Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club – East Course
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
October 16, 2011
Final-round notes and interviews
Na Yeon Choi -15 Rolex Rankings No. 4
Yani Tseng -14, Rolex Ranking No. 1
Rolex Rankings No. 4 Na Yeon Choi captured her first victory of the 2011 season at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia. Choi shot a final-round 68 and held off a Sunday charge from Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng to capture her fifth career LPGA Tour victory.
Choi led by one stroke over Brittany Lang after three rounds of play and got off to a slow start on Sunday with a double-bogey on the second hole. But things starting turning around for Choi with birdies on No. 6 and 8 and two more birdies on the back nine moved her right back at the top of the leaderboard and began what was a tight match at the end with Tseng, who had six birdies and one bogey over her first 15 holes.
For the second straight week, the tournament title came down to the two good friends as Choi and Tseng were tied at 14-under-par with two holes to play. After Tseng missed a birdie opportunity on No. 17, Choi hit her tee shot to about five feet for birdie. She sank the putt and took a one-shot lead into the final hole where she made par to complete her win.
“I wasn’t nervous when I started today but starting getting nervous on 15 when I hear that Yani got birdie, birdie,” Choi said. “So I was nervous, like from 15, 16, 17, 18 I was so nervous, but I had a great result. So it feels amazing.”
With her victory, Choi has now tallied 10 top-10 finishes so far this year. Two of those have been runner-up finishes, which included last week at the HanaBank LPGA Championship where she fell just shy of capturing her third straight title at the event.
Centennial victory: Choi’s victory was also special in that it was the 100th victory by a player of Korean descent on the LPGA Tour. While the contingent of Korean players has been very strong over the past decade, this is actually is the first win by a Korean LPGA Tour member this year. So Yeon Ryu won the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open but she did so as a non-member. Ryu currently plays on the KLPGA Tour.
“I won my fifth tournament and a hundred times for all of the Korean players,” Choi said when asked about her victory. “So it’s very nice. Icing on the cake [laughs]”
Tseng-sational: Despite falling just a little short of capturing her seventh LPGA Tour of the season, Tseng continued to add accolades to what has already been a dominating performance in 2011.
With her runner-up finish at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, the 22-year-old now has 12 top-10 finishes this year. She leads the Tour with six victories and has nine victories worldwide in 2011. But the thing that Tseng was most proud of on Sunday was her ability to come from four shots back to be in contention right at the end again.
“Today before I'm going to play, I tell myself, just shoot 6-under and finish 14‑under,” Tseng said. “So this is my goal today, and I achieved my goal and didn't win. That's all that happened. I do my best and then I played my best today.
“Na Yeon played great and she made a couple birdies on the back nine. You know, it's fun and I enjoy it, and I finished second this week, that means I still have space to improve next week.”
Still seeking that first ‘W’: Azahara Munoz and Brittany Lang both fell just shy of becoming Rolex First-Time Winners on Sunday. Munoz shot a final-round 69 to finish third and Lang shot 73 to finish in a tie for fifth with Stacy Lewis.
It was Lang’s sixth top-10 finish of the 2011 season. She also finished runner-up to Tseng at the RICOH Women’s British Open. For Munoz, who was the 2010 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year, it was her first top-10 finish this season.
Stacy Lewis notched yet another top finish at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia. For Lewis, it was her 11th top-10 of the year and she’s second in top-10s this season behind only Tseng, who has 12.
Golden ticket winners: Christel Boeljon, Amanda Blumenherst, and Mina Harigae punched their "Ticket to CME Group Titleholders" at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, each earning a spot in the season-ending CME Group Titleholders event, which will be held Nov. 17-20, 2011 at Grand Cypress Golf Club in Orlando, Fla. The inaugural CME Group Titleholders, a season finale with a field made up of three qualifiers from every LPGA Tour tournament, is a format never previously used in professional golf.
Choi is going to Canyon Ranch. With her victory at the 2011 Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, Na Yeon Choi earned an all-inclusive stay for two at a Canyon Ranch resort. In a combined effort to promote health and overall well-being among Tour players, Canyon Ranch will provide every winner of an LPGA event with one all-inclusive stay at one of Canyon Ranch's two destination resorts.
Of Note… Kelly Tan finished as the top Malaysian and the top amateur in the field this week. Tan shot a two-over 73 on Sunday and finished at 13-over-par for the tournament. The 17-year-old is a student at the IMG Leadbetter Academy in Bradenton, Fla….Defending champion Jimin Kang shot a 4-over-par 75 in Sunday’s final round and finished tied for 50th at 7-over-par. Kang won the inaugural Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia last year.
NA YEON CHOI, Rolex Rankings No. 4
MODERATOR: We’re pleased to welcome the 2011 Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia champion, Na Yeon Choi into the interview room. First-off, congratulations. Your first victory on the LPGA Tour in 2011. I know you've been close a number of times. How great does it feel today to come through with that victory?
NA YEON CHOI: I mean, I wasn’t nervous when I started today but starting getting nervous on 15. I hear that Yani got birdie, birdie. So I was nervous, like from 15, 16, 17, 18 I was so nervous, but I had a great result. So it feels amazing.
MODERATOR: Last week you came very close in Korea to winning your third straight event there. Did you feel really good about your game coming into this week and how you were playing?
NA YEON CHOI: I think so. I took something from last week I had a great experience from last week. And then I mean, I did my best last week. So I can’t control about the results. So I learned something. And then this week, I had a great feeling about my game. I played so well this week.
MODERATOR: I talked Yani about the last two weeks coming down to the two of you and what that was like. How much fun was it competing with her? And when you do see her name moving up the leaderboard, does that change at all your thought process?
NA YEON CHOI: I keep watching the leaderboard today, and she's so intimidating player this year, especially this year. I think she made me like more nervous today. But it's a great experience really. I'm very happy what I got this week, and then next week I'm going to Taiwan, so hope to bring this to next week too.
MODERATOR: Last year you had such a tremendous year, finishing first on the LPGA Official Money List and finishing with the lowest stroke average on the LPGA Tour. Did you feel any pressure when you started off this year to kind of back up what you had done last year?
NA YEON CHOI: I think so. I think when I started at the beginning of this year, I think I put too much pressure on myself. Now I just keep trying, less pressure on myself. So I think finally, I won this week. So I’m very happy.
MODERATOR: You’ve been consistent all year but the last two months particularly you've been playing really well. What do you think has been the biggest difference in your game over that stretch?
NA YEON CHOI: I'm not sure exactly but I try ‑‑ you know, I just keep saying to myself, I can't control about results. Just play one shot at a time, just every hole do my best. And then just play with fun.
Q. (Can you talk about your caddie)?
NA YEON CHOI: I think my caddie helps me a lot. Keeps encouraging me every time. The main thing is that I never gave up until the last hole. I feel I’m very proud of myself like how I control my emotions today. I think that I had a great experience from this week, you know, nobody can buy ‑‑ nobody can buy this experience.
Q. You seemed to be getting close as the round went on, on your approach shots, you seemed to get more aggressive as the round went along?
NA YEON CHOI: The main thing is I have to trust in myself. And I didn't trust in myself, and when my caddie gave me number I just trust that number and hit the shot. I can't control about results, so I just try the same routine every shot, and then it goes in or not, doesn't matter. I just played my game.
Q. How long has he been your caddie?
NA YEON CHOI: Almost 2 1/2 years. And I won fifth time with him. I think we are a good partners.
Q. The conversation between and you him today, was there ever a conflict today?
NA YEON CHOI: I think today was like me and my caddie, we worked very well. Like every time I trust him, his yardage number. Like every time, I just trust. Even putting lines.
Q. This is your fifth LPGA title. Out of your wins, where does this rank for you? Like in terms of is this the best one or does it mean more to you having gone for a while?
NA YEON CHOI: I think first time winning at Samsung World Championship, I won 2009. That was my first time winning on the LPGA Tour. Still, I can't remember that feeling. Scary, like amazing, like excited, everything all mixed at the same moment.
Q. And this week, having gone for a while without a victory does it seem a little more special to be back in the winner's circle?
NA YEON CHOI: Actually this win, it's the 100th time a Korean player has won in their career. And I won my fifth tournament and a hundred times for all of the Korean players. So it’s very nice. Icing on the cake [laughs]
Q. Can you take me through the 18th hole?
NA YEON CHOI: I hit driver tee shot and my driver landed outside the fairway and I hit 6‑iron to the pin, I think 156 yards and then I hit a little control with the 6‑iron for the second shot and my putt was 40 feet, left‑to‑right.
Q. Were you pleased with how you played 18?
NA YEON CHOI: I think so. I mean, I was so nervous, so right side of the pin, the hazard is there, so I couldn't go at the pin. So I just go ‑‑ I don't know, maybe I play, like aimed left.
Q. When you weren’t winning early in the year, were you concerned about when a win might come?
NA YEON CHOI: I don't know why. I try hard over time. I don't know, actually I feel I don't want to think about like the past. So I feel great right now. I have confidence. So I want to go next week and then do my best again.
YANI TSENG, Rolex Rankings No. 1
MODERATOR: We welcome Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng into the interview room. First off, great playing today. I know it's not another win in what seems to be a season full of wins, but right up near the end, yet again. Can you just take me through the day and how you felt out there?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, I played great today. I hit a lot of great shots. On the second hole, I hit into the water but I hit it so good today. I don't know. I know I’m going to be close but I didn’t know that close. So Na Yeon played great and she made a couple birdies on the back nine. You know, it's fun and I enjoy it, and I finished second this week, that means I still have space to improve next week.
MODERATOR: When you start a final round four shots out of the lead, what is your mind‑set and what are you thinking as you head into that final day?
YANI TSENG: Actually today before I'm going to play, I feel myself, just shoot 6-under and finish 14‑under. So this is my goal today, and I achieved my goal and didn't win. That's all that happened. I do my best and then I played my best today.
MODERATOR: Second straight week it's come down to the final hole between you and Na Yeon. Last week you had to make the par putt and this week it was her. What were your emotions last week, and how impressed are you by the way that she played?
YANI TSENG: She played really good. I thought today she is going to win easy. I know I'm going to play good to have a chance. But I don’t know it’s going to be that close. She just plays very well and holed the putts and she hits shots very straight and made lots of chances for her to make putts to make birdies.
MODERATOR: I know you two have been good friends for awhile, did you talk about what happened last week when you were both right in it at the end?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, after that we still good friends and we were looking forward for another week to compete with like this week. We just switch, last week I won and this week I'm second. So it was fun; fun to have a player like this that you can always compete with and be good friends with, too.
MODERATOR: Now we are getting ready to head to a big event for you next week and going hometo Taiwan for the first‑ever LPGA Tour event next week; your feelings on that?
YANI TSENG: I think after these last two weeks I'm ready for next week. I'm excited for it and looking forward to do my best. Looking forward to try to win next week.
Q. Is there anything you would have done differently in your round today?
YANI TSENG: I would say probably no. I played so good. I made lots of good putts. I would say probably the first three days I should have played more consistently. Instead of relaxed, I should have played aggressive, shooting every day like the last day instead of, oh, today is the first day, it's okay.
I will know next time, there is always something you can learn from a tournament because every week is different. Every time if I feel first day is the final day, sometimes you feel different way. So you never know. That's why golf is so much fun. There's so many ways you can play good golf.
Q. It seemed like the birdie putt on 18 when you left it short cost you here. Do you think that?
YANI TSENG: You know, I hit it, I thought it was downhill but probably not that much. I hit a good stroke. I had a great shot second shot, I was pretty aggressive there. I feel that’s a super shot, like shot of the day, and I tried my best. I made a good stroke. It just didn't go in.
Q. How many feet?
YANI TSENG: My putt was about a 12‑footer.
Q. You had a few makable putts but you missed them.
YANI TSENG: I still make lots of putts today. The putts I missed, I made a good stroke. I just hit it too hard a couple of times. I feel like I played pretty good today.
Q. Did you feel pressure down the stretch?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, for sure a little bit. I feel nervous too, I think this is normal. If yuou don’t feel pressure, if you don’t’ feel nervous that would probably be weird.
Q. Are you affected by slow pace of play?
YANI TSENG: I think today I'm kind of able to focus very well. I just focus on my shot instead of thinking of anything else. I mean it’s a ig crowd on the golf course. It’s fun to have people supporting you and after I make the putt, I always get very good reaction from the crowd so that was very exciting.
Q. Do you have a goal for yourself now as to how many wins you want to have at the end of the year?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, actually especially after this week. I wasn’t thinking how many tournaments I’m going to win but after this I play good and I feel good right now and we still have three or four tournaments left. I think that hopefully I can win a couple more.
Q. How was this week different from the win in Korea?
YANI TSENG: In Korea it's different because when I was in Korea, I played head‑to‑head with Na Yeon Choi int he last group and this week I totally came from behind, four shots back and finished six under and get very close and do my best. Last week, like one back and forth. It's tough. I think it was very tough last week.
This week, I played so much better than last year. I was really happy. You know, I feel my game has improved and I feel my mental and my physical, everything is getting improved. Especially to play on this tough golf course, I shot 14‑under and I’m very happy about that.
