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BALLANTINE'S CHAMPIONSHIP

April 20, 2010

Anthony Kim

JEJU ISLAND, SOUTH KOREA

STEVE TODD: Well, Anthony, thanks for joining us here in the media centre at Jeju. You've come across to this European Tour event in a great run of form at the moment, obviously winning the Houston Open and third in the Masters. How are you feeling about your game coming into this week?
ANTHONY KIM: Well, first of all, I want to say that I'm very excited and honoured to be here in Korea, and I've been looking forward to coming back here to this tournament for a long time. I want to thank Ballantine's for having me back.
As far as my form is concerned, I've been scoring well. I've been playing pretty good golf. Pretty happy about how I'm playing, but mostly about how I'm chipping and putting. So if I can keep that up, I should be in good shape. The golf course seems to be short enough where the driver won't be too big of an issue, and I've been working hard to try to get that back into play, so looking forward to a great week.
STEVE TODD: You have three PGA TOUR titles and I think you're only the fifth person before the age of 25 to achieve that. You've obviously just had your best finish in a major. Winning abroad, I suppose that's the next step in your career plan.
ANTHONY KIM: Absolutely. I signed up for The European Tour this year, and it wasn't a tough decision. I want to play all over the world, and I think it's important for young players like myself and others to grow the game wherever we can.
So I'm excited for this opportunity and I want to thank The European Tour and everyone here in Korea for giving me this opportunity.
But all I can do is try my best and I'm going to give it everything I have this week.
STEVE TODD: I think fifth here on your debut in this event a couple of years ago, coming back, what are the challenges of this course and what do you think of the tournament in general.
ANTHONY KIM: Well, I've been playing The European Tour for a year and a half now, and obviously I played Ballantine's. That was my first trip over to Korea to play. I know the golf course isn't as long as the course in the States, but as far as the greens and around the greens go, they play very similar.
So if I can figure out how to gauge my distance control with my wedges and 9-irons and short irons, I should have a pretty good week.

Q. You said it wasn't a tough decision to re-join The European Tour this year. Are you committed to the main events again, and have you reorganised your schedule to play in Dubai at the end of the season?
ANTHONY KIM: Well, I went to -- the first answer to your question is I am committed to getting my minimum events in. To be perfectly honest, I'd like to play more. I have such a great time out here when I do play on The European Tour. There's a different feel than the PGA Tour, but at the same time, it's very relaxing and the players seem to get on a bit better than the PGA Tour. So I'm very happy to be a Member.
I'm going to do the best I can to get there. I want to play in The Race to Dubai. Now, I've played at Abu Dhabi Championship and one other event to far this year, so I'm going to do my best to qualify for The Race to Dubai. I think I would have last year. I think that was my 12th event, so I was eligible to play, but I'm committed to playing both tours equally.

Q. Since you played here two years ago, your appearance has changed and in two years' time, I think your play has also changed. I think two years' time is enough for you to mature; so mentally how have you matured and what has changed?
ANTHONY KIM: You're right, I've changed quite a bit as a person and as a golfer. I can tell you that I'm having a lot more fun than I was when I was a couple years ago. It's a lot easier for me to come to a tournament and enjoy being out there, enjoy the fans, enjoy the support.
So I am a much different player. I don't know physically if I'm a different player, but because I'm more patient, and I've had more life experiences, I'm realising how lucky I am to be playing golf for a living and enjoying those moments.

Q. When you played at Ballantine's golf championship, and also this year, weather is a very important variable. So in playing your golf game here, what do you think is the most critical variable or factor?
ANTHONY KIM: Well, the wind here is incredible. It's like playing in Hawaii. Two years ago when I came, the wind blew so much, I'm glad I had a little bit of weight on me, because I could have blown off with the rest of the golf balls that got blown off the greens.
The wind is incredible here, but we play golf outdoors, so you have to learn how to play with the wind, and just overcome the adversity. I know what I'm getting into coming in here. I didn't expect yesterday to be the way it was with the downpour and the wind. But we play golf outside, so whatever it is, I'm going to enjoy. I'm so excited to see some Korean faces in the gallery and hopefully I can make them all proud.

Q. So I think about a year and a half, the period between when you won the Shell Houston a year and a half ago, during that year and a half, I know there was some injuries and say sort of slump for you; how did you overcome this sort of slump and injury and what was your secret of overcoming these?
ANTHONY KIM: Well, it's hard to win wherever you go, and it's not just on the PGA Tour. It's hard to win on The European Tour. It's hard to win on any tour. But at the same time, I didn't play my best. There were some injuries that I had trouble overcoming.
But with the support of great people around me, I asked them for help, and they gave it to me. Whatever support I needed, whatever I needed, they were there, and helped me get through those tough times, because as a golfer, as any pro athlete, any college athlete would tell you, it's hard not to win and keep a good attitude.
So I really have to thank everyone that has helped me get here. It's not just me. It may be me holding the trophy at the end of the day, but there are so many people that have helped me. My parents have always told me to keep my head up and told me that I can do it, and it sounds so clichÃ©, but it means a lot when the people around you care so much and want the best for you.
STEVE TODD: I think Anthony would just like to say something to you in Korean.
ANTHONY KIM: (Translated from Korean): There's something that I really want to say. As a child, my mother and father taught me a lot of Korean. Living in the States has made it difficult for me to keep up my Korean. So I plan to hire a teacher and learn Korean again, and so when I have another interview in the future, I will try to do it in Korean.

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