RACV Ladies Masters 2015

Australian teenager Su-Hyun Oh has won the first tournament of the 2015 Ladies European Tour season, the RACV Ladies Masters​, becoming the fourth home winner of the championship.

The 18-year-old Victorian signalled her arrival as a world class player by capturing her first title at RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast in only her second tournament as a professional.

With rounds of 69, 75, 72 and 69, Oh finished at seven-under-par atop of the leader board and three clear of English pair Florentyna Parker (69) and Charley Hull (73) and 2009 champion Katherine Kirk (69).

Here is Su's post-round interview:

Q. Congratulations Su, I mean you’ve always been a great player, but did you imagine that this transition would be this easy?
SU-HYUN OH: Thanks Kathie, no I played well last week, and I was just really happy that I was in contention in my first week, and this week I just wanted to do that same, stay in contention and just you know, get sort of used to it and know how it feels to be in contention. But to win it, is just amazing.

Q. We interviewed Katherine Kirk just before you and she said that she thought you really had the goods to go on and on, and any tour that you wanted to play on, how do you feel about that quote?
SU-HYUN OH: That’s really special, thanks Katherine. But yeah, I guess you know I look up to Katherine and Karrie and so many great players, and for her to say that, that’s really nice and really special.

Q. Now you’re Dad was on the bag this week, but he’s not next week?
SU-HYUN OH: No, Clates is on the bag next week.

Q. But you said that your dad really knows your game and he can calm you down, is it not possible for your dad to be your caddy?
SU-HYUN OH: No, but Clates knows my game really well too, we play a lot together, he’s life like my golf dad, like my golf uncle I guess. He’s probably the next best person after dad that knows me as well. But golf wise I mean, he knows what he does.

Q. Obviously you had the bogey at 14 and it took you out of the lead, so what did you do to turn that around on the last four holes? You really seemed like you were very composed and that your mind was in the right place; what was sort of your mental process through that period?
SU-HYUN OH: My mental process the whole day was just the cliché saying, hit one shot at a time. You know I don’t really like cliché sayings but it was seriously one shot at a time. And another one, just try to really enjoy myself out there. Last night I spoke to Karrie, yeah she sent me a message and I was just like ‘what do I need to do? You know you won this eight times, what do I need to do?’ And she just gave me some really nice words. And I also spoke to So Yun Ru from Korea, who’s in town for the Australian Open. That was really good. And I also spoke to Jane this morning who won it the year I was born, and what she said this morning really helped me on the golf course.

Q. What did Jane say to you this morning?
SU-HYUN OH: Hmm, she just said just take one shot at a time.

Q. What about Karrie? What did she say?
SU-HYUN OH: Karrie said ‘just don’t think, just do it kind of. Just let it go, just keep doing what you’re doing.

Q. Last time you were here you celebrated with a tub of ice cream, are you old enough to have a drink this time?
SU-HYUN OH: Oh yes I am now, but I think I still prefer ice cream. I haven’t had the chance to go to Coles yet this week, maybe I shouldn’t.

Q. Su congratulations. Firstly, the mention of a $50,000 bonus, is that over and above the first prize money?
SU-HYUN OH: I think it’s a bonus, so Bob Tuohy said he released that a few weeks ago I think.

Q. Two years ago as Terry said you did finish up runner up here and I know you’ve had a lot of success in amateur events since. But how much were you able to draw back on that experience of contending at this tournament two years ago today? Do you recall?
SU-HYUN OH: Ah yeah I can recall. Actually two years ago, I was in the last group and Karrie was in the second last group. It was a really windy day and I think, you know, Karrie’s just Karrie, she did what she did. I messaged here saying ‘I kind of need to do what you did a couple of years ago.’ And I think playing in the second last group actually really helped me. Not knowing what the others were doing just really helped me to stay focused and hit one shot at a time. And yeah, the second last group, I think it definitely took the pressure off being in contention in my second week as a pro. I haven’t really had a lot of experience as a leader in such a big event, so playing in the second group, I was really happy that I was in the second group.

Q. Su, a lot of young, talented Korean players are burdened by an intensity which you seem to lack. You enjoy the game, you’re not overly intense about the ups and downs of the game. Is that a function of personality or, the way your father and obviously your mum handles you, you’re pretty relaxed?
SU-HYUN OH: Well I’m not that relaxed I don’t think. Because my dad always says, ‘Su, just don’t put too much pressure on yourself, just really enjoy it out there. Because what he said yesterday was, ‘I think you have the skills but the last two days you’ve just been too stiff, and just one bad shot just drives you crazy.’ So I’m not that relaxed. I tried to be today; I was relaxed today for some reason, guess that helped.

Q. Su you got the Symetra tour as your main circuit this year, you’re now exempt for LET, is that going to change your mind?
SU-HYUN OH: I’m not sure. Yeah I mean I have a full schedule, but it’ll be even better this year. I’ve always actually wanted to play in Europe. I just haven’t had the chance. I played a lot in the US as an amateur, but not too much in Europe. I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t really looked at the LET schedule, but it’s really nice to be able to play the events that I play. I think as a winner of a tournament you can get into majors, so that’s really exciting. My main goal is LPGA by the end of this year. So I don’t think I can drift too much away from LET, but I want to play as many tournaments as I can this year.

Q. Yeah Su, the big challenge, can you back this up next week? I mean to go back to back in two big tournaments to beat Karrie?
SU-HYUN OH: I would love to, because then I would get my LPGA card too. It would be my dream two weeks, but I mean one wins hard, but two wins, yeah maybe we’ll see.

Q. Will you be asking Karrie how to win?
SU-HYUN OH: Yeah Karrie, she’ll be there. I’m sure she would still help me out a lot. She’s great; she’d do anything to help us out.

Q. Su, in those last four holes with the birdies that you got, was there a particular shot where you thought you were really proud of, one above the others, where you felt you had to push to make a really good shot?
SU-HYUN OH: All the approach shots, I think were quite good. The one on 17 was pitching wedge and I haven’t really hit my pitching wedge that well the whole week. But that shot I really focused and hit the pin. And I was like ‘oh no’. Because nothing ever good happens when you hit the pin. But that one didn’t go too far away, so that was good.

Q. Su you got very emotional when you spoke about your Dad, you’ve obviously got a very close relationship with him?
SU-HYUN OH: Yeah I know, that was weird wasn’t it. Oh god. I thought that was weird too. I guess I’m my father’s daughter; he just sacrificed everything for me. Oh, getting emotional again. After Q School it was pretty tough, because it was a really bad week. But he was there and he’s been there every time, no matter how good it is or how bad it is. Which dad wants to get on a daughters bag and get told off all the time, you know you hit the wrong club and it’s like you know, he’s my dad and I shouldn’t say that but on the golf course, if it his fault then I’m like you know ‘that was the wrong club’ and he’s like ‘ah you know’. Maybe I’m just mean, so that kind of relationship I think it’s a little tough, but my dad’s great in that sense.

Q. What’s your dad’s name?
SU-HYUN OH: Suk Gu Oh. Try and get that one right. S G sound right, yeah sounds good. He always goes S G for sounds good.

Q. Su it was probably a no brainer that you were going to get an invite to this event, but did you need an invite to be able to play?
SU-HYUN OH: Yes because I just turned pro, and I had no status really. And I just joined the LPGA. I played two Pro Am’s. But I’m not sure if that got me anything. So I needed the invite, and also needed to get myself in for next week, which I think I have this week.

Q. And how did that come about? Did you have to write to Bob? Or did Bob just automatically call you and say we’d like you to play our event?
SU-HYUN OH: I asked my manager Tony Buffler, who also manages Karrie, and he’s good friend with Bob so thanks Tony and thanks Bob.

Q. What does your dad do to relax you on course, you said he thinks you were too stiff the last couple of days, but you seem to be joking around with him and having a good laugh on the last few holes?
SU-HYUN OH: Yeah we always just tease each other, kind of. Even on 14, I hit the bad shot, but it was kind of miscommunication, whatever, I kind of blame it on him. I was like ‘is that on the green?’ and he’s like “yeah it’s like 12 metres’. And then I looked and I was like ‘that’s not 12’ and then he’s like, ‘how far do you think it is’ and I was like ’18, whatever, wrong club anyway.’ It was the right club but I just hit it bad; probably my three putter because I was being mean to my dad. So yeah that kind of what we talk about. It’s kind of good that we speak Korean, so not a lot of people can understand it. Because if they do, it would be kind of embarrassing.

Q. So there’s a lot of banter between you?
SU-HYUN OH: Yeah a lot. We try and keep it sort of down, because both of us just get so into it and kind of get angry.

Q. Su, I guess last week you had the chance to win, and you couldn’t quite close it off; how did you approach those last few holes today differently to what happened down at Melbourne last week?
SU-HYUN OH: I didn’t approach it really differently. I birdied the last four and bogeyed the last three last week. I think I just learnt from my mistake. I was in contention which I was really proud of, and probably a good thing it didn’t come to my mind, saying ‘oh don’t bogey the last three holes’, because I probably would have bogeyed it if I thought about that.

Q. So there was no sort of (inaudible)?
SU-HYUN OH: No, like I said before again, the one shot at a time, that was all I was thinking about. Just hit the shot on the fairway and then hit it on the green and then one putt.