	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

COATES GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY R+L CARRIERS

February 6, 2016

Ha Na Jang

Ocala, Florida

THE MODERATOR: We're happy to be joined in the media center by our 2016 champion, Ha Na Jang. Let's go back to that 18th hole and your approach shot. What did you hit in and what was your number?

HA NA JANG: I'm very too much pressure in my mind on No. 18, so I hit 111, hit the flag, so I just hit a 110 shot, really good, and then tried a 50, like my G-wedge, so really comfortable in my mind, and then a little more confident swing, so it was a really good finish, yes.

THE MODERATOR: Talk about this celebration, when you knew that you were the champion for the first time on the LPGA Tour.

HA NA JANG: I'm just -- third shot after is a little crying because really good shot, and definitely par save, so I win this week. I'm really happy and really sad, too, because last year sometimes really bad score and then really tired or something, too, happening, so it's a little cry on the green, so I said, I'm looking for my dad, like my dad, too, is crying right now. Okay, I'm not crying. Cry, no, no, never, I say like this.

But part of me is like birdie after, I'm really big crying, so it's really fun this week, yes.

Q. I want to ask you about that Zorro move thing you did with the twirling of the club. Did you practice that? Is that something you do back at home?
HA NA JANG: My ceremony lasso.

Q. Your what?
HA NA JANG: Ceremony lasso, remember, it's like -- I'm just talking the Samurai, the Japanese Samurai style, like this, and then I watch things like two weeks ago on YouTube, some things that Japanese players like after finish, like this, so I try lasso after my putt. I think it looks like really fun like this, and then like yes, like this, too. So yeah, I tried the ceremony right now, yeah.

Q. Had you practiced that or was that the first attempt, because it was pretty good.
HA NA JANG: Two weeks ago I played a practice round on this golf course and I tried on No. 12 on the tee, and after the shot, and I tried like this, and some people is like, you're really funny, your swing. Okay, I'll try it at Ocala in tournament, so it's no problem, yeah. I practiced two times, yeah.

Q. Ha Na, after the four second-place finishes last year, there must have been some frustration in that. Does that make this victory even more meaningful having come so close four times last year?
HA NA JANG: Maybe last year sometimes I really miss my putt and chipping, so more focus my short game the winter training this year. It's a little more confidence and a little more comfortable, my swing is a little different than my last swing year to this year, and I change my coach, too, so it's a little more new mind something, a little more change, so everything is focused on my chipping and short game, so it's really good right now.

Q. Is a day like today a mental grind with that many holes and the weather?
HA NA JANG: I think it's no problem today's weather because sometimes happen in Korea, the tournament, because summer in Korea every day is all range, so it's no delay, just keep going, play, so it's no problem today. So I'm just -- I don't think about my score, and then another player, and then just keep going. Every hole, every shot, perfect, perfect, perfect, and comfortable and confident, so nothing at all.

Q. You Monday qualified last year. All the emotions from being nervous about that until today, just encapsulate everything for me on all your feelings.
HA NA JANG: It feels like amazing marvelous right now. I'm really sad in my mind last year because four times really is like second player, but it's a little fun last season, really good finish to the year. I'm just really --

INTERPRETER: She says it reminds her a lot of the tough times. She's been training really hard for this moment since she had so many second places last year, so we've been preparing and worked very hard to have this moment today.

Q. I know yesterday you said you don't compare yourself to other players, but you watched players that you competed with on the Korean Tour, you watched Hyo Joo, you watched Sei Young, you watched Minjee all win in the U.S., so did it make you -- did it add to pressure for you wanting to win also seeing them win?
HA NA JANG: Definitely. It's been affecting me the way I play because they're competitors and they're good friends. I've been competing with them for a long time. So watching them winning and then I'm finishing second four times, it's been heartbreaking. I put a lot of pressure on myself, but I worked very hard, so finally I got there and have the win. From now on, I'm going to be able to relax a little bit more, focus more on upcoming tournaments.

Q. I think I heard on TV you're going to move into the top 10 on this, projected to move into the top 10. How exciting is that for you?
HA NA JANG: Yeah, I really don't think about where I stand after this win or whatnot. I'm really focused on each and every tournament, trying to win a tournament, because I haven't had a win on the LPGA.

Q. What will you do to celebrate tonight?
HA NA JANG: Oh, tonight? Maybe packing in hotel because tomorrow is like very early, like my airport time, maybe 3:00 a.m. wake-up and then 4:00 a.m. going to the airport, something, really busy. But I think it's a little bit of a party tonight, yeah, a little bit. My dad and my coach, we're together, and caddie, too.

Q. How important was it for you to have your coach and your dad with you for your first victory?
HA NA JANG: I can't describe it. I'm so happy. I cannot put it in my words. My dad, every week, every day, and together for me, it's really thank you every week (tearing up) -- thank you for my mom, too, who has helped, but sometimes a little happening, like a little fight, too, say always you can do this, you've got it, you're really good. So I say really thank you my dad.

INTERPRETER: There's been a lot of complications as far as like communicating and trying to work hard and you're tired and still trying to win out there. It's been tough coming to here from winter training today.

HA NA JANG: Yeah.

Q. When Na Yeon Choi won last year she mentioned -- she ended a drought here, and she mentioned how tough it had been in Korea with the media, and she quit reading things because it was so difficult, and I wondered if at any point last year did you shut everything out with the second place finishes?
HA NA JANG: Me, too, yeah, really same. I don't want to think about another talking for --

INTERPRETER: She really doesn't care about it, just ignore --

HA NA JANG: Yeah, I'm sometimes just watching my picture and there's a bad word, everything. It's no problem, just talking. Yeah. And then I'm just really fine. Just little things like, it's funny, nothing at all. So it's okay, yeah.

INTERPRETER: That's definitely her.

Q. Will you get another dog to celebrate?
HA NA JANG: I don't think so. Three dogs right now lives in my home.

INTERPRETER: Let's name him Win.

HA NA JANG: Coates maybe, Coates. Next dog is named Coates.

Q. You're also playing -- you won alongside the Rolex world No. 1. Does that make the win even more meaningful? You won playing with Lydia Ko.
HA NA JANG: Really good experience, learning experience. Lydia is really good, my friend, because very close my friend Lydia, so maybe No. 13 after, Lydia, she say -- she's like, Ha Na, you can do it, you're more confidence and comfortable in your mind, no problem. Keep going, keep going. She really is like -- it's unfortunate that she didn't play well.

INTERPRETER: Lydia and herself were doing kind of bad at the moment, like down the stretch on the back nine.

HA NA JANG: Maybe 14 and 15, 16, 17, so Lydia is 13, 14, 15 birdie, so oh, nice birdie, let's go, more birdies. She said, too, Ha Na, you can do this, more birdies, let's go. So more confidence in my mind, too.

INTERPRETER: They were encouraging each other, I guess.

HA NA JANG: Yeah, exactly.

Q. Afterwards on TV you said it felt like a long time, I think, something. You were only a rookie last year, but does it still feel like a long journey to this point?
HA NA JANG: Feels like eight days playing this week something, eight days maybe.

INTERPRETER: Because of the delay.

HA NA JANG: Yeah, the delay, too.

INTERPRETER: It felt really long week.

HA NA JANG: I played maybe Friday 26 holes and then today is 30 holes. It's a really big problem right now, so I'm a little tired right now. But my mind is really fine this week. Yeah, it's no problem.

Q. Does it feel like it's been a journey to win on the LPGA Tour?
HA NA JANG: Yeah, long, 14 years maybe. I'm 14 years now playing golf. It's a really long time. I played five years in Korea on the KLPGA. It feels a little different, like I played the KLPGA five years but LPGA just two years right now, but it feels like really same right now, same as the five years right now, so same really. Yeah, it's no problem.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Ha Na.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297