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HSBC WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS

March 2, 2016

Sock Hwee Koh

Republic of Singapore

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: I would like to welcome in sock week hoe into the interview room here at the HSBC Women's Champions.

Sock Hwee, the qualifier here, this is your third time qualifying for this event, on the LPGA, this is seen as one of the most prestigious events, just alongside the majors, with such a strong field. How do you see yourself coming into this event alongside some of the world's best female golfers?

SOCK HWEE KOH: I mean, as much as a lot of the players look forward to coming to Singapore, I think Singapore itself looks forward to the qualifiers. It's definitely an event where we mark it down in our calendar. We would like to play it. And to be given a chance to play against the world best -- I feel like this year I'm definitely more prepared than last year, just coming into it feeling a lot more comfortable.

So yeah, I just want to enjoy the whole experience. I went to Q-School last year and made it through first stage and missed out on third stage. But that whole journey has made me learn a lot about myself as a person, as a golfer, and this year I feel like I'm more ready to take up this challenge, like challenging myself against the world's best.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: How much more comfortable do you feel going on to the range and playing next to the players? Do you feel like you're right there and this is almost a place that you belong.

SOCK HWEE KOH: Definitely. I belong here because I've been very lucky to be given access to practice here and to train at the club, and I'm sure I have benefitted by being able to handle the course better, just by knowing the course better than anybody else out here.

Being on the range, I feel like I belong out there.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: Take us through your -- we won't share this with anybody, but an insider look at the course. Like you said, you probably know this course better than anybody. What are your overall thoughts, and how does it suit your game and what's your game plan to attack this course?

SOCK HWEE KOH: Well, Serapong is always known as a punishing course, and it really is. I think the best tip I can actually give anybody is to actually plan your way around the golf course and know where to miss, so that whenever you are off the green, you are in the best position to actually make par.

Q. Who have you been next to on the range and who have you been watching?
SOCK HWEE KOH: I think yesterday I practiced next to In Gee Chun, the Korean. Yesterday I had a practice wound with Yani and Na Yeon Choi. I've known the two of them for awhile now and they have all been very kind in giving me advice, so I arranged for a practice round with them yesterday and we just had some fun on the golf course.

Q. Did they give you any tips?
SOCK HWEE KOH: Not really.

Q. Did you give them any tips on the course?
SOCK HWEE KOH: They didn't ask. (Laughs).

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: You just turned professional.

SOCK HWEE KOH: Yes, I did.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: Can you take us through that decision, when you thought you were ready, what went into the decision, essentially and when exactly did it happen?

SOCK HWEE KOH: I officially became a professional two weeks ago. I've always been -- one thing to turn professional and after the C Games (ph) last year, I made the full decision to turn professional. I just never made quite the step to go professional yet since June last year. And then having gone to Q-School and learning, to be through what I've been through, I felt like then I was ready to make the switch.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: What did that entail? Did you sign a paper or you just said, I'm professional? Was it a little more anti-climactic or was it exciting?

SOCK HWEE KOH: First I have to go into the SPGA office and register, apply for it, so it's quite anticlimactic. And to officially do it, I felt like it was quite a big step for me.

Q. Were you in university? How old are you, and what did you do before?
SOCK HWEE KOH: I was studying in the National University of Singapore, in project and facilities management. I graduated in 2012 and I'm 27 this year.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: Is this your first event as a professional?

SOCK HWEE KOH: I played in a local event last week, so this would be my second.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: I want to ask you about being the only player from Singapore in this event. How much pride do you have pretty much holding the Singapore flag at the only LPGA event in Singapore? How much does that mean to you?

SOCK HWEE KOH: It means a lot. I mean, coming from Sentosa, there's a lot of members who when I see them, they just give me lots of encouragement and say just do your best, no pressure.

I feel like -- I don't actually feel any pressure at the moment. I feel proudly as a Singaporean to be in the field so I just want to especially joy every moment of it.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: How many friends, family members do you expect?

SOCK HWEE KOH: My friends are coming. My family members are coming. I'm not sure -- I'm sure some of the members will come and watch me and just ask me to do well and give me lots of encouragement along the way. I can't exactly give a number.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: Now you're playing with Pornanong Phatlum and Jane Park. Do you know anything about them, and what are you looking forward to most in Thursday's first round?

SOCK HWEE KOH: I met Pornanong when she was still an amateur, so we actually just had a conversation yesterday in the players' lounge, so I got paired with her. She's a nice girl so I'm looking forward to playing with her.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: Was that an amateur event?

SOCK HWEE KOH: I met her when she was still an amateur, so that's like a couple years back.

Q. Can you give us about three highlights from your amateur career, either here or in Singapore or around the world?
SOCK HWEE KOH: I guess the biggest highlight would be to actually win the Bronze Medal for Singapore at the C Games (ph) and also to be an individual medalist at the event. I think the event is something that we always train very hard for but always fall short. So to do it in front of home crowd means a lot more.

I guess the next other thing is to actually play in the HSBC -- to be able to play, I'm just really looking forward to it to be honest.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: What will the rest of your career this season comprise of? How does your schedule look after this week?

SOCK HWEE KOH: I'll be playing a lot in Thailand because those are the events where I can just sign up and be able to play in the event. Apart from that, I guess I have to rely on some sponsor's invite to get in other events.

Q. The LPGA Q-School you'll be targeting this year, or do you have an LPGA stop you are looking toward to?
SOCK HWEE KOH: I may actually consider Japan and I'll be looking at how I can actually be in a couple of events in Australia.

Q. And how do you feel playing this time as an HSBC Women's Champions as a pro compared to the other two times?
SOCK HWEE KOH: I mean, as much as I say it's a big step for me, I think ultimately, I don't want to face too much thought into playing as an amateur or a profession. I just want to compete and play the best I can.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: Can you take us through the qualifier and how well you played there? You had a four-shot lead, ended up winning by two. Take us through that week and just how your performance obviously helped you get here.

SOCK HWEE KOH: Well, on the first day, I played really consistent in the qualifiers, and. In the second day, I told myself to just enjoy myself out there. I didn't want to think too much about the scores or what my other flag mates were playing. Apparently I had quite a big lead after awhile.

Coming down the stretch, my flag mate played really well. I was aware of it, but I didn't know what the score was like at the same time. And I was struggling a little bit.

So I was getting a little bit nervous towards the end, but I just told myself to just calm myself down and try and par in and just finish the qualifiers and see how it goes.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: It worked out.

SOCK HWEE KOH: Yeah, it worked out.

Q. You made the cut last week. Has that been a boost?
SOCK HWEE KOH: Definitely. I played last week at the Classic and it's an entirely different golf course from here and I played it more as a warm-up and just wanted to see -- well, I wanted to compete amongst the guys and see how I played. Not really to pit myself against them and see where I stand. More I just want to be in a competitive atmosphere, so that will help me coming into this week.

So I don't feel as nervous because then it will be my first tournament as a professional this week. Just gets a lot of the nerves out of the way.

Q. Did the men mind having you playing in their event?
SOCK HWEE KOH: No, they were actually very nice about it. They invited me to play in the rest of the events for the year.

Q. Did they? What did you say to that?
SOCK HWEE KOH: I said sure, I would love to join them. A lot of my ex-teammates who have since gone professional like Chu (ph), Johnson, there are some still events where I can play along with them and compete with them.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: Is there an event on -- what tour is this?

SOCK HWEE KOH: It's just a local SPGA.

Q. Are there other girls playing it?
SOCK HWEE KOH: Amelia (ph), she played in the event, as well.

Q. And now that you've turned pro, has it been easier coping with the financial aspect of competing?
SOCK HWEE KOH: Well, it's all going well at the moment, so yeah.

Q. How are you doing on the money front? Have there been any sponsors that you are actively searching for or any sponsors that approached you?
SOCK HWEE KOH: Sentosa actually did a fund-raising for me, and everything else, I mean, I'm talking to a few people. Nothing's concrete yet but everything is going well at the moment.

Q. Is that something that weighs on your mind when you go and play in tournaments, or do you just try to focus on what you're doing?
SOCK HWEE KOH: Yeah, but this being my second tournament, I haven't actually played a lot of events. So I just really want to focus on this week at the moment and just deal with the other things in the future.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: Thank you so much for coming and congratulations on being here and good luck this week.

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