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INTERNATIONAL CROWNJuly 24, 2014Ai MiyazatoSakura YokomineOWINGS MILLS, MARYLAND KELLY THESIER: Good afternoon, everyone. We would like to welcome in two members of Team Japan, Ai Miyazato and Sakura Yokomine. They won 2‑up in their match today. Congratulations, ladies. First off, I just want to know, what was the experience like being there on the first tee hearing your National Anthem and knowing that you're playing for Team Japan? AI MIYAZATO: It was just an amazing feeling. I was almost crying. When I heard the National Anthem I was almost crying. But at the same time I was super nervous because I never had that atmosphere before. But it was just a great experience and I'm so happy to be here. I'm so happy to be here for my country and especially playing with this girl. She played really solid out there. So I had a great time. SAKURA YOKOMINE: I feel like it was about the same time as usual and I'm not used to the team playing, but then the first hole I had good shots, a birdie and that helped me a lot to relax. KELLY THESIER: It was a very nice start for you guys to win the first hole. What was it like to have a team play? I know you guys do some of that over in Asia, but is it very different to get yourself ready to know that you have to rely on a teammate? Did it get easier as the match went along? AI MIYAZATO: Honestly, it's both. It was kind of difficult to start the first few holes because I haven't had the team play since when I was 20 or something, which means eight years ago. So I was still searching for my pace the first couple holes. But then she got a good start, so after a few holes I was like, Okay, so just stay focused on my game. At the same time, it was just a great fun. You can be aggressive as much as you want, and toward the end, it was kind of a tough match, but still, under the pressure, I like to play, so it was really fun. KELLY THESIER: Speaking of that match, you guys had a back and forth match. It got tight towards the end. How does the momentum swing in that match and how were you guys feeling when you got down and it was getting a little tight there and you knew you wanted to walk away with two points? SAKURA YOKOMINE: The fifth hole was a break point and then it was the point, it was kind of breaking up the flow. AI MIYAZATO: I think because we had that good start the first hole, but then number 5 is like a short par‑4, but we both made a bogey there or double bogey or whatever, so that was a big break point. But afterwards, we kind of saw each other and saw that Sweden is making par and we're making par as well. But then on 16, they made a birdie, and that makes me really nervous. But 17 and 18, especially 18, she hits it really close to the pin there, so it was a good finish. KELLY THESIER: Questions? Q. Was there any point during the match, perhaps after the fifth hole, where you guys had to go have a little team conference with each other? And was there any point at which you found that you were sort of bucking each other up and really cheerleading for the other? AI MIYAZATO: Yeah, well, before teeing off, we said we shouldn't say sorry all day today. We just have to focus on our game and that. But after the fifth hole, we said sorry to each other and we were laughing, you know. I know I shouldn't say sorry, but I have to say it. And I said sorry and she said sorry. So we laughed at each other after we made a mistake. So it kind of kept the momentum going, I think. But it was a little difficult par‑3 on 6, but we got the good birdie chance and so we didn't have any, like, down feeling or whatever. Sakura is always a really nice and relaxed person. She's not really super intention or like that, so I think I got good feelings from her all day. Q. With all the energy and all the emotion on the first tee, once you got started, was the atmosphere maybe a little more relaxed than it would be for a normal Tour event? AI MIYAZATO: Definitely more pressure. Especially after I heard the National Anthem, you know, it just makes me feel more like intense or something. I feel like I need to play well or like have I to play well. I think it was a little bit of pressure there, but like I said, she was always like normal, like no up‑and‑downs, and she's like the same everywhere she goes, right? SAKURA YOKOMINE: I was nervous, but I just wanted to play my best golf. Q. Only 14 of 32 players hit the first fairway and you, in the first group, and the Americans were the only twosome from each country to both hit the fairway. Was it that much pressure? You were one of only two groups of teammates that hit the fairway on the first hole. AI MIYAZATO: Really? Wow. KELLY THESIER: Tough fairway to hit. How important was that just to get started like that? Did that kind of release some of the nerves when you guys both hit the fairway? AI MIYAZATO: Well, I felt a little bit of release of my pressure after I hit the first shot. But it was a 3‑wood and so much big target on the fairway, it's kind of wide open, 60 yards or something. So I wasn't really thinking about the bunkers or anything, just I was seeing just the middle of the fairway. So I hit it good, but she‑‑ I don't know about you. Did you hit it? SAKURA YOKOMINE: I was nervous, but I accepted my nervousness and then the fairway was wide, so that helped a lot, too. KELLY THESIER: Team Japan now walks away from day one with three points. How do you guys feel so far as to where the team is at after one day of competition? AI MIYAZATO: That was a great start, for sure. But still a long way to go. I'm exhausted already, because I used so much energy on the golf course. I'm not sure about the pairings tomorrow, but I think that playing with anybody, I mean, with anyone on my team, it will be really fun. We can play well again, so it was just a gaining of confidence, I think. KELLY THESIER: Did you talk about what your plans are for the rest of the week for pairings? Have you talked about that? AI MIYAZATO: We didn't have time, so we're going to, though. KELLY THESIER: What have you guys done for team bonding? You guys have plans tonight, do you hang out as a team or how do you kind of balance the team aspect this week with also still keeping yourselves in a routine of how you normally play. AI MIYAZATO: I think we're going to as individuals keep the routine and ourselves. But we haven't had a team meeting like yet this week, not even other than the one time. So I think we're going to go with dinner tonight though. So we'll see. KELLY THESIER: Sounds good. Wonderful. Thank you very much, ladies, great playing today. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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