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ANA INSPIRATION

April 1, 2016

Ai Miyazato

Rancho Mirage, California

Q. I know you started on the back nine, so you came in but three and four some of your closing holes you were able to make some saves there. How much did that momentum help you coming in?
AI MIYAZATO: That was huge. I know for some points you can have a bogey on this golf course, but I had to be really patient, and I had a good feeling with my short game. So I kind of had that confidence, but it was really good up-and-down and kind of a nice stretch towards the end.

Q. We pay a lot of attention to bounceback numbers. You bogey eight and turn around and birdie nine. How aggressive were you being with that approach shot?
AI MIYAZATO: Even though I made the bogey, afterwards I didn't try to get it back soon. I'm like just par's okay on the next hole and see how it goes and just let it go and let it happen. So it was kind of a good mental control.

Q. Birdie on the last had to feel very good, an amazing shot coming in.
AI MIYAZATO: Yeah, thank you.

Q. What does that do for you going into the weekend?
AI MIYAZATO: I just feel very happy that I played really well these couple days. I have been really struggling the last couple years, and I felt that my game's coming like all together since the beginning of this season. So I'm glad to see that it shows up in my results, and I'm just very happy right now. But I still have a couple more days and it's going to be a long week for me.

Q. What has sparked this extraordinary turnaround in the last couple weeks?
AI MIYAZATO: I didn't have a big change, obviously, but probably the putter's loft. I switched my putter's loft last week, beginning of last week, and it seems like it's really working so that was a big point.

Q. You get Lexi tomorrow. She's obviously maybe the longest hitter out here and you're one of the shortest, I would think.
AI MIYAZATO: Yeah, yeah, it will be interesting, I think. I played with her many times and I really like to play with her because she's a really good player. I know she's in good shape, so it's kind of fun to see her game too.

But, you know, it's just doesn't matter this golf course if you hit long or not. So just you need to be really staying with your game and have a good course management, so that's about it.

Q. You mentioned patience earlier. But you had a great bounceback after a bogey on 8 to come back and almost hole it for eagle on 9. Is there a spot on this golf course or a spot in this tournament where you feel you can be more aggressive? Or is it something that you just have to take it where it comes?
AI MIYAZATO: Actually, I feel like the opposite. I don't really want to be too aggressive on this golf course, because like I said, you need to be really patient and you need to be smart for the course management. So I just didn't have like any thought that I need to be really aggressive today. I was like if it's just a par is okay, tap-in par is okay. And if I have a birdie opportunity, just try it. So I didn't have like a really hard on myself, so I think that was a good point.

Q. What's going to be the key on the weekend do you think? What's been helping you so far and what's going to be the key to that?
AI MIYAZATO: I think it's going to be the same plan, like no expectations. I know I'm playing well, but golf you never know what's going to happen. I just want to keep this my feeling, like a happy feeling towards the weekend. So I just want to be myself out there too. That's my character, I guess, just a happy person on the course. So, yeah, that's my goal.

Q. How would you compare your game now to when you were No. 1 in the world?
AI MIYAZATO: That's a good question. I mean, I'm more mature than when I was No. 1 in the world. That was at a time when I was 25, yeah, 25 it has been like five years and I've been through so many things. My game has not been a really big change, but in personality I think I've grown up so much. I think it's just the same as golf and the same as life. Sometimes you learn and sometimes you forget about it and just keep trying, and that's how I'm here. I don't know if I say like I'm better than five years ago, but definitely personally I feel more mature.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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