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ANA INSPIRATION

March 31, 2016

Ai Miyazato

Rancho Mirage, California

Q. I heard you made a big change last week and changed the loft on your putter and got your first Top 10 in two-and-a-half years. What kind of difference does that make?
AI MIYAZATO: Well, my loft to my putter was only 2-degrees last week, and I'd like to do like 4 degrees loft. So I talked to my caddie and it wasn't really enough loft, so we switched to the 4-degrees, and it seems like it's working so far and I'm happy with it.

Q. How has it changed your confidence level?
AI MIYAZATO: It's actually not so much, because I've been feeling good about my game since the beginning of the season. I said to myself just be patient until the scoring is going to be good. I had a good self talk since the beginning of the season, so I actually had have confidence since then.

Q. I know you had talked about it before. The change in the putter in your loft last week, how much of a difference has that made for you and your confidence on the greens out here?
AI MIYAZATO: I'm actually really comfortable with it. I'm glad that I noticed it a couple weeks ago. But my putting has been really good since the beginning of the season, and I really have confidence. But I'm really happy to see that finally I can see the results.

Q. You said last week you couldn't remember the last time you had a top 10 and it was in 2013 at the Lotte Championship. Getting that Top 10 and being back at the top of the leaderboard, how much did that help you going into this week and this round?
AI MIYAZATO: That was huge. I definitely gained my confidence, and I really felt good with my game again. I was kind of really happy to play golf again, like my game again because I was kind of struggling the last couple years and it was rally hard. But I got through, and I'm still in the process, but I know that I'm moving forward. So I feel good.

Q. The hardest part when you do go through struggles on the golf course is mentally keeping yourself upbeat?
AI MIYAZATO: That's for sure.

Q. How did you get yourself through that stretch where you weren't playing the golf you were accustomed to?
AI MIYAZATO: It's so easy to say, but just be patient, I think. The golf is really a complicated sport. One day you feel really good about it and the next day completely changing. So I said to myself it's just the same for everyone. Everyone's still again something like the fighting to it, and I'm like, well, this is like same as my life it's just that there are ups and downs always. So just be patient and keep trying, and that's what I did.

Q. You've played this course so many times, how comfortable are you here? How does it play for you this week?
AI MIYAZATO: It's always exciting to be here. I know a lot of history and background. Well, obviously I haven't really played well on this golf course, but finally my game is coming all together. My family's here, and like I said, my game has been in good shape since last week, and I just feel good.

Q. It's hard to get to No. 1 in the world. All the work that's required to do that, when you were going through your struggles, is that some place you still aspire to get, to be?
AI MIYAZATO: No, it's actually not. I know how hard it is to be number one in the world because I've experienced it before. That's actually not my goal anymore because I went there before. But still I want to win the tournament. That's my motivation, especially this week, it's a major and such a big title for everyone, and I know everyone wants this title.

But for me it has been my dream since I was a kid. So that I think pushes me so much. Even when I struggle, I still have a chance. And like I said, just be patient until I get my turn.

Q. You mentioned self talk, is that yourself talk, be patient? What is yourself talk?
AI MIYAZATO: Well, it's obviously like tons of self talk on the course. It's not just one self talk. But it's just nice to have a positive self talk for sure, even though you made a bogey or like something, you have a bad shot. It's just a process. The golf is not only for the one shot. It's just 18 holes, and you have to think about so many things for five hours. It's kind of a long way to go. But that's why, even though I have tons of self talk, you need to be really positive.

Q. I know it's just the first round, but when you look at 18 and see your name atop the leaderboard, how hungry does that make you to want to see that at the end?
AI MIYAZATO: I'm definitely happy to see my name on the board, but it's just the first day and it's a long way to go tomorrow too. I thought the greens, if anything, were a bit softer this morning, so that's definitely helped. And tomorrow it's going to be changing. I'm going to play in the afternoons and the greens might be firmer than today.

So just to keep it going, and like I said, I'm going to still say to myself just be patient and just have fun.

Q. Is it be patient, do you also kind of want to tell your fans that sometimes? I imagine you have so many fans, do you ever feel impatience from other places?
AI MIYAZATO: Maybe sometimes from my parents (laughing). No, but I know that all my friends will be there for me no matter what, so I don't really feel that way.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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