As promised, Bushwood is breaking the news with another exclusive interview. Here is the FIRST of a three part series of interviews with 3 of the competitors in the upcoming Big Break - PEI which premiers on April 20th on The Golf Channel. Leading off is the beautiful and talented KIM KOUWABUNPAT - Kim was super nice throughout the interview, and we are sure that she will do well in her competitions in 2009. So, without further adieiu, here is Kim :
Cash: Kim, welcome to Bushwood Country Club - we really appreciate you taking the time to talk to us today.
Kim: Thanks for having me, it is a pleasure to talk to you and I am looking forward to enjoying all the benefits of being a member of Bushwood !
Cash: Ah, I see the word is out that all interviewees are granted full membership into BCC. Well, in that case, welcome to the Club, now let's get started, shall we...
THE QUESTIONS...
1. Tell us a little about yourself – age, hometown, where you live now, college, etc.: I am 27 years old and am from Upland, CA. I was born Oct 11th, 1981 in Chino, CA. I played on a full scholarship collegiately for 4 years at Stanford, and graduated in 2004 with a degree in Psychology.
2. What was golf in the PAC 10 like ? PAC 10 golf was simply incredible. As a conference, we were strong and the courses we played were awesome. The competition was also very fierce. While I was representing Stanford, Lorena Ochoa, Erica Blasberg, and Natalie Gulbis were some of the talented names all competing in the conference.
3. Most memorable Stanford experience ? I have tons of great memories from Stanford - First of all, the campus is absolutely gorgeous! Where else can you get Thai food for lunch from the basement of the Psychology building and eat it in the sunny quad with laboratory-bred black squirrels running by? Haha! In regards to golf, we had access to world class courses like Cypress Point, Pebble Beach, Spyglass, and San Francisco Club ! Having the Stanford Golf Course as our home course was an incredible opportunity... AND their grill serves one of the best vanilla shakes in the area! One of my best memories was watching Kelly Slater (world champ Surfer) tee off in front of us at Cypress Point! Other great memories : (1) My Sr. year, our coach surprised us by flying us up in a private jet to Bandon Dunes, Oregon to play Pacific Dunes, (2) Our whole team went to Scotland for 10 days to play some of the great classic courses like Carnoustie, Kings Barns, Turnberry, and St. Andrews (to name a few). We traveled out there with the University of Washington team and had an amazing time. I'll also never forget our pre-season team retreats to Tahoe and Santa Cruz every year... Overall, Stanford has an amazing tradition that I truly loved being a part of.
4. What are your goals for 2009 ? My primary goal this year is to be fully prepared for LPGA Q school at the end of the season and to earn my full card.
5. How many events do you plan to play in 2009 ? I just finished my calendar for 2009, and am planning to compete in about 19 events.... Although, my schedule is subject to change. You can keep updated on my website at www.KimCanYouOnePutt.com. Click under 'Traveling Bunny' for my tournament schedule and results! :)
6. What part of your game are you working the hardest on ? The mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the game are my primary focus area right now - having the right mind set, and really being "in the moment" over every shot. I believe that golf is much more than just mechanics and the mental game. Beyond that, I believe that a large part of it is emotional and spiritual as well and it's important to address how they can affect one's game. This may sound a little cheesy, but finding peace on the golf course is something I've been learning to understand and working on improving as well. As far as technical improvements, I am working hard on my iron play - I need to hit more greens in regulation and also convert my birdie putts.
7. How were you introduced to golf ? My Dad introduced me to golf when i was 9 years old. He picked up the game and I decided to join him to the driving range one day. The first club I pulled from the bag (I will never forget this !) was a Tommy Armour Silver Scot 7 iron. I launched my first shot in the air, straight and solid - and I have been hooked on golf ever since.
8. What’s in your bag ? I pretty much play a complete Nike bag - Nike cci irons, hydrid, and sv wedges. I am experimenting a little with my driver at the moment, going back and forth between a Nike and a Ping G5. My putter is a custom Scotty Cameron Newport 2.5 (see photo below) with my nickname and initials engraved. I LOVE my putter! :)
9. What about your ball - which one do you play and how do you mark it ? I play the Nike One Tour ball. I mark it with dots (pink or purple) on both ends of the swoosh and color in the number.
10. Tell us about your work with Play Golf Designs – what is involved in that ? Play Golf Designs is a really cool innovative business concept - we are a Custom Golf Events company and Players' Organization that consists of 24 female professional golfers from the LPGA, Duramed Futures, CN Canadian Women's, and Ladies Asian Tours. We promote womens golf via customized events of any size... corporate outings, private events, golf clinics, pro-ams and more! We also offer other services through our event solutions, golf concierge, and public relations for both our players and events - we provide the complete package. I have been part of PGD since 2006 and have really enjoyed it. You can now view our new website at www.playgolfdesigns.com!
11. What has been your most memorable experience with PGD ? Nisha (Sadekar - PGD's founder) and I were at the Honda Classic one year on a corporate sponsorship package to promote our company. We had a great time the entire week, enjoying our hospitality tent behind the 18th green! But what put the cherry on top was when we ran into Retief Goosen at the local Yardhouse! As we were chatting up a conversation with him, the "Goose" introduced us to his friend who walked up... "Meet my friend, Sergio..." We just about choked on our diet cokes. They were a blast to hang out with and were very nice. 12. How many holes in one do you have in your career ? I have made FOUR holes-in-one, and all were very memorable. My first was when I was 11 years old, and I was playing with my Mom. My second was during the final round of my final junior tournament of my junior career. The last two were with my Stanford teammates. I've also had 1 hole-in-three. (holed out on a par 3 after dunking my first tee shot in the water, and re-teeing)
13. OK, now for a personal question - how far do you hit your driver ? I average between 245 - 250 yards off the tee. With the help of my new training regiment, hopefully my coach and trainer will be able to stretch that out a little bit!... Watch out, girls!! :)
14. Who would be in your dream foursome and why ? Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Michelle Tafoya. I think it's obvious why I want to play with MJ and T-Woods... It's been a dream of mine to be a court side reporter for the NBA or College ball, and I look up to Michelle's work on the sidelines! I would love to play a round of golf with these guys and commentate every play with Michelle!! :) Maybe a mixed best ball match...
15. Favorite sports other than golf ? I am a HUGE basketball fan - Both college ball and NBA. I'm a Mad Woman for March Madness and a Sports Nut in general! ... I also love watching football, tennis, baseball and hockey. I love staying active in playing all sports. During the off-season I enjoy competing in a softball and racquetball league.
16. Favorite athlete ? I have 3 favorite athletes - I love Roger Federer's grace on the tennis courts, Kobe's fade-away jumper behind the arc, and Tiger's dominating presence on the greens. I've also always been a fan of Serena Williams who brings a fashionable sense of style to athletics.
17. What frustrates you the most ? I am not easily frustrated - I always do my best to focus on the positive and avoid dwelling on the negative. Every situation is an opportunity to learn and grow. I'll always find a reason to smile. :)
18. What makes you smile ? Hmmmm, lots of stuff - the smell of coffee in the morning, the sound of rain when cuddled up inside, hanging with my cat (Hippo), watching a game-winning buzzer beater in a bball game, the Lakers becoming NBA World Champions, the sound of a long putt dropping in the cup, and putting my head down to sleep on my pillow after a great productive day... honestly, the list goes on and on...
19. What’s on your IPOD ? I KNEW this one was coming ! My musical tastes are fairly eclectic (and sometimes a little sappy...) - I like Sade, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Luther Vandross, Journey, Peter Cetera, Alicia Keys, Chicago....I'm a romantic at heart... But I can also feel the beat with Hip Hop and Pop music!
20. What is one song that gets you really pumped up and ready to compete? I am not one of those people who use music to motivate me - you will never see me on the putting green with my Ipod listening to tunes while I am working on my game.
21. I know you cannot reveal any secrets about the upcoming Big Break, but is there one thing you can tell us to be on the lookout for in the first episode ? All I can say is to stay tuned, be prepared to be shocked, be amused by my comments, and enjoy the interesting challenges!! :) 22. o k -last question - Can we get the first interview after you win your first event ? Absolutely! I'll look forward to that moment VERY soon! ;)
A HUGE Bushwood thanks to Kim K - she was a great interview, and we look forward to sharing her success in 2009 and beyond. For more info on Kim, check her out here:
http://www.kimkouwabunpat.com
http://www.kimkouwabunpat.com
