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KIA CLASSICMarch 23, 2012Yani TsengCARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome our current leader Yani Tseng into the interview room. Congratulations following up your first round 67 with a second round 68. Pretty impressive play the last two days. Can you just take me through your round today and what was working for you. YANI TSENG: Today I made some little stupid mistakes on the front nine, but on number 7, I hit a terrible shot. I don't know. I don't remember when is the last time I hit that shot. I hit it with a 58 and hit it on top and all the way back to the bunker. On number 8, I chopped a little bit, and both two shot misses I made bogey. After that I stayed really patient, and kept telling myself it's okay. You still have nine more holes to go. You can still make some birdies out there. So the back nine, especially on number 10, I think that's the first time I chipped in from the bunker as a professional, so I was really, really happy about that. Today, I just stayed really patient, and I was very happy that I finished with 4‑under today and hitting the driver much better on the fairway today. THE MODERATOR: Had a nice little finish there with a birdie on 18 too. Can you take me through that hole? YANI TSENG: Yeah, when I get to 18 I just told myself, let's hit three good shots and I can save 30 minutes of practice today. So I hit a great drive down the fairway. The second shot was 140 to the pin, and I hit an 8‑iron and hit a little cut and finished like 15 feet. Before I walked in to the green, I told my caddie, "How about $20 if I make this?" And, "okay." And I made it, and I won $20 on the 18th hole hitting three best shots on the course, and finished happy, and I can go home and relax. THE MODERATOR: You head into the weekend with a two shot lead. How confident are you feeling with your game right now? YANI TSENG: You know, I wasn't thinking much. I'm very confident and very comfortable too. So I don't‑‑ I wasn't thinking like I am going to win or something. I just focus on every day. I had two good days, and hopefully the next days I can keep the rhythm and be patient. I'm looking forward to the next two days. Q. You mentioned bunker shot and there was the chip‑in at 13, right? YANI TSENG: Yeah, there was also on 13. Q. Forgot about that one. YANI TSENG: No, I didn't. I remember that one. Q. How good did you feel about that chip‑in? Because it seemed to roll in like a putt. YANI TSENG: Yeah, I felt very good, especially on number 13, because I hit a great shot. But we just picked the wrong club. Especially after I see Paula and Suzann, they're both hitting it like two feet. So I was like I want to get close like them. And I hit a perfect shot, and it ends up ten feet or like ten yards short. So I was pretty mad about that. When I got there, I really wanted to chip‑in to make birdie. So I did pretty well, and I put more weight on the left. It's much better than number 8. Q. So all the success you've had, you've never holed out a bunker shot for birdie? YANI TSENG: Yeah, in my memory, I've never. As a professional, I've never done it before. IÂ’m always very close, so I was really, really happy about that. Q. How would you rate how difficult that shot was when you walked up to it? Were you just trying to kind of get it close? How was the lie? YANI TSENG: The lie was pretty good, but I don't have much green to work with. It's about 13 yards to the pin, and I just want to get it close. It's rolling very beautifully and it went in the hole. Q. Do you remember watching Se Ri Pak when you were younger as a much younger child? Do you remember anything about her major wins? Was Se Ri much of an influence or inspiration to you as a kid? YANI TSENG: Yeah, of course. I think for us, especially Asian golfers, all Asian golfers want to be like Se Ri Pak. She's a superstar. She's a legend. When we were kids, we were looking for her swing. We wanted to learn her swing. We're always looking as a goal with us. In the beginning we didn't have many Asian players on the Tour, and Se Ri Pak was one of the very first Asians to have such success. So everybody was looking at her and wanted to be like her. Now I think she's one of the Asian players that we have a goal and tell ourselves we can play on the LPGA Tour also. She's a very huge inspiration for us. Like now I've been playing on Tour for five years, and I wish in the future I can be like her too. She's done so much for the LPGA, done so much for Asian golf and so many great players on the Tour, especially the Asian girl golf is growing a lot. Q. How much have you played with Se Ri like on a weekend when both of you were contending? Have you played together before contending? How will it be for you, this woman who was a superstar to you as a child, how is it playing with you now? YANI TSENG: I think it's much better now because this is my fifth year on the Tour, and we've played so many times together. But I remember the very first time we played together is the first year in Canada. I, unfortunately, I was very nervous. It was the first time I played with her. It was just a bad time to play with her because I had a four‑shot lead, and I was nervous, and there was so much pressure and I didn't win the tournament. I was thinking too much and nervous to play with Se Ri. And I was overthinking and trying too hard. Se Ri finished second and Katherine won the tournament. But that was a great experience for me for the first year. So I've been through that many years. Now when I play with her, I don't feel any nerves. I just feel like I enjoy it. We talk a lot on the golf course. She's doing some host for Korean, so we both have an interview too. So that was very cool to play with a legend player on a golf course, and we have kind of the same culture in Asia and we can talk about a lot of things. Q. Could you talk a little bit about the play on number 12 where everybody in your group ended up playing through the 7th fairway there? YANI TSENG: Oh, yeah, on number 12. It's kind of a little narrower on our fairway on 12. If we go right side to number 7, it's like 15 yards or 20 yards closer. So that's why if we go there, we have more chance to hit on the green. It's a secret though (laughing). Q. Just to follow that up. So when I was following you guys yesterday, Suzann was over there, and I thought, wow, that's a really terrible tee shot. So yesterday was she the only one who played over there intentionally and then you guys got the idea pretty much? YANI TSENG: No, I got the idea before she played too because my caddie told me that on Wednesday. He said if we have a chance, we can hit in there if you're comfortable with it. Because when we were doing the practice round, I didn't hit it there. So I didn't feel comfortable when he told me that to hit it there because it's my first time hitting it down there today. But after I saw Suzann hit it, I was like, yeah, it's 20 yards closer, and it was a much better angle there. We have more chance to get on the green. Q. Can you remember another time where you've intentionally gone into another fairway? YANI TSENG: Yeah, last time it was in Korea. I was playing with Na Yeon Choi. I don't know if it was the 15th hole or 13th hole, because if we go this way on the fairway it's a three‑shot hole. But if we go all the way to the right, and I can hit a Rescue on the green, but I have to go over the big water. But if I can hit a Rescue over the water, it's easier for a three‑shot hole. So I think that's the last time I did that. Q. So you hit driver today? YANI TSENG: I hit a driver. Q. What was the second shot? What did you hit on the second shot? YANI TSENG: Oh, we picked the wrong club again. We thought the wind was going to be ten yards downwind. I hit it a 19 and it ends up 20 yards short. But if I hit a 3‑wood, it would be perfect. But we saw the wind it wasn't blowing, but probably when we hit, it stopped blowing when we hit. Q. Nobody ended up birdieing that hole today. Do you think it's a good strategy and you'll try it again on the weekend? YANI TSENG: Yeah, I think so. I think it's still a good strategy. If I hit a 3‑wood today, I'd have better chance. I hit a good chip there too. But three of us had lots room to work with. It's not like we were missing the short side. If the pin was on the right side, maybe we were thinking about going on four fairway, so I wasn't sure about it. It just depends on where the pin position is. If it's downwind, it's okay. But if it's into the wind, there is no way to go there. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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