	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

THE EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

September 17, 2017

Ai Miyazato

Evian-les-Bains, France

CHRISTINA LANCE: Ladies and gentlemen, I can truly say I am honored to be sitting next to the great Ai Miyazato, one of the best moments of my career I can honestly say, to have the honor of moderating this, your final LPGA press conference. You have been such a blessing to the tour and to everyone out here. This has to have been a rather surreal week for you. How do you feel now that it's time for this next step in your life?

AI MIYAZATO: Honestly I'm so happy right now. You know, after the 18th, after I made the putt, I felt so much love from everyone. Especially I got a flower from Mr. Gary Player and that was the first time I met him. That means a lot to me. That was a great surprise and it was an honor to meet him in person. It was a great moment and I'll never forget that I had that feeling by the 18th green.

Overall this week has been a tremendous week for me. Couldn't be happier and it's so nice to see all the friends out there and had a chance to say good-bye to everyone. So it was great.

CHRISTINA LANCE: As you were walking to the 18th green, the applause, your friend is waiting there. What thoughts are going through your mind?

AI MIYAZATO: It's just I thought I'm going to cry if I saw all my friends behind the 18th green, so I tried not to see them because I just want to finish with a par on the last hole. The 18th hole is such a good finishing hole and a good, challenging hole. I just wanted to play my best as a player.

But it was really nice to see my friends, definitely, and I just couldn't hold it. After I made the putt, I was just really happy. It's so nice to have my friends on the Tour.

Q. Was there a point during the round where you started to reminisce a little bit on your career, or were you just so focused on each shot?
AI MIYAZATO: It was like, I think I was in the middle-ish, well maybe more 80 percent I was trying to focus my game. Because if I started to think about my career, like I said, it makes me cry and it's so emotional. So there's no way that I can play on 18 holes today.

So I just do my routine and try to have like the same day, you know, like I did the last 12 years. Nick did a great job, too. He was just supposed to be there and doing his job, and we didn't have any conversation over memories. So he was just helping, I think. But it was still a great round I had. It is such an honor to finish my career in this tournament, and it just couldn't be better than this, so very happy.

Q. When you joined the LPGA, did you have in your mind any kind of idea of what kind of impact you'd like to have in this game, and have you surpassed your expectations?
AI MIYAZATO: Well, I didn't have any idea about this right now since I came to the U.S. Of course I was really fortunate to play in Japan for two years. I won 14 times, and then finally I came to the U.S.

But I was a rookie over here and I didn't know what to do. All the golf courses are so different and all the trouble makes a difference, and I need to learn English. I was busy.

Looking back now, I had a great time and I'm glad I came to the U.S. and challenged all the things. No, I didn't expect this, but right now to be honest, I feel so proud of myself. I got through so many things and of course, I had so much up-and-downs, too. I have a great team, my agent and my caddie, Nick, they are always there for me and supported me. I couldn't go through all the things just by myself. I think I was so lucky to have my team.

Q. Has anything ever made you cry as much as this week?
AI MIYAZATO: Good question. I think I cried when I won here first time as -- when I had a first win on the LPGA Tour, and it's kind of the same feeling. I'm not winning this week but I feel so much like accomplished, you know. So I think it's about the same at the moment when I won the first time over here.

Q. Is there anything that you put off doing because you were playing golf that you can't wait to do now?
AI MIYAZATO: Staying home (laughter) without any trouble. I think maybe just having a normal life. Just seeing my friends every day maybe and having a dinner, and just talks about nothing maybe. That's what I'm expecting right now. So I can't wait (smiling).

Q. Will you stay in America or go to Japan?
AI MIYAZATO: I haven't make any decision yet but I really like living in the U.S. because you know, almost like half of my life I spent time over here in the US. I would love to keep my place in the US.

CHRISTINA LANCE: Before we close, we do have one last thing we want to show you. We're going to ask our AV team in the back to turn around and we have a small video to play for you.

(Video of LPGA players bidding farewell).

AI MIYAZATO: Thank you.

CHRISTINA LANCE: I imagine those were words of congratulations and good luck. We thank you so much, best of luck to you in the rest of your life and I know we'll see you again soon.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297