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RICOH WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN


July 28, 2010


Jiyai Shin


SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND

THE MODERATOR: Good morning again. We have Jiyai Shin, the 2008 Ricoh Women's British Open champion, here. She arrives the new No. 1 in the world, having won the Evian event last week. You must be in good spirits after that. Great victory.
JIYAI SHIN: Yes, thank you very much.

Q. This is the first time you've been at Birkdale, I believe.
JIYAI SHIN: Yes.

Q. You've had a chance to play the course now. How did you like the golf course?
JIYAI SHIN: Thank you for coming in. Well, I played yesterday in the Pro-Am. I'm really excited because the course is great. I like the links course. Sometimes it's hard to play on links course, but I have a good strategy for links golf, so I can't wait for the tournament. I can't wait for tournament.

Q. Is the Ricoh Women's British Open a special tournament for you?
JIYAI SHIN: Yes, of course. I won two years ago, and it was a big change in my life because I am here. Actually before that I wasn't even thinking about the LPGA Tour, just a dream. All the time I'm dreaming for the LPGA Tour. But I won two years ago, and I get really, really huge confidence. I have a really good memory of this event.

Q. How much has your life changed since you won at Sunningdale two years ago?
JIYAI SHIN: Well, it's huge. I can't say how much, but it's a true -- it's really huge.

Q. In your home country in particular or everywhere you go?
JIYAI SHIN: Everybody.

Q. Having won last week, how difficult is it to stay up there for this week and sort of keep the momentum going?
JIYAI SHIN: Well, I don't think so, because I have a really good confidence about my golf skill, and I have confidence in myself, too. Well, I'm really happy about last week, but I also need to forget the last week. I just focus on this week already. It doesn't matter, I think.

Q. How did you celebrate winning the Evian?
JIYAI SHIN: Really not, because after my winning ceremony, I just came here. But last week after Evian winning ceremony was great. There was a Korean flag with lots of Korean fans. So it was big honour for me.

Q. Do you marvel at somebody like Laura, who wins majors and yet doesn't practise in the Korean way exactly?
JIYAI SHIN: Well, I heard Heather told me five, ten minutes ago, and I'm really, really surprised because the players, Korean, all the time they're focused on practise. We have to look for the course, because it's our first time here. Well, it was a really big change in my life, my thinking, because she is still a great player, but she doesn't need to play the course, just practise is just enough for her. It's really interesting.

Q. If she'd been born in Korea, do you think she would have got away with not practising?
JIYAI SHIN: I think so. Well, when she's born in Korea, maybe she's starting practise on Monday.

Q. Do you think it's something that you could have done through your career? You practiced very hard. Do you think you could have been as good as you are had you not practiced?
JIYAI SHIN: Well, I was hard practise but not anymore, because I just knew it's very important about the mind. When I practise a lot, I get more tired thinking because we're too much thinking about the course, we're too much thinking about my shots. So I just try and make simple then and just also practise is important.

Q. Do you practise more in your mind now?
JIYAI SHIN: Yes.

Q. When did you change from the physical side to the mental side?
JIYAI SHIN: Well, just a few years ago.

Q. Before you won at Sunningdale or after?
JIYAI SHIN: Yes, before.

Q. Jiyai, Laura turned professional about your age and she's still playing at 46. Do you think you'll still be playing at 46?
JIYAI SHIN: Well, I think I'm not, because, well, I want to play a long time. When I played in the LPGA Championship a couple months ago, I played with Juli Inkster. It was her birthday, her 50th birthday, and I'm really surprised because I'm just 22 years old, but I played with Juli, she's 50 years now, and I'm thinking, well, I want to play that well like Juli. But I already have my life plan, so my life plan is I'll play maybe 35, 40 years maximum, and I just want to do some business.

Q. You must normally play in sunshine and warm weather, so what do you make of the wind and the rain that you've found so far this week?
JIYAI SHIN: This is very important, the weather, because we know it's very windy and cold, so I bring lots of warm wear. I think it's very important to keep my hands warm, because if my hands get cold, it's a little bit harder to play. On green, too, it's a little bit harder to control the speed.
Well, sometimes when we play in the wind, it's really harder to get the focus. So I just try to focus on every hole, every shot.

Q. Will there be lots of players this week who won't relish the cold and windy, wet conditions?
JIYAI SHIN: Yes, I think so.

Q. I know you've only played the course once, but how similar are you finding Birkdale to Lytham last year?
JIYAI SHIN: Well, last year was very windy, and last year was also very firm fairways. I have still memory of last year's course. So I think that memory is a very big help for this week.

Q. Did they feel like similar golf courses to you?
JIYAI SHIN: A little bit different because last year was a little bit blind, lots of blind shots to the hole and very flat course. But this golf course is still flat, but you can see the green and pin from the teeing ground, so I can make more detailed course management.

Q. So you prefer this course?
JIYAI SHIN: Yes (laughing).

Q. What do you like about Britain apart from the golf?
JIYAI SHIN: Well, I really like the fish and chips. I ate last night, too. And I really like the English people, because they speak English in an accent that I really like. A little bit hard to understand, but I really like it.

Q. Did you get much chance to look around away from the golf course? Do you get much chance to go --
JIYAI SHIN: Well, I try because I stay in downtown. They have lots of shops, so I just look around every night early and enjoy it.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much. Good luck this week.

End of FastScripts




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