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HSBC WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

March 1, 2018

Michelle Wie West

Republic of Singapore

Q. Pretty good round for you, unfortunate dropped shot there at the end but still a lot of good takeaways?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, for sure. I hit putts. I just misread them on the last hole, so I feel really good about it. I just had a really tough lie for my second shot there unfortunately, but can't complain with a 5-under first round.

Felt like I placed myself in a good position today, so hopefully the next three days, make my birdies. I 3-putted twice today, so no more of that.

Q. Just reflections on the round. Slip-up at the end but happy enough?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I feel good about it.

Q. Last year, you were in the same position last year, 6-under for your first round, took the lead. You led until the final day where you sort of shot 72. Overall, what did you learn from that and how are you going to use that for the next few days?
MICHELLE WIE: Well, it's a new year. I think that I have a lot of great experiences, a lot of good memories from last year and try to build upon it and learn from it and do better this year.

Q. I hear you're painting again; is that right?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah.

Q. Is it fun to sort of renew a hobby? You used to like it years ago, didn't you?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I did. It's definitely been a lot of fun. Just didn't do it for the last couple years. Kind of picked it up again. So it's been a lot of fun doing it.

Q. Some time ago, you said you were going to do some other courses?
MICHELLE WIE: I want to. Not right now but I think in the future, I always want to go back to school, so that's definitely in the plan.

Q. So give us a rough idea of how you've changed with what you do with your off-course time nowadays that you wouldn't have done five years ago, say.
MICHELLE WIE: Oh, I don't know. I mean, I think I do a lot less now. I just chill. I'm just really tired all the time, so I just sleep and I just eat and I just watch a lot of Netflix. I did join Netflix like two years ago and that's been a game-changer.

Q. What are you watching now?
MICHELLE WIE: Really embarrassing, I'm really into Riverdale right now. CW Show. Not too proud of it but it's really good.

Q. Do you watch our royal family on Netflix?
MICHELLE WIE: No, I don't. I did see Altered Carbon and I was into that. That was good.

Q. You've been busy on Instagram with the food since you've come to Singapore. What do you like most here?
MICHELLE WIE: I haven't been exploring too much. Like I said, I've just been so tired. It's too hot here. I'm just kind of eating really fast but there's a lot of good food here. Hopefully on Sunday after the tournament, I can go out and explore a little bit.

Q. Can you talk about your round? What do you feel you did well and anything that needs to be improved on?
MICHELLE WIE: Well, I made a lot of birdies from the trees today, so that's a plus. I think I was three for three at one point. That was interesting.

But yeah, feels good. Just going out there, being consistent and just being, I think every day, just building confidence and I think every day I go out there, just definitely more confident.

Q. The last putt, was it just that you misread the line or the pace or what happened?
MICHELLE WIE: I just misread both by a lot. So that was good.

Q. When you see a new 15-year-old arriving on the scene, the one that's just won the Asia Pacific, I can't pronounce her name as yet, but what do you think of going back to your amateur years? What does it make you think when you see, "Oh, my God, here's another one"?
MICHELLE WIE: Seems like a long time ago, is my first thought. But it's really cool. I think it's cool that she has this experience. I just remember how in awe I was, and now it's just weird that I'm the old one now that she kind of looks at, I guess.

Q. Has it been a rather fast experience growing older and seeing all these --
MICHELLE WIE: It feels like it's getting faster and faster. Definitely not slowing down, that's for sure.

Q. So are you expecting the average age on the Tour to go down the next ten years?
MICHELLE WIE: I don't know. It's pretty low already. I don't see it going too much down from there. But I mean, I think it's going to stay pretty much the same. I don't think it's going to get much older.

Q. But on the other hand, you're still in the prime of your game and Cristie Kerr is still winning.
MICHELLE WIE: Cristie, definitely.

Q. The young ones still are winning. It's us older ladies are not getting washed out completely.
MICHELLE WIE: I think so. You always have that average out. Cristie is still balling. I think she'll always be balling. But you think it's definitely getting younger, but I don't think it's going to get any younger than this. It's pretty young right now.

Q. Do you think these very young ones, that they don't feel the pressure until it hits them later, after about a few years out here?
MICHELLE WIE: Well, we always kind of joke around. You see the rookies, especially the first tournament in the Bahamas, they are doe-eyed and so full of hope in their eyes; everything is great. I'm like, just wait. You. Just. Wait. A couple years. (Laughter).

But you know, it's great. It's actually refreshing to see them full of just everything is new, and everything is untarnished. It's actually fun to watch that.

Q. How long did it take you to lose that?
MICHELLE WIE: I had a couple bad moments, so I lost it pretty quickly (laughter).

Q. Are you the sort of person to sleep on that 3-putt thinking about it over and over again?
MICHELLE WIE: No, I'm over it. I hit a good putt. I just misread it. There isn't anything I can do. I can't not more think about it. I can't go back and putt it. But I'll be out there for three more days, and hopefully I won't misread that last green, so I feel good about it.

Q. Nice 5-under round here in Singapore. It's really hot out here. How do you maintain such great play out there and through these conditions?
MICHELLE WIE: Definitely using my sun umbrella, walking a little bit slower, or trying to, which is hard for me. But just taking it easy. Try not to exert too much energy. Thankfully my caddie has been helping me out a lot getting yardages and stuff, so it's been great.

Q. I know it didn't end quite the way you wanted it to with a misread on 18 but overall you have to have a lot of good takeaways.
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, for sure, a lot of good moments today. Just it happens. You misread a green, and I have three days left and hopefully I can read them better and make more putts.

Q. This place seems to fit you well. You were in contention last year ask played well. What is it you like about Singapore?
MICHELLE WIE: They have got great food. I like the golf course. The people are really supportive. But it's a great vibe here. I think HSBC does a great job of hosting us and making us feel really welcome. So I'm enjoying myself a lot.

Q. Pleased with how you played, continuing on the vein of form from last year where you impressed us so much but we're slightly concerned on 17 you were wriggling the wrist a little after your tee shot.
MICHELLE WIE: It's fine. Just got in a weird position with my wrist and just didn't really feel good on that one shot, but overall I felt pretty good today.

Q. Here's a chance to have a look at it on 17. So the wrist is fine --
MICHELLE WIE: It looks a lot worse than it actually is. It's really not that bad. My wrist, I just have arthritis and I just try to work through that. You know, it's been a little bit of a struggle but I've got a good game plan going, more preventative more than anything. But it just looked a lot worse than it actually is.

Q. We're encouraged to hear that because it's wonderful to see you at the top of the leaderboard. You've been working on your game a lot with David Leadbetter. Anything in particular that you're focusing on, because to us you look like you're swinging brilliantly, a lot more naturally through the ball.
MICHELLE WIE: Trying to be better biomechanically, just trying to prevent injuries, really. Trying to prevent from having kinesio tape on my body. Mostly just working on that rhythm, same thing as always. Just kind of building upon last year.

Q. A very good year last year. And how good have you been in 2018, 11th and 11th, appearing here this week.
MICHELLE WIE: Missing the Top-10 by just one spot each week. Hopefully that will change this week.

Q. How are you enjoying Singapore?
MICHELLE WIE: I love it. It's definitely one of my favorite spots of the year. Great food, great people and just so many great things to do, shopping. My friends and I, we went to the mall in Marina Bay on Monday when we got here. We did a little practice round of incentives; if we play well, we're going to buy this, this, so good incentive.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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