	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

LPGA STATE FARM CLASSIC

July 16, 2008

Christina Kim

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Christina, thanks for coming in and joining us today. Great season so far in 2008. You've had a lot of spectacular finishes here at the LPGA State Farm Classic. Talk about being back here this week.
CHRISTINA KIM: Like you said, I'm just thrilled to be back. Like you said, I've had a very good season this year. It's the best first half that I've had in my entire career, which is nice. I've had six Top 10s, several back to backs. I've had a runner-up finish this year.
You know, coming back here always brings fond memories. Doesn't matter if we're here at Panther Creek or back at the Rail. There's so much thrilling excitement that's associated with this tournament for me.
A lot people were kind of wondering if they should play this event, but this is always one of the first commitments I make every year.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: That's great. Questions.

Q. Is it disappointing that more of the top players aren't here this week as a player yourself?
CHRISTINA KIM: You know, as a player or... (laughter.)
Well, no, it is definitely disappointing to see that there aren't as many -- I don't know how many there are, like four or five out of the top 20 or something like that. It's very disappointing to see that personally, because this is one of those few tournaments that has, you know, always been there for us.
Granted it's becoming -- I'm not really one for comparisons, but it's starting to become a little bit more like the PGA where the players are being more selective. The three plus million dollar purses are going to be coming next week and we've got a major after.
But me, whenever I had a week off prior to the Evian I played always like crap there. I'm happy to just keep playing. It is disappointing thought to know that there are some players that -- it's not a matter of not valuing this event. It's nothing like that. It's just that the schedule may not have been conducive to having the best field that it possibly could, because this event has done nothing but continually exceeded expectations on our side year after year.
Everything's gotten better as far as the food. The spectators have always been great. The volunteer numbers seem like they've increased. The course has changed, so it's not necessarily better or worse but I was runner-up there before too, so I like it there.
It just makes that maybe a little bit more championship-style golf. I know that Kate Peters and everyone on her staff has done so much to try and improve this event. It's heart breaking to see it actually.

Q. Having said that, the phrase we always hear is, These women are independent contractors, which you are, and yet you are a tour and you are an entity. I mean, everybody has their own priorities I guess. A number of players were on the next to the last list, and then the final list about twenty, you know.
CHRISTINA KIM: Right.

Q. I know this isn't the only situation like this maybe this year, but it's just the way that it happened here. Any general thoughts?
CHRISTINA KIM: You know, for me, I never thought of us as independent contractors. It makes me think of the mob. But, you know, I guess we are, you know, individuals. You know, granted we are part of an organization.
But for me there's a lot of drama going on period. Not just the fact that we're competitive with one another and we're at the top level of competitive golf. Not the fact that we're just women and there's a lot of the drama involved in that anyway.
I can't speak on behalf of anybody else. I mean, I love this event. I know the fact that we've upped the purse from 1.5 to 1.7 just in the last several months, you know, I thought that would, you know, entice people more.
There's a lot on the line in actuality. We've got ADT points on the line. There's going to be a champion out here, and it's going to be a great champion regardless of who it may end up being. It may not be Paula Creamer, Lorena Ochoa, or Annika Sorenstam, but we're going to have a great champion at the end of the week anyway.
You know, it just -- I can't speak on behalf of anybody else. It's just, you know, bottom line, you know, State Farm has been here for us. You know, you would think that would dig a little deeper than it has. Granted, I'm saying that because I'm here and because I care.
I don't know if maybe the tables were turned or something. I don't know. It's just such an unfortunate situation. But you know what? It's a great opportunity for a lot of the players that would not necessarily get into every event every year to -- this might be their breakthrough event in their career or a turning point.
You'll have one of the players that were nonexempt or conditional and they'll come out and end up having the week of their life. They win this event and in turn are top 10 am on the Money List for the next five years. Who knows? Anything can happen. There's positive and negative to this event, I think.

Q. Along those lines, yes, there aren't a lot of big names here this week. You just used the phrase, This could be an opportunity for someone. As a player, from week to week, do you look at the field and say, Ah, certain people aren't here; this is more of an opportunity for me or whoever? Do you look at it that way?
CHRISTINA KIM: I have looked at it that way in like my first couple years. Like I came out in '03 and there were a couple events maybe located outside of the country where I said, Oh, you know, they're short a full field. They don't even have 144 players.
I'm like, Okay, chances are better for me. I can still miss the cut. There are still 70 people that are pining to get that -- to win. It doesn't matter. You know, a lot of times -- they always say, Be wary of the injured. It also goes for -- not necessarily conditionals or nonexempt, but for people that don't necessarily get the opportunity to be out here week in and week out.
There are people that they will do, you know, super human things to -- it's like if you get that one chance you got to take advantage of it.
Now, I'm just as scared this week as I am any other week.

Q. I notice you're playing with Sherri and Angela tomorrow. I think you were one group apart on that last day.
CHRISTINA KIM: Yeah.

Q. You talk about just good memories, last year, your rookie year at the Rail. Hopefully more of the same?
CHRISTINA KIM: Yeah. Well, it was kind of funny. My caddie and I laughed when I saw that I was playing with Sherri. Granted, our tee teams, the LPGA does make our tee times completely random. For me it was --you know, I couldn't have picked a better group.
I'm thrilled to be playing with Sherri. I seem to play well when I'm in the same group as her a lot of the time, and she does play well with me when we're in the same group. So it's just going to be great for, you know, the spectators that were here last year because they remember.
And the fact that we're playing together is probably going to have good memories for people and spectators as well. Who knows much. Tables might turn this year. Breakthrough year.

Q. (No microphone.)
CHRISTINA KIM: Well, you know this is an event that's always been near and dear to me. Doug Eibling who used to run this event who is now with Octagon who is my management group, so I have very close ties with him.
Kate Peters. I played with her in the Pro-Am the first and only time she's ever played golf. So there's a lot of -- I mean, there are so many things intertwined with why I love this event so much.
You can only play as well as you can, you know. I can only do what I can. If one's going to make a putt from a foot off the green or whatever to clinch the title, you know, it's their time. Bottom line.
It's a bummer that I haven't won here, because I kind of feel like -- it's not like I own the place, but I feel like this is one of my favorite stops hands down just because of the history that I have with this event.
But you know what, if I was meant to win I would. That's the way I see it. By not winning, I think it has taught me certain things about myself. You know, to improve coming into later weeks, later years further on to further my career.

Q. Just talking about a few of the other players. The course, they're giving it higher marks than last year. How do you think it's shaping up?
CHRISTINA KIM: I loved the course last year. You can tell that there's been -- the severe drought that the general Springfield area has been in recent years is not necessarily the case anymore. The fairways are lush, the greens are immaculate. The rough is very healthy, to say the least.
It's a championship golf course. Granted, last year, you know, the golf course staff, they were at their legal limits as far as how much water they were trying to apply to the course to try to get into as good a shape as they could.
Right now they can sit back and relax and just let the monster grow. The course is in fabulous shape. I'm thrilled to be back. It's definitely playing different from last year though. You're not going to have to worry about the 90 yards of roll off the tee because there's a little bit of grass that can kind of hold the ball now.
It's going to play different, but scores are still going to be low this year coming in, I think.

Q. Is that the first time you had been auctioned off?
CHRISTINA KIM: No, but last night was the most that anyone had every paid to play with me, so I felt like a high-priced call girl. I'm not going to complain, because my group was great. They were hands down one of the best groups I ever had. I haven't laughed that much in a Pro-Am in a really long time. They were just fantastic.
I know that Megan, who is pretty much the reason why they got to pick the No. 1 spot, she's played with Annika, Natalie, Cristie Kerr, Wendy Ward. I'm up there in a very elite list of players. I'm feel very fortunate to have been her pick this year.
Her and the three guys were just phenomenal. We actually ended up 11-under, so I told them they should have put up more money. It apparently ended up being $1000 a birdie. If they would have went up to 20 we probably would have won the Pro-Am.

Q. (No microphone.)
YANI TSENG: Yeah, they were back and forth all night, and he finally backed down. He came up to me and I guess I was the first pro that he saw this morning. He said, I wanted you to know that I really wanted to play with you. But I went up to like 10.5 and they went to 11, and I knew that she was willing to go to 20 so I just had to let it go.
I just I called him a cheapskate. I guess the fact that he is willing to out more money into the city as opposed to benefitting me, you know, I guess -- I can accept that. It's all for the children. That's the way I see it. Good cause one way or another.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297