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RICOH WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN


September 15, 2012


Jiyai Shin


WIRRAL, ENGLAND

COLIN CALLANDER:  Congratulations, a magnificent 64 today.  I believe that's the best round you've ever had in a major?
JIYAI SHIN:  Yes, it's true.  I can't believe the way I hit it, 64 shots today on this course, it's really tough.  And then I was surprised, the first hole I made an eagle, 30 yards chipping in.  So it was a good start.
COLIN CALLANDER:  I think you made three birdies back‑to‑back after that, as well.  So a great start.
JIYAI SHIN:  Yeah, it's true, after the eagle I feel really good.  I feel like really excited and then I hit another great shot the next three holes and made birdies.

Q.  If somebody asks you what's the best round you've ever had in your life, what do you say?
JIYAI SHIN:  No, actually I just played last week at the Kingsmill, I hit 9‑under par.  And then‑‑ but it's a totally different golf course.  Kingsmill was a great golf course, also, but much softer green and fairways, so easy to hit aggressive shots to the flag, but not this course.  This course is really tough.  So actually this week my goal was 1‑under par every single day.  But I hit 8‑under par, wow.
COLIN CALLANDER:  Given you were 8‑under par on this very, very tough golf course, is that the best round you have played?
JIYAI SHIN:  I think so, because today, a bogey‑free day and then bunker‑free, too.  So that is a good thing, today's golf.  I missed just one fairway.  And on the back nine, it's blowing very strong wind, but I just stay focussed on my tempo and my timing with my driver and shots.  So it was work.

Q.  You've played some of your best golf in the last three tournaments, tied for third, won in a playoff and then here.  How do you explain that?
JIYAI SHIN:  It's funny, before that, like I thought it was good I guess, and all three events, I have great memories.  So when I played in Canada and Kingsmill and here, I'm just happy.  I'm really very confident and comfortable here, even this tournament, very special for me, because I won the 2008 and it changed, huge, my life.
So that's why I come back to here and after that, I got a lot of fans in England, so I'm really blessed today for my fans, because today there was a lot of people out there, and then they keep cheering for me.
COLIN CALLANDER:  Is this one of your favourite events?
JIYAI SHIN:  Why not?  Yes, of course.  Yeah, in 2008, it was great memory for me.  So when some people ask me what's your best win in your life, I definitely I chose this.

Q.  You had nine holes extra last weekend, and now you have 36 holes tomorrow.  Can you just talk about how you're feeling about the two rounds and if you have any different mind‑set?
JIYAI SHIN:  Actually after the first round, I was still tired, but yesterday I take the big rest all day staying in hotel, long sleep, and I feel a lot better today.
I know I play 36 holes tomorrow, but I know I've played lots of holes so I just keep focussed for the recovery, the physical recovery tonight and then just keep going forward to tomorrow.

Q.  Have you ever played 36 holes in one day before?
JIYAI SHIN:  Actually two years ago in the Match Play, I played two days in a row, 33 and 35 holes.

Q.  Did you feel like you left any shots out there?
JIYAI SHIN:  Maybe, but I'm already happy with the new score.  I had another couple more chances, but this golf course, don't know how‑‑ even short putts really tough because the wind was blowing so hard.  I just keep focussed every single putt, too.  So I'm really happy with my score.

Q.  And in the 2006 Open, Tiger Woods had a 65, and then went on to win it; do you think the 64 could be the thing that has you go onto win this tournament?
JIYAI SHIN:  I think so, because I know I have five strokes for second place, but this golf course, nobody knows‑‑ I'm not sure about the five strokes.
So if the golf game is very‑‑ sometimes make you weird, sometimes make great.  So I just keep focussed on my game.  I know so many great players out there.  But I just keep focussed on myself.

Q.  Did you ever worry when you were injured that you would not be able to play again like this?
JIYAI SHIN:  Not really, because I believe in myself, that's the good thing.  So I know that it was tough choice to take operation, make the decision, but if I keep playing in June and July, I feel‑‑ I think maybe make more bad conditions.
So I think it was great choice and when I‑‑ after operation, when I recover, I just only good thinking about my golf.  So a lot of time we watch it when I won this tournament and another tournament, too.

Q.  What day was the operation and what was the actual operation on your wrist?
JIYAI SHIN:  It was May 24, 26, I take the operation and after that, I go back to Korea for, I would say, a couple months for the recovery.

Q.  What did they do to the wrist?  What was the problem?
JIYAI SHIN:  Actually my left hand, this part right here‑‑ actually my palm was small bone was broken, so I just take it out and another‑‑ so many players say, you practise too much, too many practise.  I feel much better now.  So just take care.

Q.  How many weeks without playing?  When did you start playing again?
JIYAI SHIN:  I stopped play exactly for two months, and then‑‑ first my first event after operation, I play in Japan first, and then straight after, Evian Masters.  So first event in Japan, I finished third, so I was surprised, too, very surprised.
COLIN CALLANDER:  Do you have any pain at all now or is it okay?
JIYAI SHIN:  Actually there was a little pain, but I know a lot of big tournaments come up, so I just keep playing and then a recovery.

Q.  I followed you and I could feel the wind picking up again.  Were you conscious of the wind over the last four or five holes?
JIYAI SHIN:  When I turned, when I start on the 10th today, and then when I played on the front nine, after the second hole, it was blowing‑‑ wind was blowing so hard, so actually No. 3 hole was really hard hole for me because first day I hit a driver, I hit a 3‑wood, and I couldn't get it to the green.
But today when I'm standing on the tee ground, it was blowing so hard into my face, so, okay, I just keep focussed on my 10th hole and then hit it a little bit lower and a little driver and then I hit 3‑wood.  Finally I made it and just got three and 2‑putt.
Third hole really in my head is more tough hole for me, so after great par, after that, it's just like, good confidence with the wind, too.  Even today my shot was great.  So I just kept focussed to the fairway and green all the time.

Q.  Did it help having Park in the group, as well, pushing you harder to keep ahead of her?
JIYAI SHIN:  I think so, because when I'm watching her game, her putting and driver shot was great.  And then also, she has a great tempo with her shots, so when I'm watching‑‑ normally I'm not watching the other players swing, but I just watching In‑Bee's swing on the 10th hole and I just keep in mind about doing my tempo, so I think it was a good thing for me.

Q.  You said winning in 2008 changed your life hugely; how did it change?
JIYAI SHIN:  When I won in 2008, I was not a member of the LPGA, so after that, I got a Tour card on the LPGA, that was the biggest thing.  And also, normally before‑‑ in 2008, my main goal was KLPGA, and normally I'm watching the LPGA on the TV.
So I'm all the time dreaming about this Tour, and I really respect, and then it's just like some of the top players, really great, like different level about my game.
But after that win, it's just like, oh, wow, I can make this, too.  So I get a lot of confidence and I finally get the Tour card on the LPGA.  I think both has changed my life, yeah.

Q.  Tiger talked about this course on the LPGA website.  Did you watch it at all before you teed off?
JIYAI SHIN:  Not really.  I know that he won, he knows about this course, but the men and women, it's a different type of game.  So I watch his playing on this course, and so I know how he played.
But normally he played with No.2, No. 3 irons, but I don't have any irons, 2 or 3.  Mostly I hit driver (laughing).  So that's why a little bit different, the course management.  Yeah, that's why.

Q.  Are you concerned about the weather forecast for tomorrow?
JIYAI SHIN:  Yeah, I heard that a lot of chance of the rain, and hopefully good weather for tomorrow, just keep dry today.  Even if it's bad weather coming, it's not only for me; all players same conditions.  So I just keep focus on my shot and game.

Q.  Now that you've played this course a few times this week in practise and in the tournament, how would you rate it as a golf course?  What do you think of this golf course?
JIYAI SHIN:  Definitely I could say, really tough course.

Q.  Do you like it?
JIYAI SHIN:  Yes, I do.  It makes a big challenge of all my skills with all the clubs.  So it's really fun.  And actually, after the playoff last week, or actually this week, upon day, when I fly to here on Tuesday in the afternoon and big rest, I came out Wednesday, I played the front nine, but on the back nine I couldn't play because the weather was so bad, windy and rain.  So I just walk around.
So first day, I'm not sure about this course because I didn't play on the back nine.  But today I know much better than first round, so I make sure which‑‑ each target, and then feel better and good score.

Q.  You mentioned about not going in bunkers and hitting the fairways; is there anything else about how you played that has led to this amazing score?
JIYAI SHIN:  Actually, this course has a lot of bunkers, a lot of small, tiny, deep bunkers.  So first I focussed to just get keep in fairway, and then even strong wind or even long hole, I just keep focussed with the short club and long club.  I miss only one fairway, and it was just first cut, too.  I think that's the key for tomorrow, too.

Q.  Which was the one fairway you missed?
JIYAI SHIN:  No. 1.  My first hole was No. 10 but I missed on No. 1.
COLIN CALLANDER:  Could we quickly go over the clubs for the eagles, birdies.
JIYAI SHIN:  Oh, I do a lot of eagles, birdies.  I start on 10.  I made an eagle.  I hit driver, 3‑wood and 30 yards left.  I hit a 60‑degree wedge and just couple bounce and in.
Then I hit a driver and I hit a 6‑iron within 155 yards and it was great shot.  Just like ten feet to the hole.
12, I hit a driver and hit 5‑iron 160 yards into the wind and 10‑foot putt.
13, I hit a 6‑iron and it was like 12‑foot to the hole and just made that.
16, it was a par 5.  I hit a driver and I had a chance to hit two on, but it had a lot of bunkers, so I just hit it short to the bunker.  I hit a 19‑degree hybrid and it was 60 yards to the hole.  I hit using 60‑degree wedges and like 15, 17‑‑ between 15 and 17 feet to the hole.
4, I hit a 5‑wood on the tee shot and 7‑iron 150 yards and like 30 feet to the hole.
7, hit a 3‑wood and hit a pitching wedge 130 yards and it was just one foot to the hole.
COLIN CALLANDER:  Do you remember how many greens you hit in regulation.
JIYAI SHIN:  I didn't miss any greens today.

Q.  On the PGA TOUR, there have been a number of tours who have had big leads and they have talked about how in some ways, it's tougher to have a big lead, because you're expected to win when you're that far ahead.  Do you see any downside to being five shots ahead?
JIYAI SHIN:  Well, first I'm surprised at the state of my game, so hopefully I just keep it going for tomorrow and 36 holes.  And actually, five shots is a really big gap, but at first like‑‑ we don't know about this course, because that's why with Anna and In‑Bee, when I saw that Anna, she played good, but she missed one hole, she made it a big score in one hole, so that's why this course, I would say it's really tough.  Yeah, just five strokes, I think‑‑ I'm not sure for the wind but I'm just keeping going.

Q.  Yani Tseng said she would like a five‑stroke lead going down the last five holes when she was in a couple days ago; do you think that will be enough?
JIYAI SHIN:  But if it has a lot of gap, still, it makes a little bit nervous and pressure, too.  Sounds like enough but I tried to keep it focus until 18, finish the 18th.
COLIN CALLANDER:  Thank you very much.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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