August 10, 2003
2003 U.S. Women’s Amateur
Gladwyne, Pennsylvania
JANE PARK
RHONDA GLENN : Congratulation. What a great week for you. You played great.-
JANE PARK : Thank you.
RHONDA GLENN : -- so beautifully. I know you weren't as pleased with the way you played today compared to the way you played yesterday. But there had to be some real high points to this round as well as some low points. Tell us about that.
JANE PARK : Well, high point -- I think the biggest high point today was that putt on No. 13 , where I made that what was it like 25-footer, 20-footer. I got to within 1-up, but I guess the momentum was just on her side today. I just didn't pull it off the way I'd like to.
RHONDA GLENN : How do you feel about your performance overall? Did you come here expecting to win or did you surpass your expectations?
JANE PARK : I just came here to have fun and learn more and get better at this game. Golf is not perfect. You can never perfect it. I think I played very well this past week. I think I played very well the past couple of days but not today (laughs), but it's okay.
Q. What did you find out about yourself this week, maybe that you didn't know that you had -- anything to take specifically from this event?
JANE PARK : I learned that I can make a lot of birdies (laughs) . I learned that my game is improving slowly as time goes on. I know it's not going to go backwards; it going to go forwards. I am just going to keep on improving.
Q. How does it make you a sharper competitor going against this caliber of player all week?
JANE PARK : I am just the same 'ole girl. I don't really think of myself as a runner-up at the U.S. women's Amateur . I just think of myself as the same person, practice harder and try to get there some day.
Q. What weren't you happy with today?
JANE PARK : I wasn't happy with my iron shots. Yesterday my iron shots were near perfect and today I didn't hit any decent shots today. I just couldn't play my irons today. That's the biggest disappointment that I have today.
Q. Was it frustrating a couple of times -- I think was 9, 10, 11 she gave you some openings by missing the green. Then you missed the green also -- if you could have stuck one in there it might have put a lot more pressure on her?
JANE PARK : Yeah. I don't know my swing, it felt good, but I guess I just didn't trust it well enough. I know she gave me a lot of openings but I just didn't take advantage of them and I think that's just another way that I learned something about my game that I have to take advantage when I can and just zone in when you have to.
Q. You won three straight holes to even the match. What are you thinking at that point?
JANE PARK : I am thinking this is going anywhere. It could go to me or her, and I felt pretty good after I made that putt on number, No. 5 but unfortunately I made a bogey after that one. That's it.
Q. Did that little run there back to even affect you on the next hole where you bogeyed it?
JANE PARK : No, I think I just got a little bit unlucky on my third shot. I was almost pin-high and I just rolled all the way off the green. It was into the wind and my ball just spun back because that's what it usually does. It spins like mad.
RHONDA GLENN: Her ball mark hit -- I was standing behind the pin, it hit just a little bit short of the pin and then took one skip beyond the pin; then it started going back.
JANE PARK : It was unlucky, I think.
Q. Were you ever nervous today?
JANE PARK : I wasn't nervous. I was just -- I just kept thinking I can do this, I can do this. Unfortunately nothing really went my way today. I could have played better, I know that. But I just learned that -- I just learned a couple of things that I should improve on, my mentality side and just practice harder, that's it.
Q. Going to be a junior in high school. Are you going to win one by the -- are you going to win one of these things by the time you are done?
JANE PARK : With high school?
Q. Amateur golf?
JANE PARK : Oh, definitely (laughs) .
Q. What about high school?
JANE PARK : High school matches.
RHONDA GLENN : Win one before you finish high school, Bob is saying?
JANE PARK : Yeah, it is possible.
RHONDA GLENN : Have you ever played in front of this many people?
JANE PARK : Yeah, there was a good crowd at the U.S. Open . Especially on the last hole. The crowd doesn't really bother me. They actually -- they pump me up a little bit. I know I can hear all the guys out there supporting me today and I am disappointed I let them down.
RHONDA GLENN : Feel a little better about the gallery today than you did the other day?
JANE PARK : Yeah.
Q. What part of her game impressed you?
JANE PARK : Her short game. Her short game was very good today, or it must be good all the time because I never played with her before. This is the first time I ever played in the same group with her. I never seen her play. I didn't know what to expect and her short game was sharp. I was very impressed with that.
RHONDA GLENN : What about the bunker shot that you hit though on the 9th hole this afternoon, the 27th hole, you had no room --
JANE PARK : That was impossible. (Laughs) .
I knew if I let it on the green it is just going to roll 20 feet by so I just opened the club as much as I can, opened my stance and made a very, very small swing and it came out perfect.
RHONDA GLENN : Then you hit a great chip on the next hole after you went over the green on No. 10 . I mean, that was a scary looking lie where the gallery had trampled in...
JANE PARK : It was a hard pin; grass was running against my ball and it was very, very hard to catch it clean, but I caught a little too clean but it rolled by, but I made the putt coming back, so...
Q. This is your last event for the summer other than Solheim Cup coming up?
JANE PARK : No, I have a couple of AGA events to go to.
Q. Is that going to seem rather easy?
RHONDA GLENN : Seems like a big deal to you after this.
JANE PARK : Oh, yeah. I am still a junior golfer. I have to -- in order to be a good amateur I have to be the No. 1 junior golfer. I have to reach one step at a time.
RHONDA GLENN : What day does school start?
JANE PARK : I have no idea. Because we just --
MR. PARK : 9 -12.
JANE PARK : I am actually moving to another part of the city, or another town, so I have no idea when school starts.
Q. Where are you moving TO?
JANE PARK : I am going to Rancho Cucamonga , California .
Q. Does that mean you are going to go to a new high school?
JANE PARK : Yeah, new high school, new friends.
Q. Do you know which one?
JANE PARK : No. No idea.
RHONDA GLENN : You are to be congratulated. Thank you for being so gracious to come in and talk to us.
JANE PARK : Sure.
RHONDA GLENN : Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
JANE PARK : I have fun doing this.
RHONDA GLENN : We had fun having you, Jane . We look forward to seeing you a lot of years down the road.
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