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KIA CLASSIC

March 22, 2011

Yani Tseng

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, and welcome to the Kia Classic 2011. Pleased to announce the World Rolex Rankings No. 1, Yani Tseng, fresh off her play last week at the RR Donnelley Founders Cup.
Yani, welcome. I know you're excited to be here. Just tell us a little bit about your trip in here to Los Angeles and what you think so far about what you've seen here at Pacific Palms and this course?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, I played 18 holes this morning. It was great. I know it's really tough. I know it's going to be a really tough course to shoot a low score. I'm just going to be patient and take one shot at a time.
The golf course, I think, I played here a couple of times before, but it's changed a lot. I'm always very happy to be here. Lots of Chinese, Taiwanese, and I had great food yesterday.
It's been like heaven for me for this week, so I'm very happy to be here. And all the Chinese people are going to be cheering for us, all five of us. So we're very happy this week.
THE MODERATOR: I know you were just outside with Ai Miyazato, Mika Miyazato, and Momoko Ueda. Had you seen them since the earthquake or is that the first time you've seen them?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, that is the first time I've seen them. I text them, but they didn't reply, so I was a little worried. But they told me they were fine. Their family was good and their friends were all good, so I'm glad. I said just let me know if I can do anything to help in Japan.
THE MODERATOR: Well, you've certainly already done that. I know that last week at the RR Donnelley Founders Cup, the sponsor donated over $50,000 to Japan Relief through the birdies and eagles hit on the back holes, the Japan Relief Zone.
And I know that you were scheduled to, if you finished in the Top 10, that you were going to donate half your earnings to Japan Relief through the U.S. fund for UNICEF. I know you were disappointed that you weren't playing just for yourself but for others. What was your overall feeling on that afterwards?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, I feel disappointed because I didn't finish strong, and I didn't play well, so I have no money to donate to the Japanese relief. But I decided I really wanted to play for charity last week. That's what I prepared for my schedule too.
So I still decided to donate $50,000 to the tap Project and the Japanese Relief, because these are only little things that I can do to help them, and I'm very happy to do it.
THE MODERATOR: I'm sure that UNICEF will be happy that $25,000 of your own personal money will be going to the Japan Relief effort and $25,000 to the UNICEF Tap Project. Thanks for that.

Q. Last time the LPGA played at this course, it was over 20 years ago. But it was criticized as being a little hard. Can you talk about what you have found in your practicing here so far, and what you think of the course?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, I think it's really tough. I mean, even some of the drivers, 5-iron, 4-iron, it's a long golf course, especially with the two days of raining. It's been raining really hard, and I heard tomorrow it's going to rain too.
I said I think we need to be very patient for this week. If you make bogey just feel like it's a U.S. Open course. If you make bogeys, it doesn't matter. I think it's hard to shoot a low score here. I hope the weather's going to be good all weekend.

Q. Do you think it's a fair course for the women?
YANI TSENG: I don't know. For me I think it's fair because I can hit the ball like maybe 250, 260, so it's good yardage for me. But probably some of the holes are pretty long, like 450, and the ball's not going to run anywhere.

Q. Can you talk a little bit, you're already wearing the button that they made. Can you talk a little bit about which girl gave it to you and what that means to you?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, I think this means Don't Give Up Japan. I think everybody's watching the news and we all feel very sad about Japan. We just want to fight. We want to play good and to do some charity to help the people out there.
I wish everybody can donate. It doesn't matter how much money you donate, it's going to help even for them to have a place to stay or food to eat because it's really, really hard in Japan to make everybody happy now.

Q. I know you come from Beaumont. Have you played this course before?
YANI TSENG: I think only three times, three or four times. But I couldn't remember anything.

Q. But you don't remember anything about it?
YANI TSENG: No.

Q. But does that give you a little feeling being more comfortable with it being so long overall, et cetera?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, a little bit. Today I practiced a little bit and I discussed with my caddy ball strategy. And I think everything set up pretty well, and I'm looking forward to this week.

Q. You've gotten off to a great start to the season, continue.
YANI TSENG: Thank you.

Q. Can you talk about just seeing the three gals outside and what you think it means to them and what you think of what they're doing with the website and the fundraising? They're trying to sort of do that as three and make awareness and the buttons. What do you think about what they're doing and maybe the emotions they're probably experiencing?
YANI TSENG: I think it's really good because they are from Japan, and probably Ai's family, Ai's brother was living in Sendai and the car, the house is all gone. This is a job we can do to help and just wear these things.
I know it's very tough on them, but I hope they'll be really happy to be back on Tour and to feel everybody here. I think all the people would love to help them on the LPGA. Everybody's really nice out here.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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