NBC Notable Quotes
RICOH Women’s British Open
Final Round
Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017
Kingsbarns Golf Links
St. Andrews, Scotland
On I.K. Kim, 2017 RICOH Women’s British Open Champion at 18-under par (1-under 71 on Sunday)
Rich Lerner – “No longer defined by the short miss five years ago. I.K. Kim is a major champion.”
Rankin – “For I.K., to have a major championship on her resume…All anyone ever talks about is the one she lost. She now can give people something to talk about the one she won.”
Rankin – “It feels so really good to see someone recover from something that was one of the hardest things a whole lot of people got to see in the game.”
Rankin – “When you see somebody have adversity and never complain and handle it beautifully, you gain an awful lot of respect.”
Jerry Foltz – “No matter how much she has tried to block the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow out of her mind, the thought is there. She keeps hitting some nice golf shots.”
Foltz – “She has exercised those demons from majors past. Everybody her knows her couldn’t be happier for this young lady. Nobody could have handled what she went through with more dignity than I.K. Kim.”
Jerry Foltz – “No player in the field has judged the speed better this week, or putted better, than I.K. Kim.”
Foltz – “The putter has been magic for her all week long.”
Judy Rankin – “Shaky ball striking is not her middle name. She is one of the more consistent, more solid strikers of the golf ball. So whatever is going on where she is not quite hitting it on the center of the clubface is a new experience watching her, and now she is putting like she is one of the best putters of the game.”
Foltz – “No player in the game takes a short putt for granted less than I.K. Kim. The hardest lesson we could imagine learning in this game, she has dealt with for five years and four months.”
Rich Lerner – “Though the strike hasn’t been pure today, there is just nothing that says this is going to get away from her.”
Lerner – “She is sort of scraping it around. Not hitting it her best, but she is doing just enough.”
Foltz – “She picked the right golf course to not have her best stuff off the tee.”
Abbott – “She has gotten away with a lot of shots that have not been her best.”
LPGA Video: I.K. Kim’s Missed 14-inch putt at 2012 Kraft Nabisco Championship and Subsequent Reaction
On Jodi Ewart Shadoff, 2nd place at 16-under par, (tied women’s course record on Sunday with an 8-under 64)
Tom Abbott – “Jodi Ewart Shadoff put in a great last gasp effort to catch I.K. Kim.”
Lerner – “What a round. Matching the course record. Her best-ever performance at a major.”
Jodi Ewart Shadoff speaking with NBC’s Cara Robinson following her round
Jodi Ewart Shadoff – “Probably somewhere on the back nine but I really tried to stay away from the scoreboards so I have no idea where I am or how many shots back I was I just tried to stay in the moment and his as many good shots as I could.
Ewart Shadoff – “I.K. is such a strong player and is having such a great season so I hope she finishes strong.”
Ewart Shadoff – “I really wanted to control my ball flight out here in the wind. It helped that I played last week in the Scottish Open in the wind and the conditions. I’ve been working with David Leadbetter for a couple of years now and he’s really helped me understand my swing better and control my ball flight. I think the key this week was putting. I just holed a lot of putts and I’m feeling really confident.”
On Michelle Wie, T3 at 13-under par (6-under 66 on Sunday)
Rankin – “She has made it clear this year that she is getting her game back. She just needs to put four rounds together.”
Lerner – A lot to feel good about this week for Michelle. Showing signs again that she is going to be a force.”
Michelle Wie speaking with NBC’s Cara Robinson following her round
Michelle Wie – “I felt pretty good about it. Everything was working out perfectly, just the way I wanted to. I just wanted to give myself an opportunity today. I’m really proud of myself for giving myself that. I just felt like all of those putts coming in were going to go in. I would have had a real chance. I’m proud of myself for the way I played today.”
Wie – “I’m extremely proud of myself just because I did not practice since KPMG pretty much. I came here a little bit iffy how I was going to feel. I’m definitely leaving with a lot of confidence.”
Wie – “I’m really looking forward to it [The Solheim Cup]. It always has been a dream come for me, and being able to represent my country. Just the fact that I started this year lost on the rankings, I made it my goal this year to make the team and I’m so proud that I did and really proud to represent my country.”
On Georgia Hall, T3 at 13-under par (2-under par 70) on Sunday
Rich Lerner – “Capped off an excellent week. We expect to see a lot more of Georgia Hall.”
-NBC Sports Group-