Exclusive by Agathe Seron at Evian Masters.
It was a rainy third day on the banks of Leman Lake. After the very warm atmosphere of the first two rounds, more than 34 °C (over 90°F), players teed off from first and 10th as storms were expecting on Saturday afternoon.
Spain’s Carlota Ciganda fired the best score of the day, a 66 to tie for seventh place.
Past winner and the very experienced Karrie Webb of Australia shot 67 and joined American poster girl Natalie Gulbis and ultra-talented Korean amateur Hyo Joo Kim on third place one shot back of the lead at 10-under par.
Sharing the lead at 11-under par is Stacy Lewis, who holed for birdie on last hole, as well as 2008 US Women Open winner Korean Inbee Park.
Talented Korean amateur Hyo Joo Kim signs autographs after moving into a share of third place. (Photo - Agathe Seron).
Although most of the players shot under par, the total score did not go down.
The best performances of the day came from behind with nothing really exciting happenend on top of the leaderboard.
Still, two past winners, Gulbis and Kerr made their move to finally visit the 2012 Evian Masters interview room.
However the best news of the day came from the a 17-year-old Korean player, already a star in her country – Hyo Joo Kim.
She is one of six players with the family name of Kim competing this week.
She was born on 14th of July 1995 in Kang Won region, on east cost near the 37° parallel, and now lives in Won Joo.
Her amateur career is full of awards : Winner of Queen Sirikit Cup with Korean team, 2010 R&A Junior Open Girls, 2011 Callaway Junior World Golf Championship and Junior Orang Bowl for the most important.
In 2012, she won twice among the pros, in Korea and in Japan and already gets a Rolex ranking even if she won’t earn a dollar so far due to her status.
So let’s meet her !
Agathe Seron : When do you start playing golf.
Ans: “I was 5. During school holidays, my parents had to work with their business so I went to child-care but my dad saw that I was bored then he deceided that I would go to sport center. He chosed golf among others sports”
AS : What was your favorite win ? By team or by your own ?
Ans: “Both are very exciting. When you play for your own you have to stay calm and manage the pressure when you are with the team, you play reference to the other scores and adapt you game.”
AS : Could you tell us about some of your hitting distance ?
Ans: “My average distance with the driver is 270 yards. I hit my 5 iron to 175 yards and my pitching wedge between 115 and 120 yards.”
AS : Which player inspires you ?
Ans: “Se Ri Pak is obvioulsy a godess but I am really fan of Na Yeon Choi (2010 Winner of LPGA money list) and Jiyai Shin (World number 1 in 2010 during 16 weeks)”
AS : If you would be an animal ?
Ans: “A tiger”
AS : A color ?
Ans: “Blue”
AS : What kind of music do you listen ?
Ans: “Mostly K-pop. It is Korean girls group.”
AS : What is your favorite book ?
Ans: “I really liked one named “Cooked” from an African-American Chef, Jeff Hendersen. The title in Korean means “Impossible is nothing”. He is a former felon, having served nearly a decade in prison for drugs. He learnd in jail how to cook and gets over his past life thank to agstronomy. Having run kitchens as Executive Chef at Café Bellagio and Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, he became an inspiration to others.”
AS : Do you know that you are born on French National Day ?
Ans: “Woh ! Maybe France is to be in my destiny. In the future, I would like to live in several place and I would love to stay here. I have one of my friend on the phone yesterday and I told her that we should come here for vacation, backpack and a good road book !”
AS : When will you be pro ?
Ans: “My schedule is to turn pro next October. I will play and study to go to University. My next goal is to learn english ! I will need it…”
