HSBC WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

March 1, 2022

Hyo Joo Kim

Sentosa Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the Media Centre for the 2022 HSBC Women's World championship at the beautiful new Tanjong Golf Course at Sentosa Golf Club. I'm Christina Lance with LPGA communications. Happy to be here with you this week.

We're with our defending HSBC Women's world championship winner. Does it ever get old seeing your face on the big signs and the billboards coming into town as the defending champion?

HYO JOO KIM: A lot of my friends are seeing the photos and they said it looks different but they like make fun of the photo, but I'm very enjoying it and feel the pictures look great.

THE MODERATOR: Your win here in 2021 as your first win since 2016. How special was it for you to break that streak and to finally get your big win?

HYO JOO KIM: It's been a while after I won the 2016 event and I feel no confidence before last year but after I won the event last year, I feel I get my confidence back, and I was so happy to return back to this golf course. I'm feeling very well come here in Singapore.

THE MODERATOR: Your final round last year, 64, bogey-free. How did you feel that day on the golf course? Did you feel confidence in the way you were playing?

HYO JOO KIM: Last year I wasn't really that confident but I kept thinking positively and my short game was quite okay. I kept thinking positive and the result was good.

THE MODERATOR: Then you had to sit in the clubhouse and wait, and wait, and wait, and even a hot pot. What was that experience like sitting and waiting and then finally getting to celebrate?

HYO JOO KIM: To be honest, I was so hungry at the time, and I'm just thinking to eat something, so I'm not feeling hungry anymore and getting ready in case of playoff. Then that makes me less nervous. Yeah, that is how I was feeling.

THE MODERATOR: Well, now we're back. You're our defending champion, but this is your first event since November, the CME Group Tour Championship. How did you spend your off-season, and how do you feel now as you come to defend your title?

HYO JOO KIM: It's been a while since my last event, but during my (time) off, I've been exercising and trying to relax a little bit so I'm not getting nervous for my first event. So yeah, I think I'm getting ready to play this event.

THE MODERATOR: How do you relax? What do you like to do to relax.

HYO JOO KIM: Well, there's something special that I'm trying to do to be relaxing but I'm just keep thinking in my mind that I shouldn't be nervous and just keep relax, and then I think there's no special ways.

Q. It was ten years ago that you had a fantastic battle with Lydia Ko at the Tanah Merah Country Club in the Queen Sirkit's Cup, you were both amateurs then. I wonder if you can tell us what your memories of that tournament and your battle with Lydia are, and also how was the Queen Sirkit's Cup in your development as an amateur before you turned pro?

HYO JOO KIM: It's a very long time ago when I played with Lydia Ko, and at the time I already had a good friendship with Lydia Ko, so I can't really memorize about that. But it very fun and now I'm feeling like the friendship keeps going on.

Q. As an amateur before you turned pro, how important was the Queen Sirkit's Cup in your development, and other amateur tournaments around that time?

HYO JOO KIM: To be honest I liked it very much because it actually gave a very good opportunity for all of the amateurs who wants to turn pro. I have been like working very hard to play well in that event, too, so I have a good memory about the event.

Q. So this is your first tournament since November. Curious, what are the challenges or what is the biggest change playing golf as a professional during the pandemic and having to travel to different parts of the world? Is it the lack of fans? Is it just the different restrictions, living in a bubble? What for you has been challenging during these last two years?

HYO JOO KIM: So all of the players, actually, hoping that corona ends soon and because of corona, to be honest, we have been very conscious about like to wear all of the PPE and be hygiene and to be like far away from corona, and actually we have been living in fear because of this virus. So we are all hoping just corona can end soon.

Q. Just a quick question, did you manage to get in a practice round yet, and if so, what are the differences in the way that the Tanjong Course is playing, and what are the keys to scoring well?

HYO JOO KIM: I practiced front nine yesterday and actually the course condition was so great. So I feel because this week there's like a lot of many great players playing. I feel like players who can also play a very good short game could conquer the game.

Q. Is the course playing tougher than last year or just about the same?

HYO JOO KIM: I feel like the course is similar to last year, but then the weather is much cooler compared to last year.

THE MODERATOR: Good luck. Great to see you. Wish you well this week.