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CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 15, 2016

Ariya Jutanugarn

Naples, Florida

THE MODERATOR: Good morning everyone, and welcome to the 2016 CME Group Tour Championship. I'm very pleased to be joined here by our current No. 1 player in the Race to the CME Globe, Ariya Jutanugarn.

It's been quite an amazing year for you so far. You come into this week with a lot of different things that are on the line: The Race to the CME Globe, Rolex Player of the Year; Money List. How are you feeling coming into this week?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Pretty good. I mean, I'm really excited about it because like especially this one is last tournament, so after it is mean I have off-season. So really excited for that and just have fun this week.

THE MODERATOR: It's been a remarkable year. Most are calling it a breakthrough year for you. Five wins so far. What has been the biggest difference for you?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I think this year I change my focus, so just try to focus on really positive. Don't think about too negative. Even hit bad shots just don't really complain about it and just try to hit the other shot.

THE MODERATOR: I know you talk about that positivity. You've been working with Vision 54 and Pia and Lynn. How much of an impact have the two of them had on all of this success that you've had.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: They help me a lot of the they like help me to bring my personality out to play golf. Because I do really want to have fun and chilling around the course, and they help me a lot with that, too.

THE MODERATOR: I know we see a lot of smiles from you out there, especially right before some putts.

I am going to open it up to questions, so please raise your hands and we'll get to you as we go around the room.

Q. Was there a moment or a tournament where what you've been trying to do kind of clicked with you and made you feel like, Yeah, this is working for me now?
THE MODERATOR: Was there a specific moment where you felt like it really all came together this year, that everything you've been working on, like that switch kind of flipped?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I think would be at the ANA. After that I think I learn a lot from the ANA. Then my first win on tour. Yeah, that tournament.

THE MODERATOR: We all saw what happened there at the end of the ANA. A lot of players can take something that happens like that that's negative and go the wrong direction. How did you take that and use that as motivation to get even better?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I think at ANA I just feel like everything is getting better. Even like last three hole in the final round. I'm lead. I almost can win that. I just have to make like three par.

I learn a lot from that because I know how to play under the pressure. I know like when I'm really nervous and excited what I have to do to get through that.

THE MODERATOR: We call you May out here, not necessarily Ariya. The month of May was your month, winning three straight times in a row. You were the only LPGA player to have their first wins come in consecutive tournaments. When you were going through that, what is that like? When you're playing that well, that you just feel like you can win every week?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Not every week. Actually after my first one I went back to Thailand and stay like a couple day. When I come back, I told my caddie like, You know what? I almost going to withdraw this tournament because I'm so tired.

But I still play, and for three tournament I didn't feel I can win all the tournament, but I just want to have fun. I feel that I breakthrough everything. I won my first tournament. I don't care what's going to be next.

THE MODERATOR: We have a nice big money box this week that has that million dollar prize in it that everybody gets to see. You and Brooke and Lydia were doing a commercial shoot and got to go sit by that money box. What do you think when you saw all that money sitting there?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: It's cool. (Laughter.)

THE MODERATOR: Did you think, Do I want that? What would be it like if I win that this week?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Of course everybody like that one, that box. I just, I don't know. I just really want to have fun. This year has been a great year for me already. No matter what going to happen after this week, I really happy about that.

Q. I want to take you back to February, if you don't mind.
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: February?

Q. Second week, second tournament of the year. You shot 84 in the final round. What happened?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Wow, you still remember?

Q. I'm sorry.
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I can't remember already. Do I really shot 84? (Laughter.)

Q. Then how did you forget it? How did you get past that?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Oh, I didn't forget it. Especially that day in final round in Ocala. I just know what I been working on. I mean, I just start with my driver and I just feel okay. I mean, I make the cut already and nothing going to effect me, so I try just try to hit driver in every hole. Even some hole is really stupid to hit driver, but I hit driver.

You know, I feel I'm happy because I get through everything. Even I'm scared hit driver, but I still hit it.

Q. I know there are a lot of trophies within your reach this week. If you had to pick the one you wanted to leave with, which one would that be?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: To me going to be Player of the Year, because it's really huge honor to win that one. I think to me, I think one of the hardest one to win.

THE MODERATOR: You and Lydia have been going back and forth at the top of everything it seems so far this year. I know you're good friends and have fun with it. What's it like to have her as your kind of rival, the closest competitor? How do you enjoy going back and forth and having somebody up there?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Especially this year, because I been play with her a lot and be really competitive, which is bring me like when I play junior golf. So we not really try to beat each other. We try to have like more fun on the course.

Q. I would like to know a little bit more detail about Vision 54? How often do you work with Pia and Lynn? What work for you? You look like really comfortable in front of everybody, so...
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: They come out few tournament, like maybe major they come out. This week they here, too. But we like communicate, we talk, and we text all the time.

THE MODERATOR: So that smile that you do before you go out there to putt, what is the point of that smile, that little smirk, I should say? We can kind of now call that Ariya's smirk. It's become a thing and it seems to really work. The putts go in after you do it.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Sometimes I miss it. I just have to -- I think I have like few word to say like in my mind that can make my smile before the shot.

Yep.

Q. Two questions: If you win the million dollars, what's the first thing you buy?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: What's the first thing I buy? I never think about that yet. Maybe first thing the dinner for my mom. I didn't think like I'm going to win the CME so I didn't think about that.

Q. With everything on the line this week, do you think it's easier for you that you control everything and you don't have to really rely on anybody?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I think the only thing I can control is myself, so I'm not really focus like with the other things.

So just keep like doing what is under my control.

THE MODERATOR: You talk about buying dinner for your mom, and you have your mom and sister out here as two of your greatest supporters. Your sister is playing on tour, but when you're winning she's right there celebrating with you.

What does it mean to have them be a part of all this, and what would it mean to be able to win this million dollars for them?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I think I'm lucky to have my sister like with me, all the time beside me, because she got to like on tour before me. I feel like last year was my rookie year, but didn't feel like my rookie year because I can ask her and I don't have to go and find out anything.

My mom also help me a lot with everything. She drive, us like help with everything.

Q. With all the travel all over the world now, does it help certain players that can handle that and does it hurt certain players that cannot maybe handle that type of travel? Where does that fall?
THE MODERATOR: You're used to traveling all the time, but do you that helps you, and do you think other players, because of all that travel, that it hurts them, that they're not necessarily playing as well because of so much travel?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I don't think so. To me the travel is not really affect me. I like to travel on tour; I like to travel around the world.

Q. How have you not gotten overwhelmed by everything that's happened this year, how it's all happened so quickly?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: How? I think this year just focus on have fun. I think the most important to me not only golf, but everything in my life. I really want to be happy with everything.

So the key for me this year, even I hit bad shot, I still can be happy with that. The bad shot inspire me to hit a better golf shot.

Q. You're 20; Lydia is 19; Brooke is 18. We're used to seeing...
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I'm old?

Q. Yeah, you're old, Of the three, says the 43 year old. We're used to seeing young players come out here and do really, really well. Is this the way it's going to be going forward? Do you think we'll just keep seeing a new face every year, new 18, 19 year old say, Hi, I'm here, and start winning everything?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I think so, because even in Thailand a lot of young golfer right now, and they try so hard to be better golfer. They try so hard to play out here on LPGA. We got like national team and really young people, and they like growing up.

Q. Among Shanshan, Ciganda, and Lydia Ko, if you choose just one player, who is the most powerful rival in this tournament to you? Just choose one player?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Don't have my name in the choice?

THE MODERATOR: I think your toughest rival. Looking at how well everybody is playing, who are you most nervous about this week?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Nervous? I'm going to say they all great player. Of course they have chance to win this tournament, to win the CME.

I'm not going to be nervous with them. The thing is I'm going to be nervous I can't commit with my shot, so I'm not worry about other player.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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