An Interview With s9

May 21, 2014

The green, the grass that they had at AN INTERVIEW WITH: Bellerive, it's the same as Japan's golf courses, so it was easy for me to play on. KOHKI IDOKI Q. What was it like, over the last year, KELLY ELBIN: Kohki Idoki, ladies and to always be introduced as a Major champion? gentlemen, defending the title he won on his very KOHKI IDOKI: After I won the Senior PGA first trip to the United States. Joining us at the 75th Championship and then I was able to play the Senior PGA Championship Presented By Champions Tour, I didn't have a good result, but I KitchenAid. Kohki will be helped with the press was able to see all the players' skills and power conference today by Yosh Komiya. Kohki, and study it, so you'll be expecting to see a new congratulations, welcome to Harbor Shores and Kohki Idoki from now on. how has it been to be the defending champion this week. Q. Your first trip to America was so KOHKI IDOKI: Overall I feel a little special, because you won this tournament. pressure, but my first step is just to make the cut, How do you make this tournament also and that's my first thing that I have to do. special? KELLY ELBIN: Could you have him talk KOHKI IDOKI: I just want to challenge about the dinner last night, hosting the dinner, it myself as a new Idoki. Looking back, I learned a sounded like it was a very special time with past lot, so I want to challenge hard to play on this champions. course and make it special. KOHKI IDOKI: It was really fun. I was nervous because talking in front of those great Q. After your first trip here you've seen players, I never experienced anything like that. a bit more of America since last May, any So I had so much fun, but I felt pressure to interesting or funny anecdotes of your travels talk in front of those great players. in America since? KELLY ELBIN: Very good. Open it up for KOHKI IDOKI: This happened in Florida, any questions. we were by ourselves. The hotel that I booked, it takes about three minutes, but it took me three Q. Obviously you won this tournament hours to get there. That's a fun event that I last year, but it was on a different course, what experienced. is this course like compared to the one you won on last year? Q. From course to -- from hotel to golf KOHKI IDOKI: This course is such a hard course or airport to? course, so I can't relax playing on this course, I KOHKI IDOKI: No, from hotel to golf have to always concentrates on each shot. course. They had a tournament course and other So I just have to concentrate a hundred golf courses. So it was funny. percent and then just play hard. KELLY ELBIN: Last year, in the final KELLY ELBIN: What do you think of this round, did you have a certain score in mind golf course in terms of are there any particular thinking of winning or did you just simply go out holes that stand out? It is certainly very different and play and whatever happened, happened. from last year at Bellerive. KOHKI IDOKI: The final round my goal KOHKI IDOKI: Bellerive, the 6th and 10th was gradually improve my ranking, but then my stand out, but right here on this course, every hole goal was to make it to top-5, but at hole 15, I is difficult. realized that I was tied for first place and then that

03dd41c27ed83533ac6b3a8489717 1 23f.doc visit our archives at asapsports.com time I switched my mind to be able to win the tournament. KELLY ELBIN: Defending champion, Kohki Idoki, thank you very much. KOHKI IDOKI: Thank you very much. FastScripts by ASAP Sports....

03dd41c27ed83533ac6b3a8489717 2 23f.doc visit our archives at asapsports.com