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JTBC FOUNDERS CUPMarch 18, 2014Inbee ParkPHOENIX, ARIZONA THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. We'd like to welcome Rolex Rankings rankings No. 1, Inbee Park into the interview room. First off, congratulations; 49 straight weeks now at No. 1. That's a pretty impressive streak that you've got going at that, and coming off a great victory in China on the LET. You've gotta be feeling pretty good about where your game is right now as you come into the start of the domestic schedule here for the LPGA. INBEE PARK: Yeah. It feels like I haven't been in the States forever because last time I was here I was at CME, and I actually feel quite fresh coming here and it's the first tournament in America in a while for me, so it actually feels like a season‑opening tournament. And obviously I didn't forget the last three tournaments I had this year was quite good. I played quite good, and I hit the ball great. I probably didn't putt it as good as last year these three weeks, but my ball striking, my physical is stronger. I think I'm mentally a bit stronger, especially from the victory two weeks ago, I feel a lot more confident, and yeah, I feel good about the season. THE MODERATOR: We had Suzann in here earlier talking about the race for No. 1, and everybody's been talking about you and Suzann and Stacy for a while and really that No. 1 and 2. You guys went to a head really in China. You were right down to the wire the two of you competing. What has that kind of battle meant for you in terms of staying at No. 1? Has it been good to have players like Suzann and Stacy there kind of pushing you to even elevate your game to another level? INBEE PARK: Yeah. I think it probably has helped all three of us that we have competitors and trying to push each other up and trying to improve our games is always a big help. Last week with Suzann, I had almost the same situation two years ago at China, the same event where I was leading by two and I lost to Suzann on the final round, and it was almost what happened the same last day, and I didn't want a repeat, didn't want to do what I did two years ago, and I tried my best and played quite good there, so that definitely gave me a lot of confidence. THE MODERATOR: Do you think a lot about the No. 1 ranking? When you've got a streak going where you've been up there for so long, do you think about what it would be like if you did lose that spot or do you try not to let that come into your thought process when you're preparing for a tournament? INBEE PARK: I get to think about it more where people, all the media are saying No. 1 spot could change this week, like if I finish outside this and if Suzann or Stacy wins. And yeah, I don't think about that every day, obviously. I'm just trying to play my best, and if that's good enough, that's good. If not, if I become No. 2 or 3, there's room to improve. THE MODERATOR: Questions for Inbee? Q. Inbee, you mentioned that you got stronger mentally over the season. Can you say a little bit about that? In what ways, and what you were doing to get there? INBEE PARK: I think it's just mostly, you know, what happened last year, and what things I've gone through last year helped me really going through the pressure, pressure moments. And you know, being in contention a lot of times last year, and being in contention a lot of times last year and being able to win in that kind of conditions gave me a lot of good confidence and good experience, and I think that's been really helping me go through this year. And I won the first tournament last year, which was a really good start, but still, this year I finished Top 5 on two and won one event, so I think it's probably the best start of the season I had so far. So yeah, I'm feeling‑‑ I trained a lot last year in Australia, like physically, and I feel like I'm striking the ball a little bit better than last year and probably hitting it a little bit further than last year. Q. So when you came off those three wins in a row, you had to be thinking that you were invincible. INBEE PARK: Those times, I think it's very good performance. Q. Were you starting to feel physically tired and emotionally tired at that point in the season? INBEE PARK: Yeah, I think so, because that was middle to the end of the season already, and I had a lot of things going on in the middle of the season, and I went back to Korea and I was probably a little bit physically tired also, and obviously mentally, trying to do a lot interviews, talking to a lot of people and having the pressure. I think that really took a lot of energy out of me that week because I'm used to just playing and just playing golf and hanging out. And yeah, I think that definitely took a lot more physical energy, yeah. Q. Is there a part of you that just can't wait to get back to a major? Are you really looking forward to an area that you dominated last year? INBEE PARK: Yeah. I always love to play the major tournaments, and I love their golf course settings or the atmospheres. Yeah, I love playing big events, and I think many of the players probably looking forward to the big ones, obviously. And especially being the first major tournaments pretty soon. I went to the Palm Springs last weekend and played a couple of times there, and you know, it really reminded me of very good memory of last year and I couldn't wait to go there already. And yeah, I'm just trying to get my game ready for coming first major, and yeah, I think I'm getting close to getting there. Q. And which major suits your game the best do you think? INBEE PARK: I gotta say U. S. Open. I had two wins in U. S. Opens, so‑‑ and since I was so young, I played many of the USGA golf courses and their setting golf courses, so I think I'm really used to seeing their golf course styles, and I love the challenge, and obviously I had good results in the past. Q. Inbee, as you look back on last year, have you been able to really reflect on what you were able to accomplish now that you've gotten away from the season, you've had time to relax and look back? Have you been able to appreciate just how amazing of a year it was becoming the first South Korean to ever win Rolex Player of the Year honors, three major wins, six victories? Have you been able to kind of come to grips with all of that and understand what you did? INBEE PARK: Yeah, because I don't think I really realized what I'm doing when I'm like actually inside the box. But actually I was outside the box and trying to look inside, and the things I've done was very amazing, and starting this year I started with zero wins, and you know, trying to think this year I gotta do better than last year, that means I gotta win three or more majors and three or more wins, and that feels forever. And obviously winning Player of the Year as the first Korean is a very big accomplishment. And yeah, I think I still have a long ways to go. That just means how hard it was to do and what I just did last year. Q. Inbee, being No. 1 for almost a year now, what have you enjoyed most about having the No. 1 ranking and what have you enjoyed the least about it? INBEE PARK: I gotta say being on the center of the stage and being in the spotlight, I think I've enjoyed that and at the same time I think that was the toughest part of it. Sometimes, you're a golfer, you're an athlete and you want to be the top of everyone and you want to be the best, and that's what I like to do. And sometimes there is tough parts where you have to be really responsible of what you're doing and what you're saying, and you know, you have to be a very mature person to handle a lot of things. I think I'm getting more and more mature, but I think just getting the spotlight is the best part of it and the worst part of it. Q. How is the pressure different for you here than it is when you go home and talk to media or fans? INBEE PARK: I gotta say it's a lot more relaxing here in the U. S. because it's a lot bigger country than what my country is, and you know, my country is a small country, and if something happens, then everybody knows what's happening. And if somebody's getting famous, everybody wants to know a little bit of them. And yeah, it's just a little bit‑‑ I guess a little bit more relaxing atmosphere here, and obviously a lot less people recognizing me, like going into supermarkets or wherever I go. In Korea it's quite‑‑ a lot of people recognize me, so I can't live like an ordinary person. So coming here and really enjoying being an ordinary person, so I like being here. Q. (No microphone)? INBEE PARK: I do. I do go. I don't mind like people recognizing me, but like trying to take photos and sign autographs when I'm trying to do other things is just‑‑ you know, sometimes it's a little bit, yeah, sometimes it's a little bit too much. But yeah, I really enjoy part of it, yeah. Q. What was the biggest difference going home to Korea over the off season this time compared to a year ago? Like how much more do you think you get recognized now? Or was there one situation that you kind of can remember that sticks out that you were like, this wouldn't have been a problem a year ago and now it's much more difficult? INBEE PARK: Pretty much like everything. Usually in the off season I like to just, you know, stay home and just play with my dog and just spend time with the family and I didn't really have to do anything else. But this time when I got back and everybody wanted a little bit of me. And I was quite busy. I was probably busier than actually actual season. So it's just‑‑ it's hard because it's time to rest and it's time to‑‑ actually this is my only time to rest, but you have to share your time with a lot of people and you don't get to relax as much. So I think that's the toughest part. Q. It seemed like your trip to New York with your U. S. Open trophy was like another step up in terms of your public visibility. Was that enjoyable or was it something you felt like you had to do? Where do you come down on that one? INBEE PARK: Yeah, it was I think a very good experience and it was good fun. I mean I do a lot of things like that in Korea, you know, but in America obviously I've never done that before, so I think that was something new and different. So I think it was very good. THE MODERATOR: Having been there with you in New York, I think one of the most surprising things was how quickly her level‑‑ I guess your public persona level in the U. S. had risen just from that victory where we were having lunch and you weren't even dressed in golf clothes. You were coming from "The Today Show," and a lady walked up to you on the street and recognized and asked for your autograph. Do you remember that moment and what it was like in terms of changing, I guess, the level of acknowledgment from around the United States? INBEE PARK: Yeah. I think so. I definitely get a lot of acknowledgment from a lot of people, especially in U. S., too. I mean I didn't realize until I was just sitting‑‑ I was in LA, I was trying to fly to Phoenix here, and because I was just, you know, wearing just ordinary clothes, just you know. And people, you know, a couple of people come up and are you Inbee Park, and somebody recognizing me. It was a bit different this year. THE MODERATOR: Any more questions for Inbee? Well, thank you very much. And best of luck this week. INBEE PARK: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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