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LPGA KEB HANABANK CHAMPIONSHIP


October 15, 2015


Sung-hyun Park


Incheon, South Korea

NICK PARKER: Tournament here at the KEB Hana Bank Championship, 10-under 62, an amazing round. What was the key out there and what was working, and did you ever think you could shoot 10-under out there?

SUNG HYUN PARK: I thought it was not an easy course, but I thought my tee shots, my iron shots, my putting, everything just went really well. So I was able to record 10-under.

NICK PARKER: Lexi said you were hitting the ball ten yards past her. How do you hit the ball so far? How do you do that?

SUNG HYUN PARK: So I have to say that was Lexi and Michelle, there was some holes where of course they shot further than I did. So we were kind of going back and forth on that.

I don't know why I hit so long. I think I'm naturally a long hitter.

Q. So recently in an interview, you mentioned how that for you the best strategy is to drive the ball as close as you can to the hole. But I'm curious to know if there are any holes that you didn't use your driver today?
SUNG HYUN PARK: I think there were about three par 4 holes that I didn't use a driver today. I used utility shots. I think mainly because of the shorter holes on this course, I didn't feel the need to use the driver and when I saw the course, I realized if I used my driver, the ball would fall in the bunker or the rough.

Q. So before in the morning, you were talking about how you weren't feeling well, so you changed all your club shots to lighter clubs. Do you think that this impacted or influenced your game so that you could card such a good score?
SUNG HYUN PARK: For me, depending on how I feel and depending whether I'm hitting good or not, I tend to change the weight of the clubs.

So when I'm feeling good, I can use heavier clubs but when I'm not feeling that well, I'm using lighter clubs. When I was on the course Monday and Tuesday, I was really not feeling well. So I have all the heavier clubs ready to be used, so I called my mom and asked her to change it to lighter clubs. I think that did help.

And I did actually feel better today than I did on Monday and Tuesday, so I think my swing was much smoother. I also feel that I was really on my game because I felt that I wasn't feeling well, so I needed to do better.

Q. Can you talk about your shots at the 7th?
SUNG HYUN PARK: So this is my first time at this championship, and you asked about the 7th hole, and actually I was kind of going for the second shot, but it was short and it fell into the rough. And so with the 58-lob shot, I was able to catch a birdie. I had a three-meter birdie putt, and it was 22 to 25 meters away.

Q. So, as you mentioned, this is your first time here at the KEB Hana Bank Championship, and last year you came here in the gallery, so you came here to watch. So how did that affect your play today and how was it different to being here to watch the championships and now actually be part of the championships?
SUNG HYUN PARK: For me, I have difficulty with remembering a course very clearly unless I go to it several times. I think that having been here last year to watch the games helped my game, because I was able to remember the course.

What is different, though, is when I was watching other players play, I thought the course would be relatively easy. But on the field, I found it quite difficult. So I really tried to catch the details of the course, and I think that this helped my game today.

Q. So you were in the same group with Michelle and Lexi, and they are also known as long hitters on the LPGA. And if you look at the average driving distance on your statistics, your driving distance is ten yards less than Lexi Thompson, but when I was watching you, I noticed that especially on the sixth and seventh hole, you seemed to be really hitting the ball further than Lexi. So your thoughts on this?
SUNG HYUN PARK: Well, when you are compiling the statistics and you calculate the average driving distance, sometimes they don't calculate holes that I don't use a driver for a tee shot.

So I think the statistics can come out a little smaller than my actual average driving distance.

But I think I was a bit aware and very conscious of the fact that the players that were playing with me were long hitters. But I was relieved to find that I wasn't really hitting especially shorter than them.

As I mentioned earlier, we were kind of going back and forth. Some holes I was hitting further; some holes they were hitting further. I can't say I was the longest hitter on the course today.

Q. How long is your average drive?
SUNG HYUN PARK: On average, I hit around 240 meters, on a good day, maybe 250 meters, and I don't know about the farthest shot I made today.

Q. You replied that you don't know why you're such a long hitter, but if you can point out anything in your swing that might contribute to you hitting the ball so far?
SUNG HYUN PARK: I was playing with very long hitters today, Michelle and Lexi, and they are taller and bigger than I am and they are much more powerful than I am, but I notice that maybe my swing speed is a bit faster than them, and that that might contribute to me being able to hit the ball as far as I do.

Q. Compared to last year, you've come a long way. So any thoughts or comments on that?
SUNG HYUN PARK: As I mentioned earlier, last year I came here to watch the championships, and so it's a great honor to take part in the championships as a qualified player. And at this point, I really feel that I have come a long way personally, as well, and I just really want to putt in more effort and hard work and do my best, and I also want to thank the people who have helped me to come this far.

Q. So you're recently on a winning streak. You've had two wins recently, so what do you think has changed compared to last year in terms of your technique or your mentality or the way you think or the way you handle pressure?
SUNG HYUN PARK: I'm a perfectionist when it comes to golf, but last year, I was not happy with my game, especially with my swing. I think I thought the rhythm was kind of off.

So I invested a lot of time to improving my swing, so right now, I think I have a really good rhythm and timing when it comes to my swing. And when it comes to the way I think or the mentality I have, I think last year, I lacked the experience of being or playing with really experienced players, leader players.

This year, I have that experience, and I think that kind of toughened me up a bit. I think that when it comes to mentality or how you handle pressure, that's also something that you can kind of build through your experience with playing with the players. And in that sense, I think I've grown over the past year.

Q. Of course it would be difficult to expect you to hit 40-under for the entire four days, and so what are your thoughts going into the games for the remaining three days? What is the biggest difference you've felt -- this is your first time on the LPGA Tour. What's the biggest difference between the LPGA Tour and the KLPGA tour?
SUNG HYUN PARK: I agree with you; I mean, it would be great if I would be able to shoot 40-under, but I think that's almost impossible. And even if you look at some of the tournaments I won, I did have some pretty rough scores, triple and double-bogeys.

I think today, I was especially lucky, but looking ahead to the next three days, I know that double or triple-bogeys are a possibility, so it's really anybody's game at this point. So I'm going to try to not focus on winning too much and really try to do my best.

And the difference between the KLPGA and the LPGA, I think suffice to say, I just found it a little bit more fun and relaxing.

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