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THE PRESIDENTS CUP

October 7, 2015

Thongchai Jaidee

Songdo IBD, Incheon City, Korea

Q. Talk about the pairing with Anirban to play against Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker tomorrow?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: It's good to be anyone. For me, I try to play with the team. Performing, I prepare a lot of time like just play golf. And if I do like this for me, very good to play with Anirban because I know him, he knows me. So the team work will be very important tomorrow. So we've got to look only at the team playing and what we're going to play. That's more important.

Q. Just talk about the experience being here for the last two days with the team. How has it been for you?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yeah, we have a lot of work with our team, with Nick and Tony and Mark going to be giving me a lot of things to do. Like how to play, how to do with a team. It's a good idea for him to teach me a lot to do. The thing is the three days we practiced together have been really nice and really solid, and the team is very strong with everything. Very different with different players and different guys on the team. That's giving me more experience and gives me how to play with someone. The team is more important. This format is very good. International Team is very good this year, and it's going to be a good challenge.

Q. What has been the main message that Captain Price has been telling you guys in the team room the last few days?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: This year very important for him. He told me about this year very important for us because we are a very strong team right now. We have Danny Lee. It's a lot of players are very strong right now.

For me, it's a good idea for what it's teaching me for practice. You know, you have to practice, a lot of guys play sometimes together like it generate a little bit different. Like yesterday we played like a match like they have the prize and we play the match like you're going to win yesterday. So it's very good to give me more confidence and that's more important.

Q. You played with Anirban in practice yesterday, did you?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yes, I played with him yesterday, 18 hole.

Q. Who was playing?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I played with Louis and Branden Grace.

Q. Did you guys win some money there?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: You know, they give me like the team like who shoots the low score like a team playing yesterday. I think we shot 5-under yesterday with the alternate. But it's very good for confidence. I played with Louis and Branden Grace, it's a good team. It's a lot of fun. It's a good thing for practicing and enjoying. Also really happy to be on the team.

Q. What do you think of the American players, Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I played with Jimmy Walker in a couple of tournament in Europe. I mean like we played together. And match play is going to be a different game because you have to look shot by shot. Anyway, you need anybody, you have to be safe sometimes. You have to be perfect.

I mean, I know they are a very strong team. You know in match play you never know. If you are performing very good, you have the confidence. If you have a good feeling it's going to make you happy, and if you have any good shot, it's going to be hole the putt and it's going to be very good for winning. I mean, this format is very much team work.

Q. Apart from Nick Price who is obviously the team captain for the internationals, has there been a player who has stood out among the TOUR players who have been like a leader of the team for you guys?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I think the team work for Nick Price said to me, I think everyone, we play like a team. I don't mind who is going to be playing, who is not going to be playing. I think the team work is very important is what he said to me. Also it makes you very confident and gives me a lot of things to do. Everyone has more experience, and played a lot more. And Nick Price knows we're going to be a strong team.

Q. Have any other players stood up to say a few things to motivate the other players?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I think he said something, I don't hear anything, but he just said it to the captain or something. I think only thing they don't want to keep anything to let someone know. All the team wants to be informed all the team, and they're talking a little bit inside who is going to be playing. Just simple. The good thing for us for International Team is the team work. What they said is the team work to win the trophy.

Q. How much of a benefit that the you're Asia cup last year will help you and Anirban, since match play is not a regular thing for us back in Asia?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: For me, I think I played a lot of kind of this match like we do a lot of trophy, like we do a lot of the (indiscernible). We do a lot of match before. I have a lot of time played like this format. We have a lot in Korea last year. But we have two things, my captain and a player all together, that's gives me a lot of hard work, and I know how to do it.

But we come to this week, I think the EurAsia Cup made me confident and gave me a lot of confidence and more experience.

Q. What will you be telling Anirban tomorrow when you guys go to the first team?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I think the most important thing for me to tell Anirban is relax, enjoy your game, enjoy your shot, enjoy everything. You have to be enjoying yourself, that's most important. No pressure. I know the cup you have a lot of pressure when you have the first tee start. That's why if you pass the first, second hole, you're going to be like a relaxed.

In golf you have to be relaxed and enjoy and make more confidence. If you have more confidence then you can play whatever. This format you have to look only at your partner playing together. That's why you are a team and then your partner. You have to do shot by shot. That's a good thing for me.

Q. Congratulations to be on the International Team. Obviously, you're now one of the top players in the world. So can you tell us about your resurgence for the past year? What did you do to get to that point?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Thank you for announcing. I think it's very good for me. Very good year for me this year. It's a pleasure in my life also to become the top 31. It's given me a lot of confidence, and also it's been good for me to have the International Team to come to. Like the Presidents Cup has made me proud for my country and also gave me a lot of confidence.

Q. What does it feel when you are the only person representing Thailand ever to participate in a Presidents Cup?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I feel very good. You know the President cup is a dream for me. We tried so many years to get on the team. But this year is a good time for me to get on the team and also make something for me. I think it makes me confident. I won two weeks ago in Germany, and then come to Presidents Cup. It gave me a lot of confidence to play on the team.

Hopefully we will hold some points for the International Team.

Q. What would you say to the young players in Asia from a stand point where you have made it to the Presidents Cup? What do they have to do?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I don't think anything make me anything like pressure because if you think it would, but I think it's not a good idea for me to tell someone anything. Just enjoy and give them -- like enjoy the play whatever you want to do. The best thing is to look on the team. We play as a team, not play for yourself. You play for the team. It's good team work for this team. We have a strong captain for the Presidents Cup. We are really strong this year.

Q. On the TOUR right now there are a lot of really powerful players, very tall, especially the young players. Obviously you have a resurgence of your form attributed not only to your physical strength, but your mental strength. How did you work on your mental game?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: For me I train a lot of training on mental. The golfing and the team this kind of format, we play with a partner. You have a little bit something different, you have to look at shot by shot. That's the good thing, not like anymore, you have to look on play with us, and that's a good thing for me to do.

For me I think we have more experience, also we have a lot more confidence because I won about two weeks ago. Also make me very confident to play the Presidents Cup this time.

Q. So do you think being a Thai -- are you a Buddhist?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yes.

Q. Do you think being a Buddhist helped you in your game?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Definitely in my heart it's in my heart. It makes me something more confident and also put the pressure on when you pray something. To pray for me, as a Buddhist I pray all the time before I play. That gives me good luck and also makes me something to play for the International Team.

Q. First time you're playing Presidents Cup. Do you see yourself as a rookie? You're the oldest teammate as well, right?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yeah, for me coming from Asia, I think it's a very good thing for me to do. Like Presidents Cup this time, finally we have all the team. We'd like to make some points for the team. I think we have a good chance to play with Jimmy Walker and Rickie, me and Anirban.

For me and Anirban, we play so many times and he knows me, I know him. That's a good thing to work on as a team. I think tomorrow is going to be a good chance to win the point. You never know. I think for me, I think we tell Anirban whatever you want to do and make for the team.

Q. Apart from having dinners and meetings, what have you guys done as a team to get to know each other better, to make sure that you guys are really together as one?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I think the best thing for me is to give everyone to do like relax and enjoy all the team. Everyone can talk to everyone whatever you want. Say, okay, that part is for me. I will do it for you. And also our team we have come from different countries. That's why you have to be one for the team. That's why we play for the team. That's a good thing for us to do. Just win the trophy for our team, you make something happen this year.

The good thing for me, if you won the trophy, great, good for him. That's what he said to me. It's good. It's a good thing. Everyone wants to win that trophy, the Presidents Cup. Only one time International won. This time I think we're strong this year. You never know.

I know the Americans are a very strong team. For me and for international and this one for team.

Q. How much did you enjoy the dinner organized by K.J. yesterday? I heard there was a live squid in the hot pot?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Very enjoy. I like Korean food. It's very popular in Thailand, but this time I enjoyed last night. It was a lot of fun, a lot of laughing last night. We were sitting down and talking and all the family very enjoyed it. I say thank you to K.J. He hosted the restaurant yesterday. It was very fantastic.

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