EPSON TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

October 4, 2022

Grace Kim

LPGA International, Jones Course

Quick Quotes

Q. Can you kind of just tell me about the house in general? Do you know how it got started, who lives there now?

GRACE KIM: It's basically set up as a base for the international players, especially in the U.S., just like a home away from home sort of setup. I don't exactly know when they started it, but it was always, I think, in discussion for sure, just to have a base overseas really helps like mentally and physically.

During the off weeks a lot of the Aussies just head there. It's right across the lake from Isleworth, which is nice.

But I think it's been -- I've been there -- like going back and forth since last year, so I think it was actually a thing since 2020, so COVID year.

Q. Being a rookie on the Tour, obviously there's off weeks built into the schedule, but it's not really enough time to go home-home. How does it feel to have a place like that to call a home away from home?

GRACE KIM: I think we're very, very fortunate to have even a base like that. I know some countries like Sweden has one in Phoenix, I think. It is so helpful -- it is a far, long plane ride to Australia, so I think just having to really reset when you're in Orlando, I think definitely really helps, and I think that's what sort of helped me throughout this year, as well.

Q. Playing next week in Daytona, you're only about an hour from your second home. How does it feel, and how does it help you to be able to go back and forth if you wanted to or at least have that as an option that's close enough?

GRACE KIM: Yeah, I think definitely thinking it as an option really settles your mind a little bit. Obviously financially it can get quite hefty when you're overseas, especially if you've got a caddie, as well. So I think that's a really good backup plan.

I am just going to deal with the whole heftiness. But I think knowing that you can leave your stuff there if you needed to, so you're not over-carrying all your suitcases, I think that's very helpful, so I'm fortunate and very thankful for Golf Australia.

Q. How does it help you mentally to have people who are going through similar things, who have that second home away from home, to go back in an off week to be with people who understand the Tour life?

GRACE KIM: Oh, it is so nice. All of last year, Hannah Green and Su Oh went back and forth to the golf Australia house, as well, so getting to practice with them is just precious time, your mates coming back, coming back and forth, as well. I think just really -- you don't get lonely as much. You don't get homesick.

I think just the whole setup, yeah, I think -- even last year I couldn't have done it without the house. I stayed there for seven months of last year, as well. I was overseas for seven months.

But I don't know, it's really fun. Like obviously a string of off weeks, so you don't really want to do anything, but you've also got a bonus having mates around, having roommates and all that, so it's really fun.

Q. Who is there now other than you?

GRACE KIM: Well, I wouldn't say -- it's just like a little base. No one is actually living out of there.

Q. Just an option?

GRACE KIM: Yeah, it's just an option. I guess you can look at it like an AirBNB sort of setup. The strength and conditioning coach of Golf Australia and his family moved over from Melbourne whatever year it was to look after the house, so people just go back and forth. All our packages go there, whatever address we need, we just put that address down.

But I don't exactly know who's in the house yet because I believe the coach has gone home to Melbourne, but I think it's empty and it's a free house, so maybe I'll take it next week.

Q. Having that in Orlando, I know it's a very touristy area, does it kind of help on off weeks to get away from the golf course, having some of that? Does having some of the biggest attraction right at your feet, does it help separate the golf from it?

GRACE KIM: I think it depends on the situation. If you've got just one week as an off week, I think you just want to chill, and it's right by the lake, so it's really calm and really relaxing. They've got like this one couch that always hits the spot. Waking up to sunrises and sunsets across the lake, it's pretty nice.

If you've got a couple of weeks handy -- I've been to universal last year and I had a blast. I think you've just got to manage your time well, but yeah, having that house, it just settles your mind.

Q. Going back to being at Daytona next week, you can't really get on the course the whole time tomorrow. Will you use that as like a home base until you guys can get on the course or are you going right to Daytona?

GRACE KIM: I'm going right to Daytona. I'm just going to head there now, just step on it a little bit. Hopefully no cops are around. In my mind I just want to get there and then relax, but I think the Golf Australia house is a bit too far to go to commute, so yeah, I've just booked an AirBNB for the week.