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LPGA CORNING CLASSIC

May 29, 2005

Jimin Kang

CORNING, NEW YORK

JOEL LAMP: We've got the winner, Jimin Kang, in here, fresh with a set of roses and a nice glass bowl to celebrate her win. Let's start off with your score card. Go ahead, just birdies and bogeys.

JIMIN KANG: No. 1, I made a par.

No. 2, I made a birdie.

JOEL LAMP: Let's talk about it for a second. What did you have in there? What did you have to get on in two?

JIMIN KANG: I got on in three. I laid up. My second shot on No. 2, I hit a 4 iron and it went into the left bunker about 17, 18 yards. I had to hit it up and let it roll to get it closer, about 6 foot, 5 foot for the birdie.

JOEL LAMP: Next birdie?

JIMIN KANG: No. 5, par 5, I hit a driver and I hit a 4 iron. Yes, I hit a 4 iron. It went short of the green and chipped it to about three feet, made a birdie there.

JOEL LAMP: No bogeys anywhere?

JIMIN KANG: Not yet. It's coming.

JOEL LAMP: Birdie on 8.

JIMIN KANG: No. 8, par 4, I hit a driver, hit a 52, gripped it and hit it a little bit past the hole. It rolled all the way back to about a four footer uphill, left to right, made the putt.

No. 9, I teed off with a 5 wood. I hit a 7 iron about 150 yards, and I kind of pulled it left on the edge, and I putted and it went in.

JOEL LAMP: About how far?

JIMIN KANG: Good question. About six feet, seven feet, eight feet.

JOEL LAMP: By the end of the day it will be a 40 footer, won't it?

JIMIN KANG: Maybe.

JOEL LAMP: 10.

JIMIN KANG: Here is the bogey. Happy? (Laughter). Driver, I totally pushed it to the left. It went into the bunker and I hit a bunker shot. It went left of the green, totally downslope, hit the chip shot, knocked it on, didn't make the putt, about 5 foot uphill, right to left, and I missed the putt.

JOEL LAMP: Birdies, what was the next one?

JIMIN KANG: No. 12, par 5, driver, 3 wood fat, about 35 yards uphill, I had to let it roll about 45 yards. Chipped it three feet past the hole, downhill, right to left, made the putt for birdie.

I got another bogey for you. No. 14, the par 5. I knocked it on, four footer, five footer, close, left to the right, and I hit that putt really aggressive, it hit the hole cup, came out to about 3 foot and I pulled my putter. I had 3 putts, made a bogey.

JOEL LAMP: What did you hit to get on?

JIMIN KANG: No. 12?

JOEL LAMP: 14.

JIMIN KANG: I think I gripped an 8 iron.

JOEL LAMP: You hit the 8 iron to four feet for birdie?

JIMIN KANG: Yes.

JOEL LAMP: Missed the birdie?

JIMIN KANG: Yes.

JOEL LAMP: But you recover with the ace at 15.

JIMIN KANG: Tell me about it.

JOEL LAMP: No, you tell us about it.

JIMIN KANG: No. 15, Meena Lee made a birdie putt, I went second. She hit a great shot. She hit to five feet short of the pin. And I told her, "That's a little bit short, huh?" She didn't respond. Maybe she didn't understand me. It's a tournament. Nobody really pays attention to what people say.

JOEL LAMP: What did you hit in there?

JIMIN KANG: Be patient. I gripped a 9 iron. I gripped it a lot. Yeah, gripped a 9 iron, hit it solid, and I think it bounced, one bounce in, twice, I couldn't tell. You wonder why I wear glasses.

JOEL LAMP: Then it was pars the rest of the way in, right?

JIMIN KANG: No, I hit a birdie on No. 16.

JOEL LAMP: Birdie on 16.

JIMIN KANG: I hit a 3 iron, I gripped another 9 iron, hit it low, I gripped it a lot, and I knocked it to about 12 feet, downhill, right to left, and it went in for birdie.

Then parred the rest all the way coming home.

JOEL LAMP: Congratulations on the win. What are your thoughts right now, having gotten your first career PGA victory now, in dramatic fashion?

JIMIN KANG: No kidding. Honestly, I'm trying to feel it. Okay, I just won the tournament, I looked at the score board, my name is at the top of the leaderboard and it's not coming yet. I hope it comes soon. Once the check goes into my bank, I might feel it. (Laughter.)

JOEL LAMP? Questions?

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: No. 14, I just keep talking to myself, I keep mumbling to myself on the back of the left corner of the green, "Jimin, it's okay. It's only golf. It' only a game. I can do the 3 putts. It's fine. Just move on. Just putt it. It will be fine." That's what I said, and I think it worked.

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: You know, actually I didn't really think about winning, because I couldn't see the score board, but that's excitement, you know. I have to 3 putt for the bogey and holding on during the tournament. I'm like, man, it must be my day.

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: Actually, I thought about it last night. I was hoping I didn't look up at the score boards. Today, I think I was a little busy playing to look up. It must be a good thing.

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: No. 17, on the green. There is a board. I saw my name and her name is at the top. I thought, "Oh, my gosh, I'm at the top."

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: I always go with the 3 wood there, because I hit it far enough, I think.

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: Not much. I told you, I was too busy playing my own game today.

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: I think I had enough fun today. Can't you tell?

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: I'm not a rookie. This is my third year. I tried to play, because I had a nonexempt status in 2003 and 2004, so I tried to play in 2003 and it didn't work out that way. So I decided to play the Futures Tour so I could play more events, and earn my status from there for the Q School.

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: I guess I look younger than my age, huh? I'm 25 years old.

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: Thank you.

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: I guess this is really great encouragement that I see myself with the hope that I can play some golf. I just want to see I just love being out here. Seriously, I just love to play golf, especially competing with all these ladies. It's a blessing, I love it.

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: I think it depends how they grow up, the different culture.

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: I don't think it was this. I think I was just jumping around.

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: I don't think I want to see that.

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: I don't know. It's just me. Because I was like that when I was in Korea, too. Since I came to the States, it's developed more. That's just how I am.

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: When I was in Korea I was more quiet. Since I came to the States, I think I started to go more outgoing, easy going.

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: It's definitely encouraging. I won. What do you expect? You don't know until you sign the score card and turn it in. Nobody really expected that I would win, I'm pretty sure. It's like, "Surprise, you won the whole thing."

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: Because nobody really saw it. I was the only one who saw it. If I want to play well, I have to go, you know what, my ball moved, I want a rules official. I want to make it clear it was there.

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: It's okay. I'll make it up sometime.

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: Definitely. I was like, Oh, she pushed her driver. I just have to get a par here.

Q. (What do you think about the media attention)

JIMIN KANG: I love it. I love people around me. I love galleries cheering me. I love it. I really enjoy it.

Q. (No microphone.)

JIMIN KANG: I didn't know. Good to know. Like I say, it's golf. She is a great golfer, but it's not a guarantee she is going to win. She may do her best to win. But who knows, it's golf, right?

JOEL LAMP: Thanks a lot.

End of FastScripts.

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