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100TH OPEN DE FRANCE

July 3, 2016

Thongchai Jaidee

Paris, France

MICHAEL GIBBONS: Thongchai, many congratulations. Well done. Your thoughts on being champion of the 100th Open de France here at Le Golf National.

THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Very happy, and to have my family here this week together, and also really happy to win the tournament here. I know the golf course is fantastic.

I've been here many, many years, and I think especially this week, it's a special week for me to win the tournament out here. I think this is the most biggest tournament in my life. This golf course, it's fantastic for me, everything, really happy with that. Absolutely perfect.

MICHAEL GIBBONS: Did you play the same golf course as everyone else?

THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yeah, exactly. But you need to play -- this golf course, I've been here about ten years, and I think this week the course is set up quite tough. Maybe the fairways quite narrow and the rough is very thick. You have to hit the ball in play all the time, otherwise, if you keep it in play and you hit on the green and you hit a good one putt, you're going to have a good chance to win the tournament.

This week, for me, I had no problems at all. I hit the ball perfect, no complaints, everything. I hit the ball perfect. I'm in play all the time. That's why I'm confident to play the golf course.

MICHAEL GIBBONS: Can you talk about the players you've beaten today, so many quality players behind you.

THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yeah, I know when I started the final round, two guys behind me, like Rory, the world No. 4, and a lot of guys playing like big names behind us.

I tried to get -- you know, the first two holes, I'm really excited about first tee shot, because you have to have a good tee shot, otherwise you don't get your confidence back. Sometimes you lose confidence, you lose everything, I think that's a bad thing.

Today I start very well. I had a good tee shot and second shot a bit long and then a good chip up-and-down from there. That's what makes my confidence back and then I make birdie on 3, 1-under par, 9-under after three holes. I think that makes me more confident. After that, my game is quite consistent.

So I hit a lot of greens and made putts. I think the best good putt on 15. Come back on 16, I know 16, 17 and 18 going to be very tough hole. I look on the leaderboard and saw the guys, Andy, 8-under par after 14, 15, three shot behind.

After we birdie on 15, we have very good tee shot on 15, and pitching wedge, second shot, and make a good putt and good birdie on that hole.

We have four shots after 15, but we need par all the way in, is going to be good to win. After 16, we have a good par. I think we had two putts from there. We were about four shots clear the lead. I think it lifts my game a bit. Anyway, we make bogey the last two holes, it will be perfect, get in and win the tournament. That's what I planned. Hit 17, hit a bit left in the rough. We had nothing to do, hit the ball as close as we can to the green. I hit a 5-wood from there but 30 yards short and a good chip, good up-and-down from there.

Then 18, nothing, we took a 3-wood anyway, don't go left, hit right side and lay-up and that's the main thing, make a good bogey and that wins the tournament. That's my game plan today, yeah.

Q. You played with a French player the first two rounds and the guy doesn't understand how you don't miss a shot.
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: This golf course, you can't miss the fairway. If you lose concentration, that's the worst thing.

I play with Mike, he's very good start. He made 1-under par the first round and second round, he's striking his driver, his irons, a couple miss, and that's why make double-bogey. Because this golf course, you can't miss. Even 15, 16, 17 and 18, you make easy double-bogeys. No. 2, really very, very hard hole.

Q. But he said you don't miss a fairway. Do you have an explanation why your game is so good?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I think this week is a special week. Sometimes you need one perfect week. Every week, you can't do well every week, especially this week, my perfect week, because I don't miss anything much. Anything I miss, I find I can lay up and make a good shot and make par and that's it.

There's a lot of things on this golf course already, it's very important, because when you come to 15, 16, 17 and 18, going to be hard holes. I think any golf course, especially with this wind direction, is okay. If the wind -- 18 going to be downwind, that's why you play like a 3-wood, you are going to have 9-iron, 8-iron, 7-iron sometimes.

I remember last time we played this golf course, 18 into the wind, sometimes we had a 3-iron, 5-wood. I think the wind direction even help on 18. That's why you see your score on 18 is going to be quite good at the moment.

Q. Do you remember your first four holes two years ago here?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I played well last time, I think top five three years ago.

Q. Second place.
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: But conditions different. That one, the fairways really a lot firm. This year going to be soft. That's why compared different. The wind direction is different, as well.

Q. How and where did you learn golf?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I think we start golf in Thailand. Start in my -- I live nearby the golf course. That's why I learn and I learn the people play golf when I was about -- I started to play golf quite late, 16-year-old. Now I turn 47. It's a good life. Anything that's golf, you don't say anything -- try to get better all the time. This week, I think best win of my life.

Q. Do you have a swing coach?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yes, sir, I have the Thai coach and German coach working together.

Q. What's their name?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Peter Wolfenstetter, he's Germany. And we have another coach, a Thai coach, different name. Pronounce, it's difficult for you (laughter).

Q. This is your eighth victory on The European Tour. What's the secret?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I think that's a really good question. You know, the first thing, I start to work hard. I don't say anything, try to get my thinking, you need to play and training and work hard and also do a lot of sports psychology, that's the most important in my mind.

Every golf course, I know they make it long, long, long, but for me, my eighth, I try to get on the Champions Tour about three more years. But I don't say anything. Eight is look behind; I try to look forward to work out and also training, I cannot stop training. I try to get training all the time, that's why.

And also, the first thing, the Thai food, healthy. (Laughter).

Q. Just talk about your mental strength, because you seem to be very relaxed on the course, even if the ball doesn't go where you want it go, but you have a smiling face. Did you improve your mental strength with the age, your experience and working on psychology?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: When I train Army -- I work in the Army 14 years, work in the Army. That's why training with the Army camp about two years, in land (ph) and air bomb paratrooper, that's why we have to be strong. And training every morning, that's why we come to play golf, I think really easy. Because training with the Army, I had to wake up at 5.00 in the morning running about two hours, every morning and the evening for two years.

That's helped me to come to play golf. That's why I do that and then I come to play golf, I know how to protect myself to do on the golf course. You have to be relaxed and okay. Sometimes you have a bad shot, you have to forget about it then and relax, try the next hole. That's why I do that. Sometimes pressure on, you make a bad thing, that's what I do before.

I remember when I start turn pro, about third year, we play The European Tour, the first tournament. I think I'm the leader by one. We shoot about 82 last day. We lead by one and we come to the final and then the last day, we hit 82. I know that when the put happened, we're thinking too much, thinking about everything. That's why you lose concentration.

Now you think about, you've lost today, but return the next tournament. That's it.

MICHAEL GIBBONS: Many congratulations once again.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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