Seon Hwa Lee Interview

SS: How long have you been speaking English? You speak really well!
SHL: Oh, I just trying long (time) to speak…
SS: Very impressive. So, you won your first tournament on the KLPGA when you were 15?
SHL: Yes, 15 years old.
SS: So did you get a lot of… how did the press treat you? Were you really famous after that?
SHL: Ah, yeah, a lot of newspapers, TV… the youngest to win on the KLPGA.
SS: Did you appear in interviews on TV?
SHL: Oh yeah.
SS: Had anything like that happened to you before? All of a sudden you were well known?
SHL: Well… I don't know… Maybe, I think.
SS: Do you remember the first time someone asked for your autograph?
SHL: Autograph? (Laughs) Yeah. I think it was after the win. People wanted my autograph. Actually, my dad's friends, my friends.
SS: Your dad's friends wanted your autograph?
SHL: (Laughs) Yeah!
SS: Do your dad's friends ask you for golf tips? They want to play with you all the time?
SHL: (Laughs) Uh huh.
SS: Talk to me a little about the Futures Tour. How is that different from the LPGA?
SHL: Different golf courses. Shorter than the LPGA tournaments. But it's same like the LPGA, because a lot of travel. And then different courses, different grass (from Korea). I think it was almost same (on the Futures Tour). Different golf courses, different lengths.
SS: Uh huh. Do you like to play a lot of tournaments? Or do you like to take time off?
SHL: I like to play a lot of tournaments this year, but I don't think next year I can do that, cause I get too tired.
SS: Are you feeling tired now?
SHL: Yeah. I've never played more than 20 tournaments (in a year), but this year I've (already) played almost 20 or 25 tournaments. It's hard. A lot of travel. It's hard for me. Next year, I'm gonna take off a lot of tournaments I think.
SS: Have you played so many this year because you want to see which ones you like?
SHL: Uh huh, yeah. That's why I play every week.
SS: Well, I hope you come back here (to Portland) next year!
SHL: Yeah (laughs). I like this course.
SS: Did you expect in 2004 you were going to get your LPGA card? Were you disappointed that you didn't?
SHL: Yeah, I was a little disappointed. I did good on the KLPGA, so I thought I would get my card the first (year on the) Futures Tour. But I didn't make it, so I was very disappointed. But I keep trying my best, practice, practice, keep practice.
SS: There's a Korean woman Sun Young Yoo who did get her card in her first year.
SHL: Uh huh
SS: Do you think she would have been better off… I mean, if you had come out here in 2005, do you think you would have been in the running for Rookie of the Year? Do you think you would have been as good?
SHL: No, I don't think so.
SS: So it probably helped you to have that extra year?
SHL: Uh huh.
SS: So what do you think about that? Rookie of the Year? That's pretty impressive!
SHL: Yeah, yeah. I think I had a great start. In the second tournament, I got second place. I won this year. I'm having (a) great year. I have the position now, so… I think I've played great, I think I've had a great year.
SS: In the second tournament (the Fields Open), you were in the lead for a long time… And then Meena (Lee) caught up to you towards the end. Was that kind of sad… you thought you had that tournament?
SHL: Yeah…
SS: How do you get over something like that? Do you just think about it for a day… Then you're not worried about it?
SHL: Yeah, I'm not worried about that, because she made (up) six or seven (shots). Last day, my play was not good because my putter was not good. So I didn't make any birdies. So that's why we tied, and then we played playoff. We played playoff before in Korea also.
SS: Ah, OK.
SHL: I didn't win (then)! (laughs).
SS: She won then, too?
SHL: (laughs) Yeah!
SS: Oh, too bad! Well, you'll get her next time.
SHL: Uh huh.

SS: You seem to be very… You don't get upset.
SHL: I'm not upset…
SS: Is that just you, or do you work at… Do you have to think about, 'I'm not going to get bothered if I miss this putt', or do you just relax and it doesn't bother you?
SHL: Yeah, it doesn't bother me… Yeah, I'm just relaxed… not upset.
SS: I have my choice, but I'm going to ask you: what was your favorite shot of the year? Do you have one shot that stands out, that you think was great?
SHL: I think my putting was great this year.
SS: Was there one particular one, like, the putt you hit on the 18th hole at some tournament?
SHL: Oh (she understands what I mean now)! I finish… when I won the tournament at ShopRite, I think… 18th hole, birdie putt. Yeah.
SS: Oh I remember that one, yeah!
SHL: Yeah. Actually, I didn't know that I was a three shot leader, but my caddie told me… that hole, my caddie told me, you know… who was the leader, I asked him. He said, 'You. You're the three shot leader!' I didn't know after my birdie putt.
SS: When did you find that out? After your last iron?
SHL: After my third shot.
SS: Third shot? And that's a par five down there?
SHL: Yeah.
SS: Wow. But you must have known you were near the lead, right?
SHL: Yes.
SS: So do you not look at the score usually?
SHL: Yes, I didn't look at the scoreboard.
SS: Do you always do that?
SHL: No, not always. But, I didn't do it that time. Because I don't want the pressure (laughs)!