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COLIN CALLANDER: Talk about the golf course, quite tough in the wind?
INBEE PARK: First day I really played in the wind today, because the last couple days, I played, it wasn’t that windy. I think this is more like what we’ll get the rest of the week. We played here in 2010. It was a bit easier than this I think because the rough wasn’t up, this year the rough is quite thick and high.
The fairways here are not wide. You definitely need to hit the fairways to score around this golf course. Around the greens it’s really tough to putt a wedge on it because the ground is so form and high‑lofted clubs, it’s really tough to hit. Yeah, avoid the fairway bunkers.
COLIN CALLANDER: Last year you arrived at St. Andrews chasing a fourth consecutive major and you definitely got the worst of the weather. Is that something that you have to accept when you’re over here in this country?
INBEE PARK: Yeah, I think so. Most of the time, probably two or three days out of the four days, we get the wind and the rain. Yeah we expect the cold and the rain and the wind when we come here. I think there is really ‑‑ this is a tournament where you really have to be on the right side of the draw, also. I think it’s a bit of luck, because you could play in 30 miles per hour wind or ten miles per hour wind because it’s such a big difference. Last year, I got the worst side of the draw. But hopefully I get a little bit luckier. You’ve just got to play in the wind.
COLIN CALLANDER: Given the amazing thing you were trying to achieve 12 months ago, it must be difficult to accept that you were basically just unlucky.
INBEE PARK: Yeah, you’ve just got to get that. I think every tournament, it has a little bit of luck and everything like that, but this week with the weather, you’ve just got to get a little bit more luckier. Yeah, just hopefully a little better luck this time.
Q. How does this compare to other championship venues that you’ve played?
INBEE PARK: I think it’s really different. The course type is totally different to what we play. We never really ‑‑ last tournament we played was really soft and this tournament, everything is just so firm and just running. Yeah, but I played many British Opens before, and you kind of get used to, the course, it looks really similar, and every course in the British Open, the courses we play, it looks really similar. It’s almost tough to remember like which hole is which, because it looks ‑‑ I played here maybe ten times this golf course, but sometimes think, oh, was there a bunker there, and there’s courses, like difficult, hard to remember.
Something different and I think it’s something really fun. You definitely need experience to play this golf course.
Q. Just for the British Open, do you think this could be the most difficult you’ve seen?
INBEE PARK: Fairway width‑wise, I think this is one of the narrowest fairways we’ll play in past years. And because of the rough here, I think it’s going to be playing quite tough. Last time we played here, we didn’t have any rough. And usually the British Open, we have wide fairways, but this is a different story, and, yeah, definitely if you’re not in the fairway, it’s big trouble there.
Q. Would you like to have any idea of a winning score?
INBEE PARK: Last time we played was 11‑under. I think under par will be a good score. If the wind picks up and everything like that, then obviously they could be very difficult to shoot under par. But like today maybe a couple under winning score.
Q. Compared with last year, when you couldn’t hardly move without somebody surrounding you, do you like the atmosphere better this year or would you rather be just like it was last year?
INBEE PARK: Results‑wise, I would want some attention like last year because that means I won three majors in a row. This is more relaxing and this is a little bit more relaxing than last year. So it feels like nothing really special like last year. Last year I felt like ‑‑ I felt a lot of pressure and I felt like I need to do something, but this year is still like normal tournament. Obviously this is a tournament I really waited for all year, and this is my last major championship to win for the Grand Slam.
So definitely this is the tournament that I really want to win, but it just doesn’t feel as much pressure as last year. So I feel a lot more relaxed.
Q. In your recent victory, you credited YouTube with rediscovering your putting stroke. Has that maintained the improvement?
INBEE PARK: Yeah, I think my ball‑striking has been better than last year and I’m really happy with the way I’m playing. But putting has been the difference this year. I really try to go back to my last year’s stroke and try to see the rhythm and the stroke.
Yeah, I think and I felt it coming back in Canada when I won, but after that for a couple weeks I didn’t really putt well. But I feel like I’m rolling the ball better, but not going in. I can’t really control. Just put a good stroke on it, put a good rolling on it and that’s all I can do. It’s better than hitting the ball everywhere, that’s for sure.
Q. Whose idea was YouTube?
INBEE PARK: It was mine and my fiancé’s idea to try to see what was wrong.
Q. Did you go back to Korea last year ‑‑ the Ferrari?
INBEE PARK: Yeah, I like to move because the time change, I like to move to a west side, but when you go east side, I really have trouble getting used to time. So actually stopping in Korea and coming here, I’m perfectly adapted to the time, so I feel good.
Q. I’m sorry. I don’t know the Ferrari story.
INBEE PARK: Last year I got sponsored by Ferrari Korea, FMK, and I got to driver a Ferrari for a year, maybe longer. I think I will probably renew my contract this year, hopefully.
Q. On your putting, do you keep the same putter forever or do you switch?
INBEE PARK: I like switching but I really like to stay the same style of the head. I’m actually trying a different putter this week. We’ll see what happens.
Q. Are you going to use the new putter in competition?
INBEE PARK: Yeah.
