New Game, New Thinking: Jin Park profile

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In 1992, a phenomenon known as the Fab Five lit up the college sports landscape with their baggy shorts, brash actions and otherworldly talents. Michigan's five freshmen advanced to the national championship game in their debut season and again in their sophomore campaign. They didn't win it all, but they left an indelible footprint. Why do we mention the Fab Five in a golf story about rookie Jin Park? Because Mr. Park was a starter for his own Fab Five in college golf.

PGATOUR.COM: You played on a pretty good team at Arizona State, right?

JIN PARK: Pretty good? It really doesn't get any better than the four guys I played with in Tempe. Paul Casey, Chez Reavie, Matt Jones and Jeff Quinney. All five of us are now on the TOUR, which might be some sort of record for one collegiate golf team.

PGATOUR.COM: So where do you keep your national championship trophies, in the den or in the living room?

JIN PARK: Well, we never won the national title. We did win the Pac-10 championship, though. College golf is a peculiar deal when it comes to tournaments like that. Everyone has to be playing really well at the very same time. For whatever reason, we didn't get that done, but we definitely had the talent.

PGATOUR.COM: Did talent like that drive some serious competition in practice?

JIN PARK: Absolutely. It was very competitive and that helped us all. I think all of the guys are great, but Paul Casey really was head and shoulders above the others in my opinion. He was a little older and hit it further and had a great short game. He pushed us to get better in practice and in tournaments. It was fun, sure. But it was very competitive.

PGATOUR.COM: Do you still pal around those fellas?

JIN PARK: What's cool is that we all live a few miles from one another in the Scottsdale area. I see those guys all the time. We are proud of that team.

PGATOUR.COM: How proud are you of the Sun Devils' football team, the one that now can't seem to win a game after being highly ranked with the season began?

JIN PARK: To tell you the truth, I'm a big-time bandwagon guy. If they run off six in a row, I jump on the Sun Devils' bandwagon. But at this point, I don't even know who they play from week to week.

PGATOUR.COM: I guess you're now a Tampa Bay Rays fan. OK, you don't have to answer that. But I do know you're a fan of your young family -- wife Judy and 18-month-old daughter Ellie.

JIN PARK: It's been great to have them travel with me. They've been on the road with me at about half the tournaments this year. They really take my mind off the golf when I walk off the course each day. That's especially important when you're not playing your best.

PGATOUR.COM: Nice transition to talking about the state of your game today.

JIN PARK: I'm 185th on the money list, which isn't very good at all. But the funny thing is that I've actually played pretty well. I just haven't gotten it done on the weekends, despite making about half of my cuts. I know I've got the game for this level and over the next five tournaments. I plan to show it.

PGATOUR.COM: After nearly completing your first season, it's tough to call you a rookie anymore. But back when you started this season, was there a moment that you looked around and thought "Wow, this is awesome. I'm on the TOUR?"

JIN PARK: I was a sponsor invite at the Memorial, and when I got to the practice tee, I did have a moment of just looking around thinking how great this was. This was Jack Nicklaus' tournament, and I was in the field. That was pretty great.

PGATOUR.COM: What do you have to do to make sure you stick around for next year so you can play in historic tournaments like the Memorial again?

JIN PARK: I've improved as a golfer each and every week, more mentally than physically, which I believe is most important. There's a big mental adjustment at this level. You don't have to be at your highest level to win out here. You've got to be consistently solid and put yourself in a position to win on Sunday. That's the key. Tiger Woods says that all the time. He can be on his B- or C-level game and still win. Of course, that's Tiger, and few of us have his talent. But he's right. You cannot shoot yourself in the foot on the first two days. You have to make sure you stay in the running even when you're not hitting it perfectly.

Rookies must enjoy the process of learning and growing out here. It's not like the mini tours. You can't just through the paces and win tournaments. You've got to play smart on each day and get the most out of every stroke.

PGATOUR.COM: Looks like a friendly course in on your horizon in this final stretch.

JIN PARK: Yes, I play Greyhawk every day and I absolutely love it. I can't wait to play in that tournament. And I love Bermuda greens and the last five tournaments are all on that surface. I'm focusing on more than just top-10s or top-fives. I'm focused on winning. That might sound far fetched for a guy at No. 185, but I believe in my game, and I know I can get it done.