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KIA CLASSICMarch 23, 2012Se Ri PakCARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA Q. We'd like to welcome current clubhouse leader Se Ri Pak. Nice round today. SE RI PAK: Thank you. Q. Talk about what worked for you. SE RI PAK: Actually I worked pretty well on my putting. Overall, I'm making a lot of putts. But at the same time, I had a lot of great shots too. So this week I'm trying to put less expectation on the green, because I could see everybody was having trouble on the green because it was so bumpy. Just being myself the same way. Just trying to get easy on the greens and trying to make as much as I could. But as I said, today was a really solid round, so I was really happy about it. Q. Through your first eight holes, you had six birdies this morning. Did your mind start to go to a really low score? SE RI PAK: Actually, I thought I was. But I said out there I still had a lot of trouble. So I tried to hang in there as much as I could. I just went out there and tried to enjoy it, and it went pretty well. Q. You didn't handle the first nine holes well yesterday, so what was the difference today? SE RI PAK: I guess the first front nine is like more kind of shorter than the back nine. The greens are basically less bumpy. So, as I said, I was having a really solid round today. I had a lot of great shots on the green, and made a great opportunity to make a birdie, so I did. I guess that gives me a lot of confidence at the same time. Overall, the first front nine is really enjoyable. The back nine, I knew there was a lot more trouble and long, especially because the wind is blowing it's getting harder. So that's about it. I'm trying to just give myself better course management at the same time, and I'm doing really well with my caddie. Q. What was your thought going into this season about the state of your game? What have you been working on? How have you felt? What was your attitude going in? SE RI PAK: Actually since last year almost the end of the season‑‑ every tournament I feel really great about it. Really now, I'm really enjoying playing golf. Actually, in the winter time I was working with my dad. He's my first coach. He helps me a lot, and made it very simple. There are no major effects or a lot of routines going on. It's very simple thoughts. So that helps a lot at the golf course too. At the same time, I felt really comfortable about it, so I guess my swing's getting better and better each week, every tournament. If I make more putts, it will be great. I'm feeling really great. I'm really trying out there as much as I could. Very much as I could, trying to enjoy playing golf. Q. With as many wins as you've had, and as young as you've had them, do you get impatient and frustrated when you don't win? I know you basically have one win in four years out here. How does that feel? How do you deal with that? SE RI PAK: Well, you're probably each week my expectation was every single week trying to get on top of the Reader board and trying to win, of course, each week. That puts a lot of pressure on you too. Of course, it's really frustrating, because you've done it so many times before that you know how to feel out there. But it wasn't that my game was really there, and then I was expecting myself to be on top, that's pretty hard. When I've done it so many times you know it can be even more. But for now, I feel really great. I guess that's the point is you learn a lot. Even if you're not at the top in golf, you're still there. Just basically, mentally be out there and enjoying and playing. That's the most important. Now I'm doing that. Q. Was there a point when you didn't feel motivated when you made the Hall of Fame so early? Was there a point where you kind of let down? SE RI PAK: Maybe I felt that way because I'm done at the same time so early. Probably part of it is because it was early. But my goal is to be on top. Next thing you know I'm pushing myself more and more. I think that's what caused me on owe makes me the other way going wrong side. So that's why learning from that point, I said I'm doing so many things at the same time, I'm the same person. It's not going to change anything. So I'm trying to get myself more calm and then trying to be more relaxed. As soon as you want more and then giving myself even more out there and trying to work so hard for it and having a lot of stress for it, I guess that's why my game was having problems for a couple years. But now I'm trying to thinking it was my rookie season, rookie years back all the way down, and every step I'm trying to learn more. As I said, golf has never the end. Just you're learning every single day, and I learn from that. Now I just feel really, really comfortable. I've really enjoyed it. Q. Do you ever feel old out here now with all these kids running around? SE RI PAK: It's funny to say, but I didn't really feel that way because I'm still the same like I was in my early 20s. But agewise, I'm a little bit old side, but I'm still physically fine for it so I'm trying not to think that way. Q. You're still young, but it's amazing how young the Tour is now. That just makes the 30‑year‑old players so much older? SE RI PAK: Like a senior, right. Yeah, yeah, it is. It basically does. Back then, I was 20, and probably youngest. But now there are like 17, 16, 19, so basically around 30 you feel like you're so old out there. But it doesn't really matter what age. Q. Do you feel gratified at having almost started and really caused this revolution in some ways? Because you're the player that so many of these young players were inspired by. Is that a nice feeling for you? SE RI PAK: Of course, definitely. I'm very proud of that side of it because everybody has the same goal. Doesn't matter what kind of job you have, you just want to be the best. But golf is a very individual game. It's pretty difficult to decide to really choose to be a pro. But as far as I help them to giving them a lot of goals or confidence about it, yes. The point right now, just as I said, by myself, I'm just really happy. Q. Just wanted to ask you about your physical health. Obviously, injuries or something that's bothered you, what do you do to stay healthy? How do you feel right now? SE RI PAK: I feel great. I mean, there can be injuries from here and there. Just one shot caused, then you find out if it was major less. But as much as I'm trying to give a lot of stretching, that is most important than working out. Working out is very important, but more important is trying to get more flexible, flexibility most of the time. So I'm of course working out in the off‑season too. But most of the time I'm trying to like after the round, go back to the hotel. Before I go to sleep, I'm trying to take out a lot of stress as much as I can make sure I'm loose, and trying not to get injured. Because it's going to be a couple weeks, couple months or a year, you never know. So I'm trying to take as much as I could. Q. Did you have neck problems? SE RI PAK: Well, last year at the end of the season my back was bothering me a little bit. I don't know why. I never had a problem before. But I guess you're sitting a lot, you're traveling a lot. Here and there it can tighten your lower back. So a couple times it bothered me a lot. This year, so far, so good. I didn't feel like anything bothered me. But I feel like it's great right now. Q. How does that affect your schedule? SE RI PAK: This year we got an okay schedule. Like we got three weeks straight and then two weeks off. Like three weeks play, two weeks off. That's actually a perfect schedule for that. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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