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U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPJune 3, 2018Ariya JutanugarnShoal Creek, Alabama THE MODERATOR: Good evening. We're here with Ariya Jutanugarn, our 73rd U.S. Women's Open Champion. Ariya, how does that sound, how does it feel? ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Feel great, really excited that I mean I'm really honored to join the list of winners before me. THE MODERATOR: What a day for you. Lot of ups and downs. Yesterday you mentioned you wanted to be proud of yourself every single day. What are you most proud of right now? ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I'm really proud of myself the front-9. I did everything I want to do. I have really good commit. I never think about the outcome of the front-9 but that back got me a lot. THE MODERATOR: Once you got into the playoff, how are you able to keep your focus? ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Really tough for me because I didn't have good finish last two hole and -- but I am not nervous or excited anymore during the playoff. THE MODERATOR: Questions. Q. Did you know how big your lead was when you made the turn and did you lose focus a little bit on that tee, just kind of walk us through what the 10th tee was like. ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Actually I saw the scoreboard and I didn't know since not on 10 I know like maybe like on 7 or 8. I still hit pretty -- I still have pretty good commitment but on 10 it just like I didn't feel comfortable to hit 3-wood and honestly I shouldn't hit 3-wood but I did. After that kind of play a little bit scared like my next shot, so after that I'm not really hit 3-wood anymore. Q. You had played so aggressively for the entire three rounds and then the first 9 holes today. And then suddenly it appeared as though you got defensive. Was that something that you consciously did or was it something that was unconscious? ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I still want to be aggressive but what I say like on 10 with the missed 3-wood I'm scared to hit 3-wood now so the only thing I can hit is 2-iron so, of course, I can't be aggressive. Even on 18 in my playoff I talk to my caddy, "Should I try to hit 3-wood?" He's like, "If you ask me this question you shouldn't try. Keep hitting 2-iron." Q. What was the best thing that your caddy said to you today? ARIYA JUTANUGARN: He did a lot of good things today and especially after I make 7. So, after 10. So I tee off on 11. I told my caddy, "I don't know how to hit this one." He's like, "Come on, do you want to win?" I'm like, "Yes." He said, "Okay. Then we have to do it." Okay. So I hit. Q. I saw several times when things were going so badly on the back-9 you would kind of take a deep breath and try to smile to yourself. How hard was it to keep doing that when things kept going wrong? I mean what was that mental struggle like? ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I made birdie on 16. You forgot. I forgot the bad things. Honestly, I tried to be smile because I feel if I keep doing that going to make me happy but not really so -- but I try hard to do that. Q. You've been in tight situations before and maybe panicked a little bit. Can you talk about how you were able to not panic in the playoff and where that mental strength comes from? ARIYA JUTANUGARN: You know, after you have like 7 shot lead and end up with you have to go to playoff, I have no expectations because like I kind of got mad a little bit with my back-9 but okay. So if I have a playoff I'm going to make sure I do my best every shot because I feel like I didn't commit about the back-9. I feel I have last chance to make myself proud or do the shot in front of me. Q. Ariya, you admitted after that really bad hole at 10 you got a little scared. Did thoughts of what happened at the ANA two years ago come into your mind at all? ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I forgot already until you say that (laughter). Right now I feel oh, yeah. Actually I think that a little bit but come on, it's not going to be the same. Just keep work hard and do my best. Q. Did it enter your mind though. ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Little bit, yeah. Q. On the final playoff hole, the bunker shot, did you feel like you were in a good spot right now? What was kind of going through your mind? What happened there? ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I felt pretty good. I don't know why. Actually the lie is not that good in the bunker but I feel like, you know, I feel I can do it because I have very good -- I mean I really confident with like my bunker shot right now. Q. Were those bunker shots in the playoff difficult because you hadn't been in a lot of bunkers during regular play. ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Pretty difficult but, you know, I still can see the shot. I still feel I can make par from both bunker. Q. You had said yesterday that you were trying to be proud of yourself for something everyday. What is the thing you're most proud of today? ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Going to be my tee shot on first hole because I'm so nervous and excited and I look at my caddy, I'm like no 3-wood today so I hit 2-iron in the rough. But I still -- I have to commit and hit the good one. Q. Ariya, how has overcoming those tough times, those tough losses made your success even more satisfying? ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Yes, because like I mean I feel I have the situation for a lot in my life, even like five years ago in Thailand and ANA and I learned a lot from that situation. Q. Should you become -- the first time you were No. 1 in the world I understand that you had to kind of ask yourself why do I want to be No. 1, why do you want to deal with all these nerves? What was the answer that you came up with for why you wanted to be No. 1? ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Why I want to be No. 1? Right now I'm not even -- I mean I haven't think about the ranking for awhile but, of course, after this win I think I'll be thinking about the ranking and talk about that, but I even want to be No. 1, I want to inspire all the kids in Thailand. Q. You clapped for your opponent good shot which is so unusual clapping for your opponent after a good shot. Is part of that being a role model for sportsmanship and why did you do that? ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I did that because I feel like they hit a good shot and I feel like some place like Hyo Joo first playoff she made the putt. That's good. It would be me I don't think I'm going to make it. I'm so happy for her when I saw her make the putt. I feel that's good. Q. Ariya, you're already a big star in your home country. How will this play there, how much bigger will you get do you think after winning this one? ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I think I might get a little bit bigger. I don't know. I hope, yeah. Q. How important has your team been from your mom, your sister, your agent, your coaches, your caddy, to getting through all that you've been challenged with and sitting there now? ARIYA JUTANUGARN: My manager, not really. I'm kidding. He did a good job always. You know, this week, my coach, Gary, come here to like Friday and he left and "Pia Lin" come last week to the tournament and been helping me a lot and, of course, my sister, my mom always give me full support and I know -- everything going to be the same and they going to love me the same, going to keep me for support. Q. One, how exhausted are you right now, I know with the delays and everything over the last couple days and then to go through what you went through today, and then, two, what are you going to do celebrate tonight? ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I'm not really tired anymore. I'm pretty good in playoffs so I'm not tired anymore. Celebrate, I think I have to pack all my stuff. We going to leave tomorrow. THE MODERATOR: Ariya, can you talk briefly in Thai just about what this win means to you? ARIYA JUTANUGARN: In Thai? THE MODERATOR: For your home town. Any other questions? Thank you and congratulations again. ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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