	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

BALLANTINE'S CHAMPIONSHIP

April 26, 2011

Yong-Eun Yang

INCHEON, KOREA

CALVIN KOH: Thanks, Yang, for coming for today's press conference. Maybe you can start by sharing with us, you have been away in the US for so long, how does it feel coming back home again?
Y.E. YANG: I was in Korea after the Korean Open year, so obviously I'm very happy to be back in my home country.
CALVIN KOH: You have lived in the U.S. for so long. What are the things about Korea that you miss most, especially when you come back? Family, friends, the food?
Y.E. YANG: I would have to say that there are many Korean restaurants in Dallas where I live, but sometimes there are a few Korean dishes that I miss a lot where you can only get them in Korean restaurants in Korea.
CALVIN KOH: Before we open to the floor, share with us your form. How do you feel about your form coming into this week?
Y.E. YANG: I actually feel good about my form. I had a game in China last week. I came to Korea two weeks ago and I had good rest and I had pleasant of good food, so I feel very good.

Q. Last week, you were at the Volvo China Open as the defending champion, but unfortunately your performance wasn't all that good. So could you explain your performance?
Y.E. YANG: I think my tee shot and second shot was good. But on the second day, I started off in the afternoon round, and the greens, as a result, were very slow. So there were three- or four-metre putts, seven or eight of them. That I missed and this put a strain on me in the last two holes.
I think overall I did okay, but it was the putting that was the issue for me last week. So I needed to concentrate towards the end; the putting got to me.

Q. This championship has a lack of Korean winners, so there are great expectations for the Korean players. Also, my second question is: Who do you think is your biggest rival in the championships?
Y.E. YANG: By ranking Lee Westwood obviously has recaptured his title as the No. 1 golfer, so Lee Westwood is definitely a competitor. Also Dustin Johnson, Ian Poulter and all of the competitors out there are good players on any course and any country.
So I think in the broad picture, they would be my main competitors, but I wouldn't count out Korean players, because Korean players are doing very well.
So I guess everybody is a competitor but that would give you a better picture of who I think are my competitors. Of course I would have to play my best in order to win.

Q. This course is obviously the first time for the Ballantine's Championship. What do you know about the course, and what about the course do you think you need to be cautious about going into the game? And also, we understand there are not that many mountainous golf courses, if you will, on the PGA Tour. So do you think that Korean players will have an advantage?
Y.E. YANG: Actually before it started to rain, I went out in the field and I saw some holes and I think that there is some undulation on the greens, so there is a first, second and third phase of the greens.
So from my perspective, I think putting, although putting is of course very important in every golf course around the world, I think putting would be an issue, and also sinking a shot might actually be difficult.
So lining it up, also, determining the distance, also the direction, will determine the score.
Also, going from the second shot onto the green, the green area itself is very large, but as I said, because of there is some undulation, the green itself, where you can land the ball, might be a little bit smaller than you would expect.
As to your question on weather, Korean players might have an advantage. I don't think Korean players will necessarily have an advantage, because nobody is really that familiar with this particular golf course.
I understand that a few Korean players have played here, maybe once or twice, so I don't think that they have a particular advantage. Instead, I think players who have been around the world, who have been to various golf courses, who have a lot of experience, might have an advantage.

Q. They say that sometimes that the darkest hour is perhaps before dawn, and I say this because in Korea, generally it's considered that you will get more fortunate after a series of unfortunate incidents; so I'm talking about perhaps the car accident you were in before you came here, and the fact that you missed your flight. So I'm wondering if you're feeling lucky this time around?
Y.E. YANG: This year I had some issues with planes, especially. A lot of my flights have been delayed or I've missed planes. I'm sure you saw, but I was involved in a very, very minor car accident. I've had a series of incidents like this, and this week I started off very good. I have a sponsorship now with the KB Financial Group, which is a big group.
I think at the end of the day, though, I have to do my best as I do all the time. And this is a championship that I knew I would be here for a long time, so as mentioned earlier, this is Korea, my home country. I've been invited by Ballantine's. So I think at the same time, at this championship, compared to other competitions, I really have to give it my best.

Q. With the HSBC games in 2006 and also the Volvo China Open, you've been on the PGA Tour a lot, and I'm sure this championship you really want to win as well, so please comment on this, and also, please, a word for your fans?
Y.E. YANG: Last year I was on The European Tour in China, and I won, and again this year, I've started on the PGA Tour. I've always thought that I wanted to win the Ballantine's Championship because it is a part of the PGA, but because it is held in Korea.
Personally I have always wanted to win this competition, and of course, because of the fact that Ballantine's invites me, I also want to win.
As for a message to my Korean fans, I don't play that often in Korea. I come maybe every six months, in spring and fall and I think the best way to greet my fans in Korea is to win. So, as always, I try to do by best, and I will do so this time, as well.
CALVIN KOH: Thank you for your time this week. Good luck.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297