Kia Classic
Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms
City of Industry, Calif.
Third-round notes and interviews
March 26, 2011

Third-round interviews: Jiyai Shin -15 Rolex Rankings No. 2 | Sandra Gal -14, Rolex Rankings No. 100 | Na Yeon Choi -9, Rolex Rankings No. 4 | Michelle Wie -5, Rolex Rankings No. 11

Third-round notes

Rolex Rankings No. 2 Jiyai Shin leads by a shot entering the final round of the Kia Classic. Shin bogeyed the 18th hole to give her a one-shot lead at 15-under-par 204 over Sandra Gal. Shin carded five birdies and two bogeys for a three-under-par 70 on Saturday. An eight-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Shin is seeking her first victory of the season at the Kia Classic and is quickly approaching the $4 million mark in career earnings. This is Shin’s fourth LPGA event of the season and her best finish so far in 2011 is a tie for 11th at the HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore.

Sandra Gal is chasing the leader Shin by one stroke, after shooting a 3-under 70 in the third round. Gal finished up her second round on Saturday morning when play resumed at 7:30 a.m. and went 3-under on the back nine to put her within a stroke of Shin entering the third round. Gal kept herself within a stroke of Shin by tallying four birdies and one bogey in Saturday’s third round. Gal’s career best finish is a tie for fifth at the LPGA Corning Classic in 2009.

Some of the LPGA’s top players are also in pursuit of Shin entering Sunday’s final round. Na Yeon Choi, who is currently No. 4 in the Rolex Rankings, turned into the low round of the day Saturday with an 8-under 65 to vault her into third place at 9-under-par 210 and six strokes out of the lead. I.K. Kim, who is No. 7 in the Rolex Rankings, sits right behind Choi at 8-under-par 211.

Playing for a spot: There are 18 players who are competing for 10 spots in next week’s Kraft Nabisco Championship. The top 10 finishers in the Kia Classic who are not otherwise qualified for the LPGA’s first major of the year will earn entry into the tournament. The 18 players who are competing for those open spots are: Mindy Kim, Paige Mackenzie, Moira Dunn, Pornanong Phatium, Christel Boeljon, Marcy Hart, Reilly Rankin, Allison Fouch, Becky Morgan, Kris Tamulis, Danah Bordner, Pernilla Lindberg, Aree Song, Stephanie Sherlock, Sarah Lee, Lorie Kane, and Stephanie Louden.

Of Note…Na Yeon Choi recorded an eagle 2 on No. 6, a par four. She used a 48-degree wedge to hole out from 106 yards, landing the ball just a little past the pin and spinning it back into the hole… Candie Kung eagled the par four 14th hole by holing her second shot from 136 yards with an eight iron…First round leader Amanda Blumenherst shot an even-par 73 to remain at 6-under for the tournament and in a tie for sixth place with Mindy Kim…Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng shot a 1-under 72 on Saturday and is tied for 14th overall at 3-under-par 216.

Third-round interviews: Jiyai Shin -15 Rolex Rankings No. 2 | Sandra Gal -14, Rolex Rankings No. 100 | Na Yeon Choi -9, Rolex Rankings No. 4 | Michelle Wie -5, Rolex Rankings No. 11

JIYAI SHIN, Rolex Rankings No. 2

THE MODERATOR: We're here with our tournament leader. Just start off with some post‑round thoughts?
JIYAI SHIN: Okay. Thank you for coming here. And well we started late, 1:40, so just this morning when I woke up I was just waiting for the tee time for a long time. I just feel a little bit tired because today was a long day also. But when I started on the front nine, my putting was a little bit wasn't good, so I hit it good. I hit woods good, so I was just waiting for the chance for birdie. Then I made my first birdie on the 9th. Then after that I got more good feeling with the putter. Yeah, I played 3‑under par today. I think it's pretty good.

THE MODERATOR: The tee shot on 18, what happened there?
JIYAI SHIN: Oh, well, it's getting dark so I hurried myself a little bit. Little bit I missed on my timing and hit a big hook. Well, it's the first time (laughing). It's okay. It was par‑5, and I still had one more round for tomorrow. Maybe more fun tomorrow.

Q. Were you getting cold out there? You started putting your jacket on near the end and even took your sunglasses off, so it must have been getting dark?
JIYAI SHIN: Yeah, it was. When I played on the back nine, me and Sandra and I.K., we said we hope they changed it today, the round. We're done, so I'm happy to finish at the moment. Tomorrow we hope the sun will come up, because we need sun. It's really chilly out there.

Q. It will be a little like match play tomorrow, won't it, because you and Sandra have a pretty big advantage over the rest of the field?
JIYAI SHIN: Well, but golf is nobody knows. Still other players are playing good. I really enjoy playing with Sandra today. We have one more round. Maybe we'll play really ‑‑ I'm really excited to play with Sandra tomorrow.

Q. Sandra said coming out and finishing her second round was an advantage because she got to get a feel for the course. Was it a disadvantage for you to have to wait so long to play?
JIYAI SHIN: Well, but it was good sleep last night for a long time. That's a good thing for me. But I only played the three rounds so I had a good feeling with my shot and putt too, so it doesn't matter when I'm waiting for a long time.

Q. Did it take a while to get used to playing with sunglasses on because you always played with your spectacles? Was that an odd thing? Do you like it? Is it a much different look?
JIYAI SHIN: Well, yes, it is when I wear the sunglasses. It's a more better look at the grass, the way. So I'm just wearing the sunglasses even when I'm putting too. It really helped me with my golf.

Q. Did you gain distance just by changing your swing, or did changing your ball help too?
JIYAI SHIN: I changed the swing a little bit. I changed coaches too. Since January I changed the swing just a little bit of my lower body movement. So it's really helping for my distance. Yeah, I think I've got more, 10, 15 yards with the driver.

Q. How confident do you feel now?
JIYAI SHIN: How confident? Actually, I really trust myself too, and I really trust my shot. So I have really big confidence at the moment because the last three rounds I played very well. Then I think the course is a good match with me. I just can't wait for tomorrow. Maybe it will be a really great day. I think so.

Q. Yesterday you said the birdie bus came and it came pretty early. Was it a little frustrating when the birdie bus didn't come today for a while?
JIYAI SHIN: Well, when I started on the first couple of holes, I was a little bit nervous because I was late. Yesterday I hit so well, so I just maybe had too much confidence. Golf is simple, too much thinking. After that after a few holes, I was just trusting myself. The birdie came on the 9th, so I was really happy with that too. It's not too late (laughing).

SANDRA GAL, Rolex Rankings No. 100

THE MODERATOR: Welcome back. Another good round today. Just some thoughts?
SANDRA GAL: Yeah, thank you. Yeah, I'm pretty happy with the way I played today. It was pretty steady. Wish a few more birdies had fallen. I just kept ramming the edges of the hole. But I'm not complaining. I'm happy.

Q. Talk about the amount of golf that you played today and how that affected you?
SANDRA GAL: Yeah, I know it was 27 holes. But to be honest with you, I thought it was to my advantage to come out early and get a feel for the course and the conditions. So I didn't quite mind it. At the end I felt a little bit tired. I lost concentration on a couple of shots, but that happens when you play that much.

Q. How cold was it out there especially at the end? I saw girls putting mittens on and putting jackets on.
SANDRA GAL: Yeah, it was pretty cold, I would say, the last five or six holes. I didn't want to put another jacket on so I could swing. I already have four or five layers. But it's not too bad. I prefer that over really, really hot weather.

Q. Yesterday I think you said you didn't feel so well. Did you feel physically better today?
SANDRA GAL: A little bit, yeah. It's more affected my night sleep, but I'm feeling better today than yesterday. Thanks for asking.

Q. Tomorrow will be a little like match play, won't it, with you two?
SANDRA GAL: Yeah, I suppose so. I didn't look too much on the leaderboard. I don't know who is behind us. But I saw Na Yeon Choi played well, I think. Yeah, it will be. Jiyai's playing really well. She's sticking every iron on the pin. So I think I'm just going to focus on my own game and play the course.

Q. When you saw that ball go in the water on 18, though, did that make you think you had a chance to pick up a shot?
SANDRA GAL: I told my caddie, wow, she's not a machine, you know. I thought she was (laughing). But, yeah, she hits it really straight.

Q. You had an injury last year a little bit that slowed you down. Can you refresh my memory what that was and how long you've been healthy?
SANDRA GAL: Okay. Yeah, I had a little bit of back problems, lower back problems, just muscular. Then my left wrist, my tendon was a bit inflamed starting in April or May of last year. Kind of flared up a little bit in the winter, but this is just precaution, yeah. It probably affected me the first half of last season.

Q. Did you go to many basketball games when you were at Florida, and did you know they lost today to Butler?
SANDRA GAL: Oh, no, I didn't know that. I went to a few, yeah. I definitely like basketball, and I'm always cheering for the Gators.

NA YEON CHOI, Rolex Rankings No. 4

Q. Great round today. Tell us a little bit about it.
NA YEON CHOI: I had a great round today. Got a lot of birdies and I got one eagle and that gave me a lot of good vibes. In L.A. a lot of Korean crowd came here and they really supported me today. Yeah, I think that's why I played well.

Q. Describe the eagle?
NA YEON CHOI: Number 6, par‑4. I hit driver and I used a 48‑degree for a second shot. It was 106 to the pin, and I hit 48‑degree. My ball landed a little past the pin and then it spun back and made it.

Q. Does that give you good vibes for the rest of the round?
NA YEON CHOI: I think so. Actually, I changed my putter after the second round yesterday. Just my putter was cold. I couldn't make it the last two days. So I changed the putter yesterday, and yeah, I felt really good.

Q. From what to what? What did you change?
NA YEON CHOI: I changed ‑‑ I used to hit like two-ball style, like a big head. But I changed it to a smaller style to small ahead.

Q. Still an Odyssey?
NA YEON CHOI: No, it was a Taylor Made, and then I changed it to Rife. Last year I used that putter.

Q. You used it all year last year?
NA YEON CHOI: No, I changed in the 2010 season, and I used the putter the whole winter training in Orlando, five weeks. Then the Taylor Made white putter looks cool, so I changed it after winter training. So I used that putter for the Thailand tournament and Singapore. But, yeah, I think Rife is better for me.

Q. Was the putting the big difference then from the first two rounds?
NA YEON CHOI: Yeah, I think just for mind. I like the set‑up, and I used to ‑‑ I worked a lot with that putter in the winter time. So I just trust that putter, and I just try it myself, yeah, and it helped me a lot today.

Q. What is your mindset for tomorrow? You obviously put a good one together today, but it looks like Sandra and Jiyai are kind of far in front.
NA YEON CHOI: Well, I think I did great. So if I finish this here, I'm really happy with that. But I play one more day, and I have a good feeling about my game, my shot, my putting and everything. So, yeah, I hope to play one more day like today. Then I can't control it, but I will do my best, that's it.

Michelle Wie -5

Q. Can you give us some general thoughts on your round? Couple of birdies, couple of bogeys, steady round, right?
MICHELLE WIE: Kind of up and down a little bit, but not too bad. It was kind of a day where I felt like I shot a lot better than I scored.

Q. If you could do one thing better tomorrow, what would it be?
MICHELLE WIE: I don't know. I think just a little improvement here and there. I think nothing's really that bad right now. I think I played a lot better than yesterday. But got to be on the fairways and the right part of the green, just got to make putts. Everything, I guess.

Q. I don't know if you've had a chance to look at the leaderboard, but last I looked you're tied for 10th. But you have a lot of strokes to make up if you want to win this tournament. What are your thoughts about where you stand on the leaderboard?
MICHELLE WIE: I've really got to shoot lights out. I've got to make a lot of birdies tomorrow and make no mistakes. So hopefully I can do that.

Q. It seems like you get close into a good rhythm and then something happens. How does it feel to you, same thing?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, a few mistakes here and there, but it's a tough golf course. Going out there I need to get into a rhythm, and hopefully tomorrow I can get on a big birdie run.

Q. Has every day been different?
MICHELLE WIE: A little bit, yeah, every day's always different.

Q. Because you haven't played for a month or is that just the way it goes?
MICHELLE WIE: I think it's the way it goes. It's a tight golf course. It's kind of like golf, you know, some days you play well, some days you don't.

Q. How about the weather issues and the scheduling? Does that kind of screw with your rhythm or momentum a little bit?
MICHELLE WIE: I think I got lucky with the draw this week, so no complaints for me.

Kia Classic -- Third-round notes and interviews

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