Q. Joined today after the first round of the FM Championship say Sei Young Kim. So far the best round of the day with a bogey-free 7-under.
SEI YOUNG KIM: Yeah.
Q. What were you thinking out there? What were you feeling?
SEI YOUNG KIM: I feel like quite solid today because the last couple weeks I played pretty good. Today I tee up the early morning but it's temperature a little cooler so I was worry about the distance-wise little short, and then feel like a long course, but it's getting warm, feel like more -- feel like shorter, I feel, so I made a lot of opportunity for the birdie, especially par-5. If not 20 yard it's not going to reach, but today was, yeah, reachable.
Yeah, it's help me a lot. Yeah, pretty solid and I pairing with Yealimi Noh Andrea Lee and they are really good player. Yeah, it's good vibe on the course.
Q. You kind of touched on it, but this is an interesting course. It's really important to hit fairways and there are a few drivable par-4s out there. Did you feel like your ball was going where you wanted it to today? Were you finding the lies you wanted?
SEI YOUNG KIM: Yeah, I try every shot to focus. That's kind of help. But the iron shots wasn't what I want, but feel like, yeah, really good today.
I made a lot of putt, especially today. And keep the fairway and just on the green, kind of very simple play today.
Q. You mentioned it but you've been playing very well recently. Top 15s in your last three starts. What do you think is clicking for you right now? This has been all over the world.
SEI YOUNG KIM: I mean, after the Evian I was like I miss the cut. I think about a lot and then -- but too much thinking is make me more like, yeah, it's not good feel. So my family come to the Evian so we kind of just hanging out and then just relax and have fun.
And then, yeah, I got the energy more from this, so, yeah, okay, I'm going to play, do my best rest of the tournaments. So, yeah, it's good, yeah.
Q. You've been on Tour a few years now. There are a lot of really, really strong rookies right now. What do you think it is about this upcoming crop of young golfers that is so impressive and dominating so early?
SEI YOUNG KIM: Yeah, I think a lot of good young players. Like last year, two years ago, it's totally different generation right now, since two years ago.
So, yeah, but golf is golf. If you play well you can still make the chance, so glad to the new generation, compete with them. Yeah, it's not easy but I'm still like same as what I do, (laughter.)
Q. You had three birdies on the four Par-5s.
SEI YOUNG KIM: Yeah.
Q. How much of that is game plan and wanting to be aggressive and what did you see in those holes that gives you the opportunity to really score low on them?
SEI YOUNG KIM: This is course not short and not long, so par-5, I wasn't aggressive that much, but just short game kind of recently I -- my short game is little stronger than before so I made a lot of birdie chance from there.
And par-4 -- and I made a couple long putts that help me out, like a lot of low score.
Q. What has gone into you making your short game stronger than before? What changes have you made?
SEI YOUNG KIM: I watch a lot of good golfer player, especially like PGA TOUR and Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood. Yeah, they all really good short games and I keep watching and imagination. It really helps, yeah.
Q. Then you started off with two birdies in the first four holes. How big is that for your confidence to really see that, and is that something that can help propel you throughout the rest of the round?
SEI YOUNG KIM: All the birdies make me relax and confidence. If you got the birdies, good momentum, and, yeah, it's going to be good vibes. So I think that ever birdie is really helps so I'm very looking forward to next three days.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports