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HSBC WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSFebruary 26, 2014Inbee ParkSINGAPORE MEGHAN FLANAGAN:  Thank you for coming in, you had the photo call yesterday, quite a unique experience, probably something you've never done before, being the marshal artiste warrior or whatever it was. Talk about how much you guys like to do that type of stuff, getting to do a lot of unique stuff off the course. Do you enjoy it? INBEE PARK: Yeah, everywhere we go in Asia, we do something a little bit different. Last year in China, we wore a Chinese uniform and last week in Thailand we were Thailand, and here we dressed in rare royal dresses. Yeah, everything that we do, I think it's just very interesting, stuff that we never get to do. I found that it's really fun and they make us‑‑ try to make us pretty, so I think, yeah, I think we can definitely take some fun out of it, and yeah, it's always nice to hang out with other players when we're outside the golf course because we always see each other on the golf course. I think it's quite fun. MEGHAN FLANAGAN:  You guys shared a few laughs, everybody was cracking up a little bit. INBEE PARK: Yeah, it was just so funny, because doing those moves we don't usually do and we looked quite funny. MEGHAN FLANAGAN:  So talk about your off‑season, I know last week you mentioned paddleboarding, koalas, you got to do a bunch of cool stuff. What was your favourite thing to do in the off‑season, something that took your mind off and you really, really enjoyed it? INBEE PARK: Yeah, I really tried to go to the warm weather, warm weather climate. So I can practice and actually enjoy some activities in the afternoon. So that's why I decided to go to Australia with some water and so I can practice in the morning and do something else in the afternoon, like the paddleboarding or surfing or going somewhere nice. So I just wanted something different last year, and yeah, I think that worked out really good. I had a trainer and physio there, so it was very good, five‑week training, and yeah, I missed a couple of tournaments in the beginning of the year, but I have a lot of tournaments coming up, especially in the middle to the end of the year like Evian and the British, which I really want to do my best in. So I'm trying to make my body at my best at those tournaments, so I'm trying to, you know, get my condition go good on those tournaments. MEGHAN FLANAGAN:  You made up for lost time, skipping the first two, you were runner‑up last year and said you were pleased with how you played, you were a little rusty at the beginning, really strong weekend. Talk about that week and how you're going to try to carry over that strong play to this week. INBEE PARK: Yeah, the first nine holes of the tournament, I was 3‑over and then last three, plus nine holes, I was 16‑under par. So I think I played quite solid last week, considering that it was only the first tournament. Yeah, I'm happy with where my game is, and especially with ball‑striking, I thought‑‑ I was a little bit worried because I haven't played for so long, like maybe I might hit it everywhere. But actually it was going in the fairways and greens, so I was really pleased with that, and actually, you know, seeing that really gave me a lot of confidence that because I was a little bit in doubt that if, you know, things I worked on in the off‑season wouldn't be showing off but it definitely did last week, so, yeah. MEGHAN FLANAGAN: I wanted to ask you competitively, I know every week you come in and you want to win, you think you can win, but you said yesterday, you're not going to win over tournament and you have to have some expectations lowered a little bit. What makes you tick competitively when you go out there and you're in the heat of the competition, do you have that fiery kind of competitive spirit that you say, I want to do everything I can to win this event; do you feel that way sometimes coming down the stretch? INBEE PARK: I think there is weeks where you really feel good about your game and you think if you can do like a practice round, I think I can win‑‑ and there is tournaments that I feel that way, and such tournaments, such courses that really suits my game and suits my eyes. But yeah, I think you definitely get those good confidence moments during your streaks.  Yeah, I don't know how early it's going to come for me this year, but last year was definitely I was in good streak for two or three months. Yeah, that's‑‑ you know, what all the golfers I think are trying to get. Yeah, HSBC, I love coming here and I love playing in Singapore and this is such a great event but I've never had really a good result here. I never miss Singapore. I'm not going to try to push myself so much this week because obviously the golf course is playing quite tough for me somehow, quite tough for me, and I wasn't able to score well, so I'm going to just go out there with no expectations this week and maybe try to get in Top‑20 because I've never been in the Top‑20 the last eight years. MEGHAN FLANAGAN:  Are you competitive off the course, board games, card games, anything you're doing? Are you a competitor that you try to win, because you're so laid back in everything else, are you just a laid back type of person or are you competitive? INBEE PARK: I think everybody thinks that I'm‑‑ I don't look that competitive, because I don't express my feelings that much. But I think my closest friends and my families can tell that I hate to lose. So yeah, I think inside, somewhere inside of me definitely has the competitive side of it. Q. How are you feeling ahead of tomorrow? INBEE PARK: Well, I practiced today and yesterday and the golf course is playing quite dry, so it's playing a bit shorter than last year. So I think it plays a little bit to my advantage because I'm not the longest hitter and we are hitting more shorter irons into the green. So I think, yeah, the course is in great shape and I feel good about the game but like I said, didn't really have a good results in Singapore, so yeah, if I just go out there and just not expect so much, I might be surprised. Q. I'm actually interested in, athletes coming into a new year, that it's like‑‑ how much does last year matter and how much do you think, I'm a new golfer, I'm a different player? INBEE PARK: I mean, I think almost for everybody, it is‑‑ when you start the new year, you really feel like it's a new beginning, because everything erases from last year. If you just keep thinking about last year, I did good last year and if I don't do as good this year, I'm not going to be disappointed‑‑ I think the best thing is to forget about last year and just take the good side of it. Take, I played quite good and I know that I can be the best out here, and just take the confidence out of it and just forget about the results, what I did last year and just starting the year I think that's the best way. Q. In the beginning of the year, do players feel that anything is possible? INBEE PARK: I think it just really depends on the player where I think people have probably big expectations starting of the year, thinking because they work so hard in the off‑season, and they expect a lot from themselves. Obviously some players, it shows, and some it doesn't. I think it's just a matter of your personalities. It's not bad to be confident I think. I think it's good to be confident in yourself and if you just keep trusting in yourself, I think you'll get better results. Q. But is it a nice period, because in the beginning of the year, the first three tournaments, you know there's no real disappointment yet, your form‑‑ by July, things may not be good. At this moment, you're not really having issues with your caddie, everything just seems good; is it a very nice period of the year to come out because you feel fresh, you feel‑‑ just different? INBEE PARK: Yeah, I think feel‑‑ I think all the players feel most fit and most physically strong probably at the beginning of year to the middle of the year. So, yeah, I think‑‑ I mean, I definitely feel fresh coming into the first couple of events. My game, sometimes your game might not be not ready because it's only the first couple of events, but obviously you're not expecting yourself to be, you know, really hot and like you're in the middle of the season. Q. Any thoughts on the field this year, especially with so many up‑and‑comers, and the 15‑year‑old Singapore qualifier? INBEE PARK: Yes yeah, every we're the competition is getting stronger and I guess won like three or four years ago, but now I'm pretty much middle to a little bit older and it feels like I'm still building. I still feel like I'm the youngest one but yeah there is a lot of good, talented golfers out here and that's why we keep working hard because we have to be as fit and be as strong as the younger girls. So, yeah, we are trying. MEGHAN FLANAGAN: Amanda is 15 and just qualified as a 14‑year‑old. Where were new your amateur career, what were you doing at 15. INBEE PARK: 15, I think I was playing junior tournaments and probably like one, two professional events. MEGHAN FLANAGAN:  So you're getting a little taste of it, so you're kind of in the same position. LYDIA KO: Yeah. Q. Any advice that you would give her just to have for this week? LYDIA KO: I think really just no advice, it's good for younger girls I think, because when they think about it too much, I think that's when it gets complicated. You know, when they are young and when they have nothing to lose and nothing to fear, that's when they play the best. So I think just keep their game on and just, yeah, go out there and just don't fear about anything and just, yeah, try to hole everything. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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