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ANA INSPIRATION

April 5, 2019

In-Kyung Kim

Rancho Mirage, California

Q. I.K. 112 players in the field would love to have this title. Can you imagine anyone wanting it more than you after what happened seven years ago. How nice is it to see your name at the top of the leaderboard?
IN KYUNG KIM: I wasn't really paying attention to the leaderboard because I'm just blessed to be here. Long time it was one of my goal, but now I'm just really happy to be out here. I have better understanding of what I'm doing actually out here, so just one day at a time.

Q. I talked to Juli Inkster after you all finished. I said, What impressed you most about I.K the last couple days. She said that she could go through the bag and everything was impressive, but the strategic way that you played, especially today, picking the right side of the fairways to approach the pins. When you think about your game the last two days, how would you assess your performance and what's working so well?
IN KYUNG KIM: You know, I have great support with my team. I'm just going out and have fun. I don't feel like I have to do anything else but getting the right yardage and checking the wind. It's my privilege to play with Juli; always you learn something. I love her competitiveness and I really look up to her.

I think being around her made me feel comfortable as well. In that environment that you want to learn and open to any outcome actually.

Q. How much confidence do you have in the putter right now?
IN KYUNG KIM: You know, out here you have to get what you see. Can't really expect everything to go in.

I was seeing some lines today, you know, and put some good speed on it. I think I done a little bit better today than yesterday. A lot of golf out here, and just glad to be here.

Q. Your score showed you played so much better today than yesterday. The course conditions any different? I know a few tees were moved up and the wind was very calm most of the day. Was that a factor at all, or did you just elevate your game today?
IN KYUNG KIM: You know, I knew my games were getting better since last week. I been tuning a lot from the start; from Phoenix I felt like I been improving every day. Like you said, this morning was a little bit calmer and wasn't very cold. The ball was actually flying a little bit shorter than yesterday, so I had to adjust that for a few holes in the morning.

Afternoon, I mean, like you said, there was few holes moved up, and, you know, I had makable putts that went in. Yesterday I also had a lot of opportunities, but in the afternoon when the wind blows on the back nine you can't really be too aggressive to the flag.

I think I have some advantage of that. The back nine I played this morning on the front, yeah.

Q. Your winning the Women's British Open was a terrific story. Proved a lot there. Is there anything else to prove? Any unfinished business here?
IN KYUNG KIM: You know, I have many support and I just want to keep going out there and trust my process. I want to be the person that enjoy playing golf. Yes, outcomes sometimes it's difficult to take because I don't have control over it; that's the truth.

Q. How freeing was it when you won the Women's British to your competitive spirit?
IN KYUNG KIM: You know, when things happen like that you don't expect. Even losses or winning or anything. I just don't have any -- I'm just coming out here, try to be present as possible, and have more understanding of the game also. That's the reason I'm here.

Q. Is it fair to say the game got more fun again after the British or around there?
IN KYUNG KIM: You know, every stage, every passage of life has meaning to it and serves some purpose to it, so I'm just here doing my best. I've done great - I mean, I wouldn't say great - but done pretty good work over the winter. I just feel like I want to see what happens.

Q. You took a fair amount of time in the off-season. Can you tell us about that? Were you healing up or just getting ready?
IN KYUNG KIM: I had a lot of healing up end of last season and I wanted to -- I know sometimes the tour can be long, season can be long, so I wanted to manage my energy and wanted to work on few things.

Q. Remind me again what that was. Was that aback issue you had last year?
IN KYUNG KIM: Yeah. Just before International Crown. I really want to be there for all the fans and my teammates, and I think after that I was really -- I was pushing it a little bit, so I needed take serious time off after that.

Q. It was the back?
IN KYUNG KIM: Yeah, lower back and the hip. I'm feeling much better now. Better than before.

Q. Would you say 2017 was the year you were most in form playing, and are you back to that level now? '17 you won three times, right?
IN KYUNG KIM: You know, sometime winning is great, but for me as an athlete, you want to see some progress in your game. That's what I'm focusing on at the moment. That gives me joy. So anything else really is just a bonus, an extra.

Q. Any significance to the Beatles ball marker?
IN KYUNG KIM: You like Beatles?

Q. Of course.
IN KYUNG KIM: You know, I was wondering why they named Beatles. Do you know?

Q. It was that beat. They had standard 4/4 beat. Wasn't the bugs. It was the drum. I'm not sure it was 4/4, but they had a very standard beat.
IN KYUNG KIM: They have songs you can relate to, don't you think?

Q. I do.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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