|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
BALLANTINE'S CHAMPIONSHIPApril 25, 2013Dae-Sub KimICHEON, SOUTH KOREA THE MODERATOR: So congratulations on finishing with 69 shots, which is 3‑under par in the first round. So thank you for your hard work, and tell us how you felt on the round. DAE‑SUB KIM: Well, the weather today was bad and the green conditions are very difficult for the players to play on. My first target before I went on the field was not to make any bogeys. So I did commit one bogey in the final hole, but overall, I think that despite all of these difficult conditions, I did pretty well. I've won in two Asian tournaments before, and my putting was not that satisfactory. So I had a lot of concerns with my putting. But this time around during this tournament, I think that putting went well, too. So I think that I was able to recover my confidence. Q. So I understand that you have attended several Korean Open tournaments and you won actually several times, so you are indeed one of the Korean golf stars. So I would like to ask you how many times you've been in the European or U.S. Tour events. And in the European setting, although this is a Korean course, I want to know what you did in order to prepare yourself. DAE‑SUB KIM: So before I went and served in the military, I had only been in Korean tournaments. And of course in the early 2000s, I attended the Japanese Tour, but in 2013, I've attended the Open Asia two times and I've also been to two Ballantine's Championships that were held in Jeju Island. So in 2013, this is my third Ballantine's Championship after those tournaments in Jeju Island. When it comes to the course settings, I think that the Blackstone course setting is really nice. I like the way the fairway is designed, the bunkers and the green conditions. It's quite‑‑ the ball goes whichever way you intend it to, so I think these conditions make Blackstone Golf Course pretty nice, and this is quite rare among the Korean golf courses. Q. I understand that you're using a pretty unique put, I'm not sure if you're using it this season, but as far as I remember you were using the long putter but something that didn't touch your body last year. So the rule obviously is going to change and it's going to be forbidden to use long putters in the field. So what do you have in mind for your putts? Are you going to keep using what you're using today? DAE‑SUB KIM: So the putter I've been using is the one that I've used in the Korean Open back in 2012. However, this time around, the design, it may be the same, but it's not exactly the same. So this putter is not going to be forbidden under the new rule. Early this year in the OneAsia Tour, the putter that I used was different. So for this Blackstone Golf Course, the green undulation is quite severe, and it's quite tricky and in the afternoon you get a lot of wind. So I brought that putter back on and I'm quite satisfied, so I will continue to use it. Q. So as far as Korea is concerned, you are considered to be one of the Masters of the short game, so how is it different putting from Korean course settings and European course settings? And my second question is: This morning we had a lot of rain but in the afternoon the sunshine came back. So how was the course conditions different, depending on these weather conditions? DAE‑SUB KIM: So I think that the green conditions are not that different in terms of the course settings, because Blackstone is indeed one of the Korean golf courses. And depending on the golf course and the green conditions, I try to adjust my techniques and my clubs. With regard to the weather, this morning we had a lot of rain, but the wind was not that severe. But in the afternoon, the sun came back on, however, there was a lot of wind. So that was one of the differences that I had to adjust myself to, and after the rain, I think that the green became a little bit slower. Q. So before the game, a lot of players mentioned that for this Blackstone Golf Course, irons are going to be really important to make a difference. So I understand that you have really good techniques when it comes to irons, so many people have been saying that you will be able to go closer to winning a trophy. So what do you think about that? DAE‑SUB KIM: I also agree with the other players. I think that for this particular course, yards or distance is less important, which makes irons all the more important. Because of the tricky green undulation, it's really important that you drop your ball closer to the pin. It's going to make a huge difference. So starting this week, I felt good and I'm feeling better as the days go by, so I do certainly have high hopes that I could get closer to winning the trophy. I understand that the Ballantine's Championship is being held in Korea for six times now, and obviously we had a lot of Korean players playing in it, but unfortunately none of them actually have won the trophy. So I bet including myself, that a lot of Korean players are trying to win that trophy this time around. So my putting and my shot conditions are pretty good. So I'm going to make every effort so that I can actually realise that. And with regard to the last hole, my tee shot was okay but there was a headwind and I tried to avoid a bunker on the right‑hand side. So I tried to place my ball in the center of the fairway. It went pretty well. However, it was about 90 yards to the pin and I grabbed my 4‑iron and obviously the ball was dropped to like 20 yards away from the pin. So because the green was kind of slow, I had to make three putts in order to put my ball in the hole. Q. So I think that you have a very high chance to win the Ballantine's Championship 2013, which will give you a seat in the European Tour. In that case, would you like to go on and play on The European Tour, or are you going to remain on the Korean Tour? Or, are you going to play in Japan? DAE‑SUB KIM: Well, it's like a dream come true for me if that really happens. So to make that happen, I'm going to play really hard every single day in order to bring about a good result. And then, after I hold up my trophy and drink the Ballantine's 30 Year Old, then I'm going to think about what I'm going to do in the future. Well, yes, I've been thinking about moving overseas and playing in other tournaments. Yes, I've been thinking about that. However, we have some very important matches going on early in the first half of this year in Korea, and the Ballantine's Championship 2013 is one of them. So first, I'm going to concentrate on those important matches, and when I'm resting in June and July, I will think about what I'm going to do in the future. Q. I know it's a bit early to say, however how many shots do you think you will have to make in order to win the trophy? DAE‑SUB KIM: So last year, I remember that the winner had 18‑under par, so this year, my pro injection is that it's going to be around 15 or 14‑under par. THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|