Grace Park: The Seoul Sisters Magazine
Exclusive Interview

You can get a good idea from this photo what it's
like to interview Grace. Here, she is trying to
make up a convincing answer to one of
my probing questions (just kidding!)
SeoulSisters.com photo

SS: Well, if you keep improving at the rate you have been the last few years, you'll be unbelievable.

GP: Yeah, I feel like I've been knocking on the door (? - this part is very hard to hear because a jet flew over at that moment)

(The jet flew over for about 20 seconds. Grace says something about how she wanted to have a few more wins this year)

SS: You did well in the Majors!

GP: I did! I did much better than before...

SS: ...Except the Nabisco, but the other three were really good.

GP: (Laughs) The Nabisco was a club problem. (she wouldn't say more than that)

SS: I just have a quick question about the Maruhan Cup.

SS: Yeah. First of all, are they going to have that again this year? (At the time I had this interview, it had not been announced. Since then, it has been confirmed for late in December on Cheju Island in South Korea).

GP: Yeah. They're going to have that again this year.

SS: Will you be doing that this year as well? Have you decided yet?

GP: Nope. (Since then it has been confirmed that she will be there)

SS: How much fun is something like that?

GP: Oh that was... I played in it for the first time last year in Japan, and played two rounds, and (have) never been more nervous from the first tee to the 18th green. I don't usually get nervous, even when I'm in the lead going into the final round. You know, sometimes I get a little jiggly, but it goes away. And I don't think about it. But the whole time, for 36 holes, I had it, and I was never relaxed. It was that intense. But it was... we won, and it was a lot of fun.

SS: You guys really won! (The final score was 30 - 18 in favor of South Korea)

GP: Yeah... I'd never played in a really big team event, especially to represent my country. I mean, they're all great players, and I got to bond with peers that I travel with (on the LPGA).

SS: Are you looking forward to being in the World Cup that they just announced? (The LPGA had recently announced a new team event where each participating country sends two golfers; best team wins. The event starts in 2005 in South Africa).

GP: Oh, I just heard about it! Yeah!

SS: I think that could be an awesome team for the Koreans...

Grace during last year's Maruhan Cup

SS: OK, now I'm going to ask you a couple of questions about your endorsements. What was the story with this shampoo commercial? It was for Pantene. What's the plot?

GP: I don't want to comment anything on it. Not until when it comes out! (since this talk, it has come out; it's basically Grace being interviewed about her hair care, with a few shots of her hair flying in slow motion).

SS: Do you know if it's going to come out in the US?

GP: No. It'll only be in Korea.

SS: There's also a Rolex commercial that they've been showing lately.

GP: Yeah! I haven't seen it, but...

SS: Did they explicitly film that (or just use existing golf footage)?

GP: Yeah, they filmed it a little bit at Evian.

SS: Yeah, it looked like Evian.

GP: Most of them (the shots) are just what they caught while I was playing on the course. And I spent about twenty minutes with the crew after the round just doing some fun stuff. But I haven't seen the commercial yet...

SS: It's pretty good!

GP: Is it?

SS: Yeah, it's the first one I've seen with you, I think. (Grace did do a 'Thank Heavens for Little Girls' promo for the LPGA previously, but no real commercials). OK... I'm not sure if you can answer this question, but I'll ask it anyway. Can you say anything about what Nike has planned for you?

GP: I don't know... I don't know.

Some images from the Pantene website in Korea...

SS: You don't know if they are going to do a TV commercial with you or anything?

GP: I don't know! I have no idea.

SS: Have they named a building after you yet?

GP: (Laughs) I'll have to do a little bit more before they do that!