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KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

June 7, 2016

Ariya Jutanugarn

Sammamish, Washington

MODERATOR: Good morning everybody. Welcome to the KPMG Womens PGA Championship here at Sahalee. It is great to be in Seattle. And we welcome in the current No. 10 in the Rolex women's rankings, Ariya Jutanugarn. Great to see you.

The first question is pretty easy. What do you think of this golf course and Seattle?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: The golf course so hard for me. I play yesterday and I feel like the course too narrow. But great golf course, great shape, the greens are so good. But a lot of trees and big trees, pretty hard for me because I have to shave my shot a lot.

MODERATOR: But you don't use driver very much, at least you didn't in Ann Arbor, no driver for you.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: And not this week, also.

MODERATOR: No drivers this week? It won't even be in your bag?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: No.

MODERATOR: We need to settle on something a little bit. Everybody seems to pronounce your name different ways. Can we get this on the record, it's not Ariya, it's Ariya.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Ariya Jutanugarn.

MODERATOR: Now that we've got that settled, how many times do people mispronounce your name?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Everybody calls me Ariya, all the time.

MODERATOR: Do you correct them?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: No, because I get used to it. I just feel like in Thailand my name is Ariya, here my name is Ariya.

MODERATOR: Whatever it takes, right? Let's talk about your recent success. Three consecutive wins. That's amazing. What have you been thinking about over the last couple of weeks?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I mean after my first win I feel more and more confident. I feel happy to play golf. Every single day I have a chance to play golf, so I feel happy. That's the key to me.

MODERATOR: What's been the biggest thing that's turned around for you, that's been able to allow you to get into the winner's circle?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I mean I have a lot of mistake, and I just learn from that and especially on the ANA, it teach me a lot, like how to play under pressure. After that I just feel more and more comfortable to play golf and when I'm nervous I know how to deal with it.

MODERATOR: You had some pretty public disappointments in tournaments, in Thailand, when you didn't win. But in hearing what you've said, you talked about that helping you to get to the winner's circle. Can you explain?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I mean after Thailand and especially that year as I fall and I start fall for almost a year, it just made me feel stronger and stronger. So I learn how to come back. I learn how to be a better golfer, and I learn how to -- when I have a lot like expectation around me, so I know what I should do and play golf under my expectations, not from people around me.

MODERATOR: Very impressive, by the way, and no bogeys in the final round in Ann Arbor.

Q. What's been the reaction you've had from fellow players? Do you feel like they look at your differently now? Do they act differently around you?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I don't know, I mean -- I don't know, I just feel like they look at me like the same. I'm the same. I'm not changed. I just win three tournaments, but I still the same.

Q. How did you celebrate when you took some time off? Did you celebrate?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I didn't do anything.

MODERATOR: Nothing?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Nothing.

MODERATOR: No party?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: No, too young. I'm 20 (laughter).

MODERATOR: No friends?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I have friends.

MODERATOR: You and your sister didn't do anything? What did you do?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: We just went to dinner, for dinner, that's all.

MODERATOR: Where did you go to dinner?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Korean, Thai sometimes. I like to eat -- after the round I have to eat and I have to find a very good restaurant. So that's all I do.

MODERATOR: I need to follow up this, and we're going to take a question right here, and then we'll go over on this side. To follow up about other players. I have a couple of quotes about what other players have said about you, other players: Remarkable. Unstoppable.

Now, unstoppable, that's a pretty strong statement. Do you feel unstoppable?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I feel it. About my feeling -- I don't feel it because I play good, but my feeling is just getting better every time.

Q. Last year you had a stretch where you missed the cut ten times in a row. What did you do to get out of that, not to get too discouraged? I think that's pretty impressive to come back from that?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I think like last year when I miss ten cuts in a row, my focus is only make the cut. And if I forget about the cut, so I'm scared to miss the cut.

So I just change my focus. I just try focus on what I can control, not what I can't control. I can't control the result, but I can control what I'm going to do.

Q. At that time can you ever imagine being in a situation where you could tie Nancy Lopez's record of four straight wins? Did you ever imagine at that point being in this spot?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: No, only thing I just want to make the cut, that's all I want.

Q. You talked about how you did learn from and absorb the tough loss at ANA this year. Did you talk to anybody, any coaches, any sports psychologists or was it just -- how did that work? How did that process work?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Actually I start to work with Vision54, so Pia and Lynn, before ANA, and I just keep talking with them until right now.

Q. And what are the couple of things they have helped you with specifically?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: They teach me how to be happy before I hit the shot. And I think it's really important to me because especially last year I never happy to play golf. But right now I really happy, no matter what the result I'm just very happy with it. Only key I have to do is I have to be nice to myself. So not complain about every single shot. I just be nice, even hit a good shot, I just tell myself I hit this one good.

MODERATOR: You were not happy on the golf course last year?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Yep.

MODERATOR: What was going through your mind, why were you unhappy?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Why? Because I missed all the cuts.

MODERATOR: Because you missed cuts?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Because I'm scared to hit the ball, last year in the U.S. Open, first practice round on Monday, I can play only six holes and I walk off, I walk to the clubhouse, I can't hit the ball anymore. I'm very, very scared to hit the ball. I play only six hole practice round and I walk out.

MODERATOR: Wow. So this is quite a turnaround. You are the first player from Thailand ever to win on the LPGA, can you talk about what your home country has said about you and how that has been to represent Thailand.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: The most important to me is like I can represent Thailand, and the great thing is when I went back to Thailand after Yokohama, everybody is so happy and they're very proud. Me and all the Thai people, I know and trust, we're going to have more and more Thai players to win the tournament.

MODERATOR: I don't think anybody understands how close you and your sister are.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Too close. We really close. She help me a lot with everything. And she's one of my best friends. I don't have like best friend, so she's my best friend and my sister and almost my parent. Because when I'm lazy she's like wake me up and bring me to practice every time.

MODERATOR: Because you're representing Thailand on the LPGA, there's some great events coming up, first is the UL International Crown. And then the Olympics. Big smile on your face for the UL International Crown. I heard a little rumor, what do you think about the UL International Crown and representing Thailand?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: It's nice. I like that tournament so much. And I mean after last time, just waiting for International Crown to come again. And this year I have a great team, especially I have Pornanong, I have my sister. I not only know, but I feel that we're going to win this year.

MODERATOR: Can I write that down? Because the teams are all going to be final after this event. So we'll know exactly who is on every team. You're saying you're going to win this year?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: We. We going to win.

MODERATOR: You're going to win. Mark that down everybody, Team Thailand will win.

Q. When you don't have the driver in your bag do you add another club or do you only carry 13?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Normally I carry 14 every tournament, even though I don't have driver, I'm going to bring 4-iron. This week I'm going to have 2-iron, 3-iron, 4-iron and 5-iron.

Q. I remember your sister had to convince you at Q-School not to hit driver. Are you just kind of okay with this decision now or is your caddie rely helping you with strategy? Does someone have to talk you into this? How does this come about now?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Before, at the Q-School, when my sister try to tell me, like not hit driver. I'm not very trusting. But I didn't use driver. But I didn't feel comfortable because I feel like I really want to hit driver.

But especially this year I learn how to be like -- I don't need driver. And the only thing I have to keep the ball in the fairway, especially this week, it's major, the rough is pretty hard, the fairway is really narrow. The only thing I have to do is put the ball in the fairway. My caddie helps me a lot. I trust him. He know my game. He know everything. He tell me you don't need driver. When he say that I trust him and I know I don't need driver.

MODERATOR: You're the first in Tour history to have their first three wins in consecutive weeks. We all know you're going for a fourth consecutive win in four starts. We're all impressed by that. All the players are impressed by that. How are you impressed about yourself? How impressed are you about what you've done? Are you proud of yourself.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Yeah, I'm very proud. This year the only goal for me is I really want to win my first tournament this year, and I did. And I win like three tournaments. So I'm very proud and very happy about it.

MODERATOR: We wish you the best of luck this week, without a driver in the bag, it is Ariya Jutanugarn. Thank you very much.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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