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MICHELOB ULTRA OPEN AT KINGSMILL

May 3, 2005

Grace Park

WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA

PAUL ROVNAK: Grace, thanks for coming in and speaking with us. I know you've had some issues this year with your back. I know you defended Nabisco, a very gritty effort and played well there and had to pull out of the Phoenix tournament and you but played well last week. Tell us about your generally health and how you are feeling coming into this week.

GRACE PARK: Yeah, I'm feeling well. I'm actually a little sore because I worked out yesterday. But obviously with my back problem, all I could do was rest it. I went back home to Korea Sunday night after Nabisco and was there for three weeks. Didn't do anything, just normal life for a change, and just did a little bit of rehab and then got back to Phoenix. Hit some balls, went to Tennessee, and here I am now. But I'm healthy and ready to play good golf again.

Q. Was it a gradual injury or just over time?

GRACE PARK: I've had bad back well, I've had several back injuries over the last few years, but I've had a bad back since I was 12 years old, golfers back they call it, I guess.

So it's something that comes and goes. There's not one thing that triggers it. I hurt it twice. I hurt it on top of a bad back, which made the pain worse and longer to heal, but it wasn't all from one week.

Q. Curious, what do you think about the changes of the course?

GRACE PARK: If I say they look easier and I don't play well, will I look like a fool? (Laughter).

I just played the front side. I haven't seen the back side. I really like the changes. Mostly I see them on the green or around the green. They added a few more fairway bunkers and changed the undulation a little bit. But the greens, actually they seem easier, but I guess they all look easier on Tuesday than on Sundays.

I've talked to other players and most of them seem to like the change.

Q. Are you concerned being off for a few weeks or is that the only thing you can do?

GRACE PARK: I wasn't concerned. I'm a little bit frustrated, but as an athlete, you've got to do what you've got to do. Health is No. 1 priority, but at the same time, it was the beginning of the season. I'm glad that it didn't happen in the middle of the season like it did last year. I knew that we had some big tournaments, including this Michelob Ultra and the majors down the road, so I wanted to get healthy and be prepared for the rest of the season.

Q. Annika is going for six in a row. I wonder if you could talk about the difficulty of that, and also, why do you think it has not gotten as much attention as it probably should have?

GRACE PARK: Well, to the first question, I think it's great what Annika has accomplished and what she is trying to achieve. She's obviously the No. 1 woman's player in the world, and, you know, she's out here playing great golf. Not getting the attention, you know, everybody knows she's No. 1, so what more is there to say.

Q. Just in terms of media coverage, in terms of whether it's six in a row or seven in a row?

GRACE PARK: We should be asking you guys. You guys are the ones that write her. We don't write.

Q. We're here.

GRACE PARK: You guys write about it.

Q. Would it be special to end her streak, Grace?

GRACE PARK: I want to do it for myself. I'm sure she wants to continue her streak, but I want to start my own streak. I've worked hard to get here. There's been obviously ups and downs, but I think now that I'm healthy, I'm crossing my fingers, it's time that I step it up.

Q. Were you surprised you finished so well last week?

GRACE PARK: I was so upset. I actually played really well. The problem was my putting. Putting is usually my strength. I've been No. 1 on putting stats for the past couple of years, and I was stiffing everything inside eight, ten, 12 feet all day long and didn't make one single putt, all four days. So, I mean, I guess you're never happy unless you win.

Q. Aside from actually winning here, any other particular fond memories of this course or Kingsmill or Williamsburg area tat you take with you?

GRACE PARK: Yeah, I mean, winning definitely added more excitement to my memories, but I remember two years ago, when I first arrived at the resort, it was beautiful. I really like the rooms and the hotels. I don't get to stay in a resort very often so, that was nice. The golf course itself is superb, it's always in great shape. You need to use every club in the bag. You've got to have every shot in order to win.

So I think when courses are like that, it's more exciting to play. And the facility and the volunteers, everything were always spectacular. The whole tournament is run so well that every player loves coming back to it.

Q. Do the changes in the course set up well for your game?

GRACE PARK: So far, yes. I've played, like I said, the first nine holes. I'm a high ball striker and I think even with the changes on the greens, you have to be a good ball striker and be able to stop the ball on the greens. There are some carries that you have to make to get to certain pin positions, and I always smile when I see those because I know I can hit it high and get it to stop.

Q. General thoughts on Danielle Amiee and winning an exemption by winning Big Break III on the Golf Channel?

GRACE PARK: I don't know who she is. I saw that this morning, all of the caddies were looking. I've watched the show once, but I have no idea who she is and I didn't know that she was in the field, so I have no comment.

Q. When will you see the back nine? Will you go out this afternoon?

GRACE PARK: Tomorrow.

PAUL ROVNAK: Thanks, Grace.

End of FastScripts.

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