THE MODERATOR: All right, welcome to the media center at the CPKC Women's Open. I'm joined by defending champion Megan Khang.
Just to open things up, talk about last year. Bring us back to those memories that you have from last year and what you remember most about your first win.
MEGAN KHANG: You know, last year was a roller coaster of emotions going down the back nine knowing that Sei Young right next to me was -- and I were just going back and forth.
And then coming down 16 seeing Jin Young Ko's name on the leaderboard, I'm going, of course it's Jin Young. She is such an incredible player. Obviously competing right next to Sei Young, it's a lot. In my mind it's all racing like it's for the first win, like I had the lead going into the final round; hopefully I can pull this off.
Obviously bogeying 17 just kind of had to buckle down more. To be able to birdie 18 when I needed to and then in the playoff, regulation, to pull it off, it was just kind of a whirlwind of emotion.
I think I had some family friends comment on the last mute I made. They're like, yeah, you made it and you were so calm about. I feel like what people don't know is I thought I nearly missed it. I literally lipped in if you look at the tape. I knew I could miss, but you never want to miss to win.
I think that's just all the nerves kind of finally hitting me that this was to get my first tour win. To get the first one it was incredible and still hungry for the next.
Q. Talk about getting your first win here, becoming a Rolex first-time winner here. How special was that? How will this place always hold a special place in your career?
MEGAN KHANG: You know, I've always loved Canada. For me, I've always said it's like our one unofficial major. The crowds here are always great. We play stellar golf courses.
When we come play the CPKC Championship, we're always treated like royalty here. That goes out to the volunteers, staff, the golf courses, everyone involved in making this tournament possible.
So not only that, kind of what they also do with the CP Has Heart. And for that, it's just all the aspects of this tournament, it'll always have a special place in my heart.
Q. Speaking of that, this year there will be the Audi Precision Award given out. $25,000 to the leader with the most greens in regulation this week. In addition, matching a donation to female golf participation through the First Tee of Alberta. What does that mean to you, that initiative this week, and how cool that is to see in addition to other initiatives at this event?
MEGAN KHANG: No, it's definitely cool. I mean, you just constantly see the women's game growing, and with the Audi Precision Award, they don't have to do that, but the fact they're providing that extra challenge for the girls, and not only that, but matching the award money to another charity, it speaks volumes to like how companies are getting involved and how golf not only is our career, but also benefits the communities around it.
And so that in itself just shows that golf is just not just a sport, but it's for a much bigger picture.
Q. How would you describe your season so far? Obviously had some really, really good results and couple you come in after a couple missed cuts.
MEGAN KHANG: You know, in all honesty, it feels like I haven't necessary low had the best year. I'm trying to change that kind of mentality because I kind of did a little reflecting after missing the cuts at Evian and the KPMG the past couple weeks I played.
I told my caddie, you know, all in all I've had a relatively good year so far. Nearly won two events this year. For me it is kind of a sour tasting having my majors being necessarily a poor result this year compared to last year.
Right now I'm trying to change that into a more positive, you know what, at the end of the day golf happens. You're not going to have your best game all the time.
So just kind of trying to focus on what is going well for me, what I have been needing to work on, and I feel like my game is right there. Golf is a game of inches and some putts have been missing by millimeters I'll say.
That is kind of the difference out there. I do know it hurts a little more missing cuts at the majors, but at the end of the day I feel very comfortable with where my game is at right now.
Q. Have you played any holes yet? Not yet?
MEGAN KHANG: I've played holes 1 through 10 yesterday. Kind of. My caddie is not here yet, so Alison Lee's caddie, Shota, was nice enough to let me put some clubs in Alison's bag and roughly played the first ten holes. Just hitting tee shots off the holes you really are going to have to hit the fairway out here.
Fairways are a premium. As they are every week, but this week especially. You're going to have to have some certain placements on the golf course because there are going to be holes where driver is not going to be the best club in hand, and you may have to risk it in a sense of going for the more narrow part of the fairway instead of laying back to a further club in even though there is a chance you might be blocked by a tree if you do go for a shot.
Q. When you talk about almost winning two events and looking at that as a relatively good season, curious, did what happened at Shaughnessy last year change your expectations of what a good season could be or should be for you?
MEGAN KHANG: I mean, I think before that I feel like I've kind of been trending in the right direction up until that first win. For me, it was kind of trying to miss as little cuts as possible before. Obviously knowing that I can get the win now, it gives me the confidence. Not necessarily the expectation.
Knowing I can do it and how I did it in that fashion, I know I have the ability to dig deep, but for the most part I would love to say I could get a win every season and obviously that's the goal, but there are so many great girls out here it's definitely hard.
So I think that just trying to play consistent golf and giving myself the opportunities will always be a good year. And so, again, missing the cuts at majors are always sour.
At the end of the day it just gives me more motivation to perform well the next week. Whether it's a major or not. For me this is kind of like my sixth major in my own head.
Q. Do you have any Canadian good luck charms you'll carry on this year?
MEGAN KHANG: I mean, I always use the same ball marker. That's just kind of like because it's a comfort for me. But not necessarily. I'm more superstitious of like using -- for some reason only like to use odd numbered golf balls tournament rounds. So I'll use numbers one and three for tournament days, but for practice rounds it's always the evens, two and four.
I don't know why. I guess I'm a little odd to say the least.
Q. What did it mean for you to get - you touched on it a little bit - for you to get that first victory last year and get it kind of off your back and prove to yourself that you could do it?
MEGAN KHANG: You know, I always had that self-belief that it wasn't necessarily if I was going to win out here, it was kind of like a when. Throughout the year it was great to see friends getting their first wins. We had Lilia, Allisen Corpuz, and those are the girls I grew up playing junior golf with. I'd like to think we're all pretty competitive and able to win out here.
But at the same time, it is very difficult to win. But to be able to get that first win after seeing my friends that I grew up playing junior golf with win, it was like even more motivation for me to try and get my first one.
And I was very fortunate to get my first win last year. And you see what Lilia is doing. She came back from a back injury earlier this year and right out the gate won at the Meijer.
So it's pretty cool that you have friends out here, with Nelly as well going on like a five- or six-win streak. It's just nice to have other friends around you motivating you to do better for yourself as well.
It did help that I did win, so it's like, I know I can do it and I see my friends doing it, and it's just making me more hungry.
Q. A lot of people itching for their first win this year. Who do you think will be the next first-time winner out here?
MEGAN KHANG: I truly hope it'll be Alison Lee. We're very good friends and last year she came so close out of the last two or three events out of the year, at the end of the year. I'm always in her corner. I wish and hope she's the next first first-time winner.
You know, I'll be right there -- hopefully I'll be at the event -- celebrating that first one.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Megan.
MEGAN KHANG: Thank you.
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