U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

May 31, 2001

Mi Hyun Kim

MI HYUN KIM: There wasn't much difficult today, except the course -- it's a long course. The course was quite long today. And I didn't think there was much difficulty. My putting still was quite good today. And also I practiced a lot on the fairways on the practice round, and that helped today's game.

MI HYUN KIM: Today on the front 9 I had a couple of chances of making birdies, however putting -- putts just slid by the hole. On the 10th, I told myself I've got to get a birdie. So on the 10th with a middle wedge, about 60 yards from the hole I hit it about three feet to the hole, made a birdie. And 11th -- with a 11-wood I hit it about three feet to the hole and made a birdie. And 12, with 6-iron I hit it six feet to the hole, made a birdie.

MI HYUN KIM: 160 yards.

MI HYUN KIM: Last year at the U.S. Open I learned how to attack the course and also how to manage the course. For this year, instead of trying to make birdie, I try to avoid the difficult holes. And the easy holes, I attacked the hole to get birdies. So this kind of course -- especially last year helped. And I will be improved on course management as the round goes by, so I expect to do better.

MI HYUN KIM: Well, I didn't want to be late for tee time, so about 2:30 I happened to wake up. And then I couldn't go back to sleep and tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't. So it was difficult morning.

MI HYUN KIM: No, it was one.

MI HYUN KIM: Thank you.

MI HYUN KIM: It is the first time to play with A.J. Eathorne, and A.J. had a really good short game rhythm and putting stroke. So I don't usually watch how other players putting stroke. But I watched and tried to learn how putting -- how she putted today, so that helped my putting too. And my putting was quite good since last week. And also last week to prepare for the Open I changed my putter. I use -- never compromise, but I used the same model. But it's a lighter putter because of a fast green, so that helped my game, too.

MI HYUN KIM: I like -- I prefer narrow course because I'm not a long hitter. So when I can drive, like since it's narrow -- since my driver is accurate, I can drive, but -- I prefer a course that others cannot drive, but I can drive on tee.

MI HYUN KIM: My tee shot is very accurate. I like the narrow course, rather than the long.

MI HYUN KIM: I use the same length of driver, same length of iron. Since I'm short, it looks longer to me. However, I use the same standard driver and iron.

MI HYUN KIM: Not just me, I think every player in this field and the Tour. The Tour players' object is winning the U.S. Women's Open. And when I first came to the USA I promised that -- I promised and I dreamed of winning the U.S. Women's Open. But my mother, she said, she will never let me get married until I win U.S. Women's Open, so I must win it (laughter.)

MI HYUN KIM: No, not yet.

MI HYUN KIM: Wang, last name, W-a-n-g. First name, S-u-n-h-a-n-g.

MI HYUN KIM: For a Tour player, a long course or short course, it doesn't matter, it doesn't effect the ability much. You've got to try to make birdie every chance you're given. But on 15th, when I made a bogey, I had enough chance to make par, however I tried to make birdie, then I made a mistake. So in this kind of long course I don't worry much about length, I don't really care about the difficulties of the course, I try every -- every hole and I give my all effort to attack the course.

MI HYUN KIM: I had a really good tee shot. However, there was downwind and also side wind, so when I hit it -- I didn't want to hit it over the green, so I went to the downwind. And at the time when downwind was blowing I hit it, but the club was a little bit open and pushed to right.

MI HYUN KIM: Maybe 12 feet.