	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 18, 2010

Jin Jeong

ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND

LYNN WALLACE: Ladies and gentlemen, we're joined by Jin Jeong, who scored a level par-72 today for a four-round total of 4-under 284 to win the silver medal. Congratulations.
JIN JEONG: Thank you very much.
LYNN WALLACE: You recently won the Amateur Championship at Muirfield where you said it was a dream come true to get a chance to play in the Open. So what are your thoughts now?
JIN JEONG: Yeah, it was a dream come true. I played the British Amateur finally at St. Andrews, I mean, it's quite a lot. And I played really well and finished eagle. I don't think I can forget that moment.

Q. Great way to finish at the 18th. Second day in a row you've driven it onto the green. How did it feel to you to hole that putt on the 18th, having had the chance yesterday and not taken the eagle?
JIN JEONG: Yeah, yesterday was closer, but I missed it. And when I was in the bed, just couldn't -- that thought came in my mind. So today when I hit that putt, I told my coach, I really have to make that putt, and I've got it, so I'm really happy with that.

Q. Is your coach your caddie?
JIN JEONG: Yeah, yeah, he was caddying for me.

Q. Does he always caddie for you? Did he caddie for you at Muirfield?
JIN JEONG: No, at Muirfield it was my dad. But when I play tournaments in Australia, he caddies quite a lot.

Q. You finished ahead of K.J. Choi, you finished ahead of Y.E. Yang. Is that hard for you to believe, and the fact that you are the leading Asian player here at St. Andrews?
JIN JEONG: Yeah, it's hard to believe I'm here. But yeah, played really well. Yeah.

Q. Did you have a practise round with K.J. and Y.E.?
JIN JEONG: No, I played with Y.E. last week at Loch Lomond, but here I played with Robert Allenby and Lucas Glover, Davis Love and Steve Marino. Didn't play with any Korean players.

Q. How long was the putt on 18? Are there a couple memories from this week that are really going to stand out that you'll look back on years from now that will kind of stick in your memory?
JIN JEONG: Can you speak really slowly.

Q. Sure. How long was the putt on 18? And are there any particular memories or specific memories that are going to stay with you in the years to come from this week?
JIN JEONG: Last hole was -- how long was it? 20, 25 feet. Other than that, 17th, par putt, missed it. That will stay in my mind. I mean, all week I played really well, and all the crowds gave me claps. All week I can't forget.

Q. Jeong, congratulations on your performance. You've obviously taken to Scotland, and Scotland appears to have taken to you. Have you taken to any of the local delicacies here, the haggis or the fish or any of the food that would be a bit unnatural for you?
JIN JEONG: I tried to eat black pudding. (Laughter).

Q. And?
JIN JEONG: That was quite tough. I like fish and chips, but haggis came out the other day for breakfast, but my coach says don't try it, so I didn't even try that.

Q. Congratulations. When you saw Y.E. Yang win the U.S. PGA Championship, did you think, I can do that one day?
JIN JEONG: Actually even before he won the PGA, I was thinking I can win major tournaments in the future. But Y.E. did it first, so yeah, definitely I feel like I can do that.

Q. Did that victory of his inspire a generation of young Koreans like yourself to go for it big-time on the world stage?
JIN JEONG: Sorry?

Q. Did his victory inspire so many Koreans like yourself to try even harder to make an impact on the world stage?
JIN JEONG: You mean from Y.E.'s win? Yeah, it was really big news in Korea. Everyone was going crazy about it. And also he gave us a lot of confidence, as well. So I think a lot of people think the same way.

Q. Tell us what influence Australia has had on your career and on your education. You've been there for four years and are learning golf there and becoming a better golfer. Just what influence it's had, what effect it's had during your time in Australia.
JIN JEONG: I moved to Australia four years ago, Waverley Golf Club, and my coach, he's head pro at the golf club. Australia has great practise facilities, better than Korea, so I could practise as much as I can, and that helps quite a lot for my game.

Q. You've stated that you wanted to become an Australian citizen. Would you fill us in on that, please? Would you tell us about that, please?
JIN JEONG: I've got permanent residency now, but I can't say much about citizenship now, because we need to wait and we need to think about it more. Yeah, we have to wait for that.

Q. Following on from that, there are some big amateur events coming up, the Eisenhower, the World Amateur and the Asian Games. Are you hopeful you will be on the Korean team for those tournaments? Can you also tell us how well you knows guys like Eric Chun and Byeong-Hun An?
JIN JEONG: I'm not sure I can play Eisenhower Cup this year, because I don't know how Korean Golf Association picks the players. Because I haven't played any Korean national tournaments. So yeah, I'm not sure I can play there or not. I really want to play.
And Asian Amateur, I got invited, but Korean Open is same time, so I have to think about it, as well.
I met Eric a few years ago, so I've known him for a while, but I haven't met An until last week.

Q. At the 2002 World Cup, we saw the excitement and passion that South Korea had for football. What kind of passion is there for golf, and what kind of recognition do you get for achievements like here and winning the Amateur Championship? Do you have a high profile at home?
JIN JEONG: Not really sure because I'm living in Australia, so I don't know what's going on in Korea. But I saw some newspaper through internet, and I saw a few times my name on there. But yeah, I really don't know about it.

Q. How many times a year are you at home to see your friends and family?
JIN JEONG: Not really, maybe once a year, or not that many.

Q. Do you anticipate that you will play for Korea as an amateur, or if you are not chosen, would you play for Australia? And then secondly, will you turn professional? Your game obviously is good. Are you thinking now about becoming a professional? And if so, will you try for the PGA TOUR or Asian Tour or European Tour?
JIN JEONG: I was going to turn pro this year, but I won British Amateur, so now I can play Masters next year. So I really want to play that tournament. So I'll probably stay amateur until then. I will turn pro after Masters, and depending on where I get starts, I really want to play U.S. Tour, but I can't say much about it now.

Q. And in terms of playing -- if the Korean Federation does not choose you for amateur events, would you play for Australia? Would you become an Australian citizen and then play for Australia in team events?
JIN JEONG: It's hard to answer that question. Yeah, I don't know the answer, sorry.

Q. I'm just wondering about Australia has a passion for sports and whether that's helped you living in Melbourne these past four years? Melbourne and Australia, especially Melbourne, there's a huge passion for sport. Has that helped you become a better golfer do you think?
JIN JEONG: I'm not sure. My coach is really big fan of football, Aussie football. I don't know.

Q. Perhaps you could tell me about the sporting culture out there and what other sports you've seen and whether you're interested in other sports.
JIN JEONG: You mean in Australia?

Q. Yeah.
JIN JEONG: Football, Aussie football, and cricket, but it's really boring, so I don't watch. (Laughter.) I think those are the two biggest sports in Australia.

Q. How do you feel about missing out on all the money that you obviously won't get being an amateur? And if you go all the way through to next April at the Masters, it could amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds possibly.
JIN JEONG: Yeah, that's why my dad is not here. He's working in Korea. (Laughter.)

Q. What's he do?
JIN JEONG: He works for building construction company in Korea. He was going to come here to watch, but his business is going really busy, so he had to stay. It's a shame, yeah.
LYNN WALLACE: Thanks very much. Well done.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297