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MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 9, 2004

K.J. Choi

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA

BILLY MORRIS: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. We are delighted to have with us K.J. Choi from Korea, and we also are happy to have his interpreter with us, Michael Yim.

Mr. Choi had a very fine round today. He shot 70. He's now 3 under par, and he had an outstanding score of 30 on the front nine today.

So, congratulations on a very nice round. What is your pleasure, ladies and gentlemen? Would you like for him to talk about the round or would you like to ask questions?

Q. Could you tell us about your day?

K.J. CHOI: When I started out the day today, I just thought, let's have an easy day, a good start. Even par would have been a good score.

But as I got going, I kept making birdies. I just felt more comfortable out there. You know, personally, it was very honoring for me to be playing so well, the way that I did. It was very I find it very lucky that I was able to score so well. I think 2 under was a very good score for the day. I'm very happy that I was able to shoot under par for the first two days.

Q. Have you ever had an experience in golf close to this stage where you were so hot for a nine hole stretch?

K.J. CHOI: I think this is the first time I ever shot a 30 on a front nine in nine holes. The fact that it came today at the Masters, I feel very lucky that it did. I think it was possible because I feel like this course, Augusta National, is very comfortable. It's very friendly to me. It just makes me feel very comfortable being out here.

Q. At the end of the round, are you more happy with 70, or is there any disappointment of what it could have been, considering where you were through nine?

K.J. CHOI: Like I said, today, starting out the day, I thought even par would be a good score, but, you know, finishing at 2 under, I feel very lucky. I feel very good about it.

The four bogeys that I made on the back nine, I take it as, it's like a study before tomorrow. I'm looking at it very positively. It was a very good experience for me. Especially Amen Corner, I felt it was very thrilling, the way that I played it, and I think it's going to actually help me in the third and fourth round, the way that I played the back nine.

Q. Are you normally that streaky of a player? You went 38 31 the first day and 30 40 the second day; are you normally that streaky? And also, what is it about your golf game that makes you have really good nines and then maybe not so good nines?

K.J. CHOI: No, I'm actually more of a steady player. I guess just yesterday and today, I played well, and then there were holes that I didn't play well. I think it's because there was a little bit of nervousness that I felt playing the Masters.

You know, I feel like I still I was still playing very steady, and I'm looking forward to a good final two days.

Q. How did the way you finished yesterday and the confidence you gained from that carry over to the way you started today?

K.J. CHOI: Yesterday I started out at 3 over and then I was able to finish at 1 under.

Normally, I think when players start bad, they tend to focus more on the back nine. When you start good, then somehow you try to maintain that.

I think the difference between that is maintaining your swing rhythm and adjusting to all of the different conditions on the course. I didn't play that well on the back nine, but I feel like I am in a very good position right now.

Q. You talked a little about maybe feeling a little bit of nervousness. I wonder, did you look at the leaderboard and see if you were at the top of the leaderboard? How did that strike you?

K.J. CHOI: I don't usually look at the leaderboard, like during the back nine when I was by the green side, I would occasionally look at it, but I wouldn't be really engrossed in it or put my mind into it.

I think that a player should just focus on his game, and I try to do that every hole.

Q. How important was your caddie to you today?

K.J. CHOI: I think that a caddie is an important partner to a player. The part that Andy is very good about is he's very accurate with the yardages, and he's very aware of where my ball lands, the landing distance.

He was able to check it very well and he just helped me just go about my game very comfortably.

Q. After a couple of seasons over here, are there still things playing on the PGA Tour that you find surprising or things about life in the U.S. that you find either comfortable or not so comfortable?

K.J. CHOI: I've adapted well, I think, to living in the U.S.

I think the only thing I still haven't adapted to is obviously English. That's the only thing that I think I have trouble with. I think that's because I came to the U.S. at such a late stage in my life. I'm not that young, but English, for some reason, I try to study, and I try as hard as I can, but it's very difficult.

But with regards to just the daily routine stuff, you know, the daily life, traveling, that's very comfortable. The PGA Tour is like my second home now. I feel very comfortable being out on the Tour and just the fact that I've adapted very well really helps me play very well.

Q. I saw you speaking to your wife between 9 and 10, your wife is here. Are your children also here or anybody else in your family, and were they following you today?

K.J. CHOI: Yeah, I spoke to my wife walking from 9 to 10. She told me that she's praying for me. My whole family is here. They are all at day care right now. But just the fact that my family is here with me, I'm very happy. When I look at my kids, you know, looking at them, it gives me a sense of responsibility that every stroke that I play is very important.

Q. What was your mindset going from 9 to the back nine? You must have come into 10 on a very high level, and you started bogeying. Was it tough to maintain a sense of positivity at that point?

K.J. CHOI: Yesterday on the front side, the shots that I wanted to make, I couldn't. But today, I was able to do them.

But on the back side, it was like I said, that there were certain spots that I don't want to hit, that I don't want to miss, but I kept missing them to that same spot.

I think just playing every hole to my best ability and not missing the areas that I should be hitting, I think that's the key point.

BILLY MORRIS: K.J. choi, thank you very much, and good luck to you.

End of FastScripts.

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