talk about. I've had plenty of injuries and they have been well documented and I don't want another one to talk about.
But I've had it for about 15,16 months. It's just not going away, so I have to take care of it. Now, surgery is going to be the last resort, where I'm taking some medicine and I took a cortisone shot a couple of months ago to relieve the pain, but it's affecting my golf swing and I don't want it to keep doing that because I'm going to get into bad habits, so for the long term I would like to get it fixed.
But I have a great doctor, Dr. Graham, and he's trying to figure out, maybe we go to Nike and get a new glove that fits my thumb and holds it in place a little bit better. We are just trying to figure something out.

Q. What's the injury?
ANTHONY KIM: I think it's a torn ligament in my left thumb.

Q. You eagled the 15th and got within one; can you talk about how you played 16?
ANTHONY KIM: Well, after 15, I just felt like I had some momentum and I was right in-between clubs there, so I didn't want to take the longer club. I felt like I had a little energy from the crowd and from my good play on the last couple of holes that I didn't want to go over that pin. I know that putt and I've practiced that putt before in the practice rounds.
I hit a 7-iron just to the right of the pin and had the look I wanted. I was pretty fortunate to see Y.E.'s putt right before mine, and I saw he just missed it on the high side with a little too much speed so I played it with a little less speed and higher to the right and cashed it.

Q. Can you walk us through 13, 14 and 15?
ANTHONY KIM: 13, I hit a 3-wood, tried to hit a low draw there and tried to hit a 6-iron ten feet left of the green and was a pretty difficult chip and did well to hit it to 15, 18 feet and made that for birdie.
14, I hit a good drive and a solid 9-iron to about six feet and made that.
15, I hit a very good drive, draw 5-iron to 15 feet and made that for eagle.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you all, and Anthony, thank you very much.

End of FastScripts

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