THE MODERATOR: All right, joining us after the Dow Championship are our winners, Jana Wilson and Gina Kim. Can you just start us off by telling us how it feels to be an LPGA Tour winner for the first time?
GINA KIM: Do you want to go?
YANA WILSON: Yeah. It feels awesome. Yeah, just to do it alongside Gina, someone who I really trust and someone whose game is frickin' awesome, it's just awesome. I really have no words.
GINA KIM: I don't think it still has sunk in yet. This is obviously something I've dreamt about ever since I was a little girl, and I would always practice like, oh, this is to win whatever tournament.
I don't know, it still seems crazy. I think it'll probably hit me later. I think it's really fitting to do it at a place where I get to have a really good partner and have somebody that I trust, and I think it's really nice that we both came up from Epson.
We got to play together in a lot of final group pairings down at Epson, so it's just really nice to be able to see both of us achieve what we always wanted.
Q. Yeah, as you mentioned you both were on the Epson Tour last year. With this win you secured your LPGA status for two years and gotten into all of the majors for this year and for next year. Just what does that mean to you to suddenly just be in all these things that you had to grind to qualify for before?
YANA WILSON: It's such a relief honestly because I was really dreading doing the AIG Women's Open qualifying. I'm just really happy. Like Gina said, it hasn't really sunk in for me either. Yeah, it's pretty surreal. Yeah, that's all I have to say.
GINA KIM: I'm just glad I don't have to do qualifying anymore. At least up until next year. I was in that playoff with Rose Zhang and I was like, Rose, one of these days it's my dream to not have to do these dang qualifiers. My knees hurt. My hips hurt. Everything hurts. I would love to see a schedule where I didn't to have fit qualifiers in.
So it's just really nice. Like before this week I wasn't sure if I was going to go to Evian. Like I knew exactly where I stood. AIG, that was even farther away.
So this week, I mean, not to sound dramatic, but it really changed the trajectory of my career.
Q. Tell us how this partnership came to be for this week specifically.
YANA WILSON: You go.
GINA KIM: Well, I mean, every year -- people are choosing their partners so early so I didn't realize and I was kind of late to the game. I was like, oh, my gosh, who am I supposed to ask? I'm kind of desperate right now.
But it came around really well because I was like, maybe I should ask Yana. Once again, we played with each other so many times on the Epson Tour. I've seen her game specifically under pressure and how well it holds.
You know, obviously I came out here -- even though it's a fun team event I also came out here to win. I thought going with Yana was going to be the best choice, and I think that's the best choice I made this year so far.
YANA WILSON: Thanks.
Yeah, honestly I didn't know if I was going to play in this event to be honest, because I had been asked by a couple other people. I just didn't feel comfortable saying yes to them; I just felt really comfortable picking Gina as my partner.
Like she said, our games are similar. She's so good. If you watch this girl hit the ball, oh, my gosh. I could learn a thing or two for sure. Yeah, I mean, it was the easiest decision I've made.
Throughout the week, just trusting each other and bonding on the golf course for like five hours, that's fun. I'm happy we came out with the win.
GINA KIM: Yeah.
Q. We were talking with your caddie, and he said at the beginning of this week he said, this is your guys' week. Was there a moment that you really felt that like maybe your eagle on five today? Was there a time where you're like, oh, maybe he was right?
GINA KIM: I mean, it was weird. I mean, I was a little nervous, but like when we tee'd off I was like, oh, this feels like just a normal round of golf.
And then one thing led to another, and, yeah, that hole-out eagle shot I was not expecting that. I knew I hit a good shot but for it to go in that was not expected. I think that really set the tone for everything.
You know, Yana carried me on the back nine, so I was like, let me just pull my weight around here and make sure I'm contributing to something.
Yeah, my caddie, Bruce, said we're going to see that picture of you guys right on the cart path next to 18 and we're like, yeah, this might be it. It happened, so it's crazy how manifesting things actually end up working.
YANA WILSON: Yeah, he called it. It was pretty cool.
I feel like we both did a really good job today at just not getting too far ahead of ourselves. It's really easy to do when you're in the leading group and not chasing anymore. After she made that eagle we were in the lead, so we had to find -- well, at least for me I found some goal of mine just to chase and I just set a score out there and just trying to make as many birdies as I can.
Yeah, just feel like we did a really good job staying in the moment and just staying present, keeping our flow there the whole time. Got nervy towards the end, but still fun.
Q. Gina, you mentioned in the trophy ceremony that going back to your Duke days you a lot of success playing team golf at Duke. Going into this week, did you go back to those Duke days a little bit to talk about your strategy for the different setups this week?
GINA KIM: Yeah, I mean, every since I went to Duke and came out and obviously enjoyed a lot of success there, I truly believe that this is kind of one of my comfort zones.
Obviously I've -- it worked out well this week as well, but I just think being able to trust your teammate essentially and just cheering them on really changes the momentum of things. Being able to rely on your partner really makes a difference out here, especially when you got two other players that you got to go up against.
So I got to credit my college days for that, and I still look back on it fondly. Now I got this to look back as a fond memory as well.
Q. Looking ahead to the Meijer LPGA Classic next week, which you guys are driving to tonight, does this win -- going into next week, because it still hasn't sunk in for your two as you were saying, does that change your mindset, preparation, anything for next week?
YANA WILSON: I think this win will give us a lot of confidence because obviously we played really well this week, but I don't think it'll change our preparation going into the week. I think we're still going work just as hard as we did this week in the beginning.
You know, it's a new week, so you got to stay hungry out here and just keep grinding. This win is obviously great, but got stay on that grind.
GINA KIM: Yeah. Exactly what Yana said. Maybe I might wake up an hour or two later than usual. Besides that, it's just the same routine: rinse, wash, repeat.
That's what is so great about this job. Even after a nice win like this you get to go back on the grind and try to do it again.
Q. So is there any intimidation factor when you're competing against the No. 1 player in the world, defending champions of this event, anything like that?
GINA KIM: You want me to go?
YANA WILSON: You go.
GINA KIM: Personally, no. If there is one thing that I absolutely love about this game is that it doesn't discriminate. You could be the No. 1 player in the world and you could also the last-ranked player in this field, and we all have an equal chance to win.
I think that self-belief that maybe something crazy might happen, I think it's a really -- it holds a lot of power. At least for me it does. I just came off three straight missed cuts and I was talking to my PT and I was like, I wonder when it's going to be my time eventually.
And my PT said, it's coming soon. I've had several people tell me that. I felt like my game was in a really good spot. Just didn't all click together. So I have had a great team around me that believed in me. It was almost a question of why not me? So it was really fun to be in contention and to have those nerves.
YANA WILSON: Yeah, I agree with Gina. I was in that same spot being a rookie on Tour and just like trying to find my way, I guess. Just because being 19, being younger than most of the field out here and not knowing as much, not knowing the courses as well because this is my first time playing all the courses, I think just like gaining that confidence throughout the season has been really important to me.
And kind of like Gina said, I was like I kind of knew that my time was going to come eventually so wasn't really questioning it. Also just being like, yeah, when is my time? I knew my game was trending in a really good direction because I have been making cuts recently and I have been climbing up the leaderboards little by little.
Yeah, happy to get it done this week.
Q. Yana, you were noted for creating vision boards --
YANA WILSON: Yeah.
Q. -- of tournaments you want to win. Was the Dow Championship on your vision board?
YANA WILSON: No. I mean, if I wanted to make a vision board of every tournament I wanted to win, I would put all of them on there. That's just like not really realistic. Well, maybe.
But, no, I didn't. This year's vision board I put a lot of things that I liked on there, some small hints of golf goals in there. Like this year I want to be on the U.S. Solheim Cup team so I put an American flag and, Go, USA at the top.
I feel like this was a good steppingstone.
Q. You've been doing that since you were ten.
YANA WILSON: Yeah.
Q. The vision boards and the quote by Michael Jordan.
YANA WILSON: Yeah.
Q. How does that affect what you do in your game?
YANA WILSON: I think the quote was like heart is what separates the good from the great. I just try to live by that motto. Just the vision board isn't something I try to look at all the time. It's just kind of in my room just in the back of my mind and before I go to sleep I just happen to look at it.
I don't really try to study it. I just let those thoughts sink in the back of my head, and then, yeah, and then just let the year play itself out.
Q. Congratulations. I think it's fantastic at 19 you accomplished so much.
YANA WILSON: Thank you.
Q. As far as the Midland Country Club and the Dow Championship, what was it like playing here in front of these fans that seemed pretty energetic on the 18th hole?
GINA KIM: Yeah, I mean, gosh, I love this event. Like I said before in the speech, this is my fourth year coming back, and within those four years I've got a great host family that I stay with now. They actually texted me first saying, hey, we got a room ready for you.
That's just kind of how I feel like this community is, one big family. So it's just really nice to see so many fans out there, especially like young kids. You know, very family-friendly event. It's really nice to see a lot of them come out and show up. Even on a day where the weather was a little spotty there was still so many people that showed up, so it was really cool to see and just I'm just so happy we could get it done in front of them.
YANA WILSON: Yeah, the fans were so much fun. They just really kept the vibes high and just kept it light out there. I feel like I could really beat myself out there and threw my hands up a little bit walking down the 18th hole. Yeah, it is just great having them out there.
They were so supportive of us the whole week. We had these two ladies come out and they made a sign for us, which was so sweet. But, yeah, this tournament is just one to remember.
Q. Were you able to interact at all with the people from the charities that were picked and what did that mean to you?
YANA WILSON: Correct. Those were the two ladies that were holding our sign. They made a sign for us. They came out to watch, which days? All of them?
GINA KIM: I think they came out for three days. I don't know about the first day. I know since the second round they followed us all 18 holes, wind, rain, and everything in between.
But, yeah, they were lovely. They told us exactly what their organization does and how much Dow's support means to them. I personally felt like we were motivated to do even better just knowing that we had that kind of support and knowing that we had a hand in helping, you know, donate some money over to that organization that's obviously doing such a great cause.
So, yeah.
YANA WILSON: They were our good luck charm.
GINA KIM: Yes.
Q. Yana, wanted to ask about your approach on 17. Your opponents put a couple close. You needed one. What were you seeing there and feeling in that moment, and then being able to finish it off and put them away with a birdie putt?
YANA WILSON: Yeah, so this is what goes on in my head. So I don't remember who hit the shot, but she hit it really close. I think it was Hye-Jin Choi, right?
GINA KIM: I think both of them put it close.
YANA WILSON: They both hit it close, but I saw one that was really close. I was like, man, I want to like get it even closer. I was just like determined to get it closer. Honestly, when I hit the shot I thought it was not that good. And then I saw it in the air and I was like, oh, wait. This could be really good. Then obviously it was good. Maybe seven, eight feet for the putt. I was just like a little right-to-lefter.
It was so nervous because I knew what I had to do. Man, one of these girls are going to make the putt. I got to make it. I got to sink it. And I did. It was crazy. But I was literally shaking over the ball. I was just trying to keep my breath calm.
GINA KIM: I knew she was going to make it. Just so ya'll know, I knew she was going to make it.
YANA WILSON: I don't know. I was just like please, just roll it down the line, and I did. It was good.
Q. I was wondering what makes a great partner in an event like this? What are you looking for when you're looking for a partner here?
GINA KIM: I guess first of all, just on a very surface level, I personally wanted a partner who can hit it long and straight just because.
YANA WILSON: I wasn't straight.
GINA KIM: No, no. No, it was there. She's acting like it didn't happen. Yeah, somebody long and straight, because I knew my game, and I wouldn't say I'm short, but I'm not long either. But I knew I could trust myself to at least keep it in the fairways.
So I personally thought, okay, well, if I got somebody who can hit it long that means we can be aggressive on the par-5s at the very least, and Yana happened to hit it really long and straight and also have a really good short game on top of that.
It was pretty much a no-brainer for me to pick Yana and trust her and I personally trusted her more than myself, so...
YANA WILSON: Mistake. Mistake. Just kidding. I think for me, a lot of it has to do with personality. I obviously know Gina from playing on Epson Tour last year. She's such a grinder and I feel like I am too. I just love someone that works hard and that just like always shows up and doesn't complain. I complain but she doesn't.
You know, she is just a great partner. Kept it very light out there. And I love her game. It's just so simple, so straight. Fairways, greens, and she would make putts, and it's like, bro, why am I here? That's what I thought on the front nine today. Wow, she's doing all the heavy lifting.
We ham and egged it really well this week. I don't think we birdied the same hole, so that's obviously really good. Yeah, just kept it light and it was so much fun. Excited to do it next year.
Q. This event is so different from a typical LPGA event. How can team golf help your normal game?
GINA KIM: Personally, I think I was positively influenced by her short game in general. I personally don't like practicing chipping. I really don't. But I saw how much she grinded on her chipping. Next thing you know, I also found myself at the chipping green working on my chipping.
I think I spent maybe an hour and a half, two hours each day. Yeah, like Yana said, she's a grinder; I love to grind as well. Just seeing that my partner is working hard, you can't help but also work hard yourself.
I think just having that trust and personally seeing them in person doing the hard work behind the scenes, I think that's where a lot of the trust and confidence comes from.
So, yeah.
YANA WILSON: Yeah, I would say for me, I kind of realized like this would help me game a lot when we played alternate shot because I was really trying not to put Gina in a bad spot, really trying not to miss the ball.
But it really made me think about how this could affect my game. My caddie, Eric, and I were talking about this earlier in the week. We were like -- he was like, you should really do this more often, hit the middle the green and hit the fairway, right? Speed control. That was a big one.
So, yeah, but I think just reflecting on what we did and how I played during alternate shot, I feel like it was very boring and I feel like I could definitely use more of that in my game.
Q. We haven't asked this yet. Your team name, what is your team name and how did that come about?
YANA WILSON: It's Weapons of Grass Destruction. (Laughter.)
GINA KIM: Shoutout to ChatGPT for that one.
YANA WILSON: And Eric, my caddie.
GINA KIM: And Eric. Oh, my gosh. But I think this kind of encompasses the energy we had going into this week which was fun, light.
YANA WILSON: Destruction.
GINA KIM: Yeah. And destruction, too. That too.
YANA WILSON: Of the golf course.
GINA KIM: Of the golf course, yes.
YANA WILSON: We tore it up.
GINA KIM: It was just something to make us laugh and give us something to use as a motivator to keep grinding even when maybe our shots weren't in the right spots. When people would ask us about our team name I would find myself laughing. It worked perfectly great, just keeping everything light and fun.
Q. On Saturday all the players, teams had their walk-up songs. What was your walk-up song and why did you pick it?
YANA WILSON: Can't Tell Me Nothing by Kanye West. Also, what was it, ChatGPT? Or that was Eric. I really like the line, wait until I get my money right; and you Can't Tell Me Nothing right. I think -- well, obviously before this I feel like we were both kind of playing mediocre, but...
GINA KIM: Yeah. I thought it set the tone real nice. I gave her free reign on that. She said, how about this, and I said that's perfect. We'll go in on Saturday and go in on Sunday and try to win the dang thing. So here we are.
Q. As a result of winning, your first prize check is $402,000 and change each.
GINA KIM: I'm sorry?
Q. $402,000 and change each. That's your first prize check. Hearing that, how does that like -- let that sink in and respond to that, that you are receiving that money next week.
GINA KIM: I can't be cursing out on TV.
YANA WILSON: Wait until I get my money right.
GINA KIM: Oh, my gosh.
YANA WILSON: Pretty cool.
GINA KIM: The LPGA rules committee sends us like the purse email. I don't even look at that. I just don't even bother looking at it until I get in the car on the way home.
But, yeah, I'm going to be waiting for that money to hit the bank account.
YANA WILSON: That's crazy, because I thought we would split it. I didn't know. I didn't really check the purse or anything. That's awesome. What?
GINA KIM: Girl, I'm about to buy myself a nice gift after this one.
YANA WILSON: As you should. You get the bracelet, you get the rings. I don't blame you. Very deserving.
GINA KIM: Yes.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you ladies, congratulations.
GINA KIM: Thank you.
YANA WILSON: Thank you.
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