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BALLANTINE'S CHAMPIONSHIPApril 28, 2012Bae Sang-MoonICHEON, SOUTH KOREA Q. How do you feel about your position in the tournament? BAE SANG‑MOON: So there are no really big differences between the top players right now. The person who is No. 1 on the leaderboard is at 11‑under, so I think there are some differences between his score and my score. Actually I was expecting better scores today but it did not meet my expectation. So right now, it's 11‑under, but we'll have to wait to see what the winning score is. Today I'm overall satisfied with my play. When I was really into the game, I thought my swings and my putting were coming back to me, and I have really high expectations for myself for the last round. Although I did commit bogeys in the latter half of my game, I actually made three birdies, so I hope I can continue this in the next round. Q. So you changed your irons, and I know that you changed your clubs several times, and you also changed your club here in Korea. You've been a professional for quite some time. Are you sensitive or does it have to do with the fact that the fields in the United States have changed? BAE SANG‑MOON: The irons I used before, I was able to win three tournaments in Japan. I felt that the irons‑‑ when I changed my irons, I was able to get a win right away. These irons are very low trajectory. These irons helped my ball to get a low trajectory and resist the wind. But in Japan, the greens are very soft and the bunkers are different from the United States. When I went to the United States, I wanted to control my ball better, but I felt that just with my irons, I could not get the right direction. So of course there are soft irons, middle irons and long irons but with the middle irons, I was looking for more of a soft carry, soft landing type of iron, a more softer trajectory. You could say I've been impatient and changing my irons even before I had time to adjust. With these new irons, I am adjusting. Q. When you make a short putt mistake, I think sometimes it affects your game on the next hole and sometimes you look a little bit upset. BAE SANG‑MOON: Actually, before when I missed a short putt, it did affect my next tee shot. But I've learned to overcome that. When I make a mistake or miss a short putt, it does not affect my next shot. But I do remember that I missed that putt, so when I'm putting, I get a little bit anxious. I think it can happen to anyone, so it's all about controlling your mind. So I try to remain calm, even if I make mistakes or I miss short putts, I try to remain calm. I don't want to show a weak side of myself to the gallery or to the other golf players that I play with, so even on the outside, I try to look like I'm calm. And during the four rounds, we play 72 holes, so I try to think positive and think that anybody can make a mistake, and I try to focus on being calm. Q. So my question is right now, I think the biggest challenge for you is to win your first tournament in the United States, but if you do win the Ballantine's Championship, you'll be winning a tournament on The European Tour, which will make you qualify to receive a seat; so will this change your schedule this year and next year? BAE SANG‑MOON: I think if I win the Ballantine's Championship, because it's part of The European Tour, more than the victory itself, there will be many benefits that I will be able to enjoy, especially in the wintertime because in October, November and January, there will be the championship tournaments. It's going to provide a lot of opportunities. I think like I said before, a Ballantine's Championship win will actually provide me with more opportunities as I move forward. In the United States in September, the season is almost over, and so if I win the Ballantine's Championship, I will have more opportunities to take part in tournaments. Of course, you know, I do want to win on the U.S. PGA TOUR. Kevin Na, it took him nine or ten years to win his first tournament and Charlie Wi is playing very well but he has still not won his first PGA TOUR. And of course K.J. Choi and Y.E. Yang, they are doing very well. I think I have shown my potential. A lot of people have said, you've got to win fast, and they have been pressuring me a little bit. But it's not as easy as it looks, so I've never let my guard down. I'm always working very hard. If instead of getting a win fast and getting my card and coming back to Korea, as I mentioned before, I would like to be a long‑time player on the PGA TOUR, maybe ten, 20 years. That's my goal. Q. So you've got a lot of birdies today, and sometimes you get many birdies consecutively, and so you show this very explosive performance. I still think that there is a chance you can win tomorrow, so I would like to know what the possibilities are, and when you have turned the tides, what is the biggest score difference you were able to make up for? BAE SANG‑MOON: When I won the Korean Open in 2009, the leader was 9‑under and I was even, and when I started the front nine, actually, I was 4‑over. On the 18th hole, the leader was 9‑under. So I was actually able to overcome 13 shots difference to win the tournament in the end. Q. So the best score that we've had on this course is 9‑under, so what do you feel is your winning score, and do you think it's possible? BAE SANG‑MOON: So I think to break that 9‑under, you first have to target the first round and the second round, and also the pin locations are important on those days. But on the first and second day of this tournament, we had bad weather. The third round, we are having good weather, and I expect we are having good weather tomorrow. So in order to break 9‑under, you have to get 10‑under or 11, and with those scores, I don't think the location of the pins are that important; I think putting and your iron shots will be very important. So of the four rounds, if for one day you are really doing well and everything goes well, it gives you a chance to win. This course, as I mentioned before, your iron shots are very important. So I believe that there is that possibility. Q. What else do you to do make your game strong? BAE SANG‑MOON: So I work out with a trainer and this trainer was introduced to me by Mr.Charlie Wi. We work out together and I think to be a golfer for a very long time, I don't think just practicing your shots and mastering your technique is enough. You have to be physically and mentally very strong. So I work out, and also I've been looking for a very good coach. I think you have to be very careful to find a coach that fits your style. If you don't, you can get into trouble. So I am trying to find a very good coach that fits my style. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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