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U.S. JUNIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

July 24, 2004

Sihwan Kim

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

CRAIG SMITH: Give us your emotions after all of the hard work in winning the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship?

SIHWAN KIM: I don't know, it's just been a great week, actually, like you know this week. This course is like really tough. Like when you can't hit the fairway, just like automatic bogey or double. You just can't put it on the green.

So today, not today, but this week, I hit the fairway and hit the green. That's probably like the most successful thing I did. And it feels good, like to win this tournament, the greatest tournament in junior career. It feels good to follow the steps that Tiger did and Harman and other good players. It's good to like play match play with other great players in the United States or all over the world, and then I actually learned a few things from them.

So that's like mostly all of my emotions I had this week. It's been like pretty nervous all week. Because, you know, like the match against Harman and Jon Curran, I didn't think I would, like, win, going against them, but like I just kind of got lucky and they kind of struggled.

CRAIG SMITH: You didn't trail after the second hole, but it probably was that big, long birdie putt on 12 that gave you enough breathing room to not be too nervous coming down the stretch.

SIHWAN KIM: Yes, David knocks down like about a 7 footer on No. 10, and then I was 1 up after that. So we had about like how many holes, nine eight holes, and like all of this time I see a score, and it's just like, yesterday afternoon, he was 5 down and he just went to playoff, he went like 5 down and seven holes to go. I knew he was like pretty strong at the end, and I was trying to kind of not block, but like kind of prepare for that.

So I was trying to get like more points, like more up, you know. So that birdie putt on No. 12 like really helped me. If it wasn't for that, I'll be in the playoff, and then you never know who will win.

Q. On 17, you watched him hit it into the trees on his second shot. Did it ever cross your mind just to play towards the fairway; or you took an aggressive line right at the pin on your second shot; what were you thinking?

SIHWAN KIM: I shoot like I saw him hit his rescue, I think, into the trees, like way left. It hit the tree and then it went to the rough. Then I knew that it's going to be like an easy chip from over there. So I just try to like put it on the green or a little short of it to just have an opportunity to get par. I didn't want to like hit it long or hit it right. But like uphill and then a little like slice, I had those kind of lie, and I just kind of blocked it and faded. I done that like a lot of times, I done that probably like every day, every round, but I just couldn't fix it. So like he made great putt for bogey, and I missed mine and went to the 18th hole and then he missed his birdie putt, so I win.

Q. You went about four or five feet by on your first putt on 18. You probably thought: "Here comes David again, he's going to make this, I have to get close"?

SIHWAN KIM: Actually, I was trying to kind of trying to leave it short, leave my putt short because the green side is really fast like downhill, especially No. 18. I was trying to just leave it short, and it's going to like almost like roll up to the hole. And I knew it was going to break, I mean like break so much that, you know, I can't even like control how much it breaks.

And I was just trying to like kind of stick it, but it kind of ran away kind of. And David had good chance to tie me and apparently like he missed his birdie putt and I made my par putt.

Q. We wrote and watched David make putts all week, but did you feel like you were as good a putter as him; that's kind of a weapon that people don't really notice about you because you hit it so long off the tee. Your putting, do you feel like you are one of the great putters in junior golf, too?

SIHWAN KIM: My putting has been good this week but it has been great. I mean, David's putting was awesome, not today, but I heard like yesterday. And today he was kind of struggling. But I mean, I think David's short game is much better than mine. Although like he hits, you know, like maybe 30 yards shorter than me, and I had a great advantage like on the long par 4s, because I could hit 30, maybe 30 and 20 yards further than David, which is pretty big distance.

My short game is not the best, but I tried to make short putts, maybe like four feet, five feet putts and that really like I practice to make four feet, five feet putts and that really helped me on No. 1 to knock down that five feet, 5 footer for par.

Q. Did you surprise yourself just looking back at what you did now should? When you played Brian Harman, you said you're surprised I bet him. Surprised yourself all week?

SIHWAN KIM: Actually, I did, because I actually aimed for the quarterfinals and then just to get an exemption to next year. And I mean, like first I came here and it was like, wow, this course is just amazing, it's like beautiful and just in hard condition.

This course is my coach's favorite golf course, too. I heard a lot about this course from my coach. I really surprised myself, like I beat, how many players through this, six players, to win? I mean, six great players. And this is my first match play game, tournament I've played, and I'm surprised that I did pretty well on it.

Q. Coming into this tournament you had had some success as a Junior, what do you think now that you're the U.S. Junior Amateur Champion, what do you think this will do for your confidence level in junior golf for the next three or four years?

SIHWAN KIM: This will like definitely raise my confidence level. I think this tournament is a great opportunity to play match play, because match play, I think match play is like a little different than stroke play. It's a little like different thinking and little different strategy.

I think, my confidence being like went up a lot because I beat Brian Harman and other good players.

Q. Get some of your personal details. Your coach is Bobby Lasken?

SIHWAN KIM: Mm hmm.

Q. And where does he work out of?

SIHWAN KIM: He works out of Westridge.

Q. And that is in?

SIHWAN KIM: La Habra, in California.

Q. And you found him through James Lee?

SIHWAN KIM: Yes, I actually did. When I first came here, actually my mom shade over at James Lee's house, and he was going to Bobby Lasken at that time and he changed his coach right now. I went to him once, and he was just a great guy, so I started getting a lesson from him.

Q. And is that what you would consider your home course, Westridge?

SIHWAN KIM: No, actually I play like different courses every time. Like in the winter, since there aren't any tournaments, golf tournaments, I play Industry Hills a lot, great course and fast greens. And then I play a whole lot of different courses, I just can't tell.

Q. And your father is back in Korea?

SIHWAN KIM: My father is back in Korea and he just I think he just went to Vietnam to work there because my dad's main company is in Vietnam. He's probably like watching the Internet by now.

Q. And what does he do for a living, did you say?

SIHWAN KIM: He makes knits, like clothing.

Q. What time is it there?

SIHWAN KIM: Not sure.

Q. Any of other golf background in your family, your father, your mother?

SIHWAN KIM: No, because in Korea, a long time ago we were pretty poor to play golf. And my dad, my parents were like first ones to start playing golf. They just like kind of like gave it to me, like they just kind of preferred me to play golf. Back then, I didn't even like it because it was like so boring and I couldn't even hit like five yards.

As I got better, I like the sport. I came to America, and that's what happened.

CRAIG SMITH: Help me go through your coming over here in October of 2000. You didn't know the language, and you said acceptance was important to you, but that didn't come easily.

SIHWAN KIM: Yes, like first, I came to the United States, and, I mean, it was pretty hard. It was about four years ago probably. I went to the elementary school and I couldn't speak any English. Those students, my fellow students, I mean, they were like speaking English and I've got to say something, I have so much things to say and I just couldn't speak anything. I was like learning, like barely learning English that way. I got my tutor and my teacher, and my teacher was very kind and stuff, and they taught me very well. So I learned English like pretty fast over the years. That's probably like the hardest time of my life because it was so like stressful that you can't speak English.

Q. What do you think it's going to be like when you step on the first tee of your next Junior tournament and they announce you as "Junior Amateur Champion"? How are the other kids now going to view you?

SIHWAN KIM: It's going to be a little different, but HP Boys' is my next tournament but I don't think it's going to be the same. I don't think it's going to the be the same for me. I don't think it's going to be the same for like everybody. I just won the U.S. Junior Championship, and I'm glad I won this.

Q. How will it play out in Korea? Terry is the only other champion who is a foreign born player, how do you think this is going to play out back in your home country?

SIHWAN KIM: When I won L.A. city, which was in southern California, it was in the newspaper. My family were just going crazy about it because, you know, like, my son is on the newspaper. My dad is like, "My son is on the newspaper." And this tournament is like greater than L.A. City. (Laughter.)

So, I think it's going to influence Korean people a lot and just like as Koreans, like winning this tournament is just great.

CRAIG SMITH: Looking back at learning English and learning golf, compare the two; which is harder, which has come more quickly?

SIHWAN KIM: Learning English come more quickly than golf because just practicing golf and getting lessons and stuff, like you've really got to concentrate on hitting shots and stuff.

I think golf, like learning golf comes later than learning English. Because like when people are young, like they learn things pretty fast, like language, they learn other things pretty fast, too. I think golf is harder, say like hard to learn.

Q. You just played at the Olympic Club and then you go to HP Boys', which is played at Bay Hill, and then you're going up to Winged Foot. Kind of talk about this kind of schedule for yourself. I mean, it's a pretty good month you're going to have.

SIHWAN KIM: I mean, it's going to be like, you know, great month I'll say. And I'll try to play, you know, HP and Winged Foot, like this, like hole by hole and shot by shot.

Q. Do you think this will influence golf in Korea, now that you've become a role model for other Korean athletes or golfers in the Korean community?

SIHWAN KIM: I hope so. I mean, I'm not I'm probably not the greatest player in Korea right now. I mean, there are probably greater players in Korea. I mean, they see me like playing golf in the United States and then winning like Junior Amateur, they probably think that United States is good place to play golf probably.

I think they are probably going to do what I did, like coming over to the United States and learning English, studying and playing golf. I think it's going to influence Korean people a lot.

Q. Tell us a little bit about your caddie this week.

SIHWAN KIM: Oh, my caddie, John Kelly, I mean, first, like when I came here at July 16, 17, I had a first practice round. I had this caddie, his name is like Mark McCash (ph), and then he caddied me for a day and he just he just says, you know, I can't be (here) on Monday and Tuesday. So I say, why, and he says, "I have school."

And then I told him to just like, you know, like not go away, just like I don't want you for a caddie because you can't be my caddie, you know. So like the day after yeah, I fired him. (Laughter.)

The day after that, I tried to look for another caddie, and then just like you know, like we had a fog delay, and just before my tee time, and John Kelly came over and he carried my bag. And he really , I mean, he helped me a lot with like reading greens and carrying the bag, of course. He's like really encouraging to me. I mean, if I hit that shot, I mean, he's like, oh, that's all right, like that's pretty good for a bad shot. He's really, like, encouraging.

Q. Is he a member here?

SIHWAN KIM: That's what I heard. I think he's a Junior member, because yeah.

Q. When you look at this trophy, can you see the names up there, you have Tiger, Hunter Mahan, Johnny Miller; these guys have all done some great things in golf.

SIHWAN KIM: Yeah, I'm pretty sure like most of them, not most of them, and Tiger, Johnny Miller, they are in like PGA TOUR, right. So it feels great to have my name on there, just to have my name on there. I hope like I could get to the PGA like the others, like Tiger, and be the Top 10 player in the world.

Q. Are you a fan of K.J. choi?

SIHWAN KIM: I like him as a player, because when he's playing golf, he's like so focused, and he just like he's so focused. Like he looks even scary since he's so focused. I like his concentration a lot, and then although he's like short and he's like 5'10, right? Shorter? Although he's short, he just like works out, tries to do his best.

I heard he's a good Christian, too, and I'm Catholic, you know, I'm pretty sure he practices a lot.

Q. Have you met him?

SIHWAN KIM: No, I haven't met him before. I just like see on TV, see him on the TV. If I have a chance to meet him, it will be like really great.

Q. Wrapping it up, when you won, you didn't smile, you just shook hands with everybody, and most people throw their hat in the air, hug their caddie or start trying or something but you were focused or something. What was the deal?

SIHWAN KIM: Because it was like such a relief, and I mean, there's like I mean, after I won, I was just like, blank. You know, I couldn't say anything or I couldn't like smile because, you know, I couldn't believe that I won this tournament. And right now, like tournament's over, it's kind of like good that I won this, kind of like funny that I won this. During the play right after I won, I couldn't say anything, just such a surprising round.

CRAIG SMITH: Congratulations both on the championship and the event.

End of FastScripts.

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