What they said: K.J. Choi

text size

MORE INTERVIEWS: Zurich Classic of New Orleans transcript archive

K.J. CHOI: Physically, I'm feeling a lot better than where I was the last couple years. Because my body is feeling better, my game feels more comfortable. Though this is a tough course, I think because I'm feeling good, I'm getting more and more adapted to it and to the conditions here, yeah.

Q. What's been the main physical situation?

K.J. CHOI: Where my lower back and hip meet, the joint there has been kind of sore. But through treatment and acupuncture, it's getting better.

Q. Talk a little about the round and how you played.

K.J. CHOI: The greens were a lot harder than it was yesterday, so it was hard to control the ball on the green. But when I sunk that eagle and chipped that eagle in on number 7, it seemed that it fixed the momentum and I started gaining a lot of confidence and I felt good.

I was expecting 3 or 4 under today would be a good day, but I ended up shooting 5 under which was better than what I expected.

Q. How far was that chip?

K.J. CHOI: 25 yards.

Q. Is it easier to play on this golf course having won here and having success? Does it give you confidence? Having won here, does it make it easier for you?

K.J. CHOI: Yeah. I mean, I remember that moment when I won because New Orleans has a very special place in my heart because it was my first PGA TOUR win ever by a Korean. So it's always going to be a special memory.

Q. When you got back home was there celebration back home?

K.J. CHOI: Oh, yeah. They gave me a car parade. It was huge, yeah.

Q. First time a car parade?

K.J. CHOI: For a golfer, yeah. For a player, it's the first time.

Q. Who else gets parades?

K.J. CHOI: I got a second car parade when I went back to my hometown. There is a statue of me on the island of Wando.

Q. What is the name of the island?

K.J. CHOI: Wando.

Q. (Indiscernible)?

K.J. CHOI: There are a couple of reasons. Don't get me wrong, I love this place. But it's the timing of this tournament. I was always invited to come and play by my sponsors in Korea. And it fell on the same week, that's why I had to go back and play.

I loved playing English Turn, but when they moved the tournament to this course, and I wasn't really sure. I didn't know the course. But my fellow players told me how good of a course it was.

So I tried it out years ago and then the more that I played, I kept coming back. The course has kind of settled comfortably in me. I think it's a very nice course. I like this course very much.

Q. Does this kind of course grow on you after a while once you've played it a few times?

K.J. CHOI: Yeah, exactly, you're right. The first time I played it I tell you it was a very difficult course. But the more you play it, the more you get used to it because you know all the places where to hit and not to hit.

I knew that there were fans here that waited the whole year for me to come back, so I wanted to fulfill their wishes too. I love coming back here all the time, so that's why I come.

Q. How many times have you played here?

K.J. CHOI: Three times. This is my third.