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KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

June 26, 2018

Ariya Jutanugarn

Kildeer, Illinois

THE MODERATOR: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the media center for the 2018 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Very happy to be joined here by world No. 2 and my dear friend Ariya Jutanugarn, looking lovely in pink today. I'll read you a little bit about Ariya's background. Nine-time LPGA winner with two majors, including the 2018 U.S. Women's Open, 2016 Ricoh Women's British Open. Competing in her 17th event this year, made every cut, 10 top 10s. I'm just going to keep telling your accolades. Her fourth women's KPMG LPGA Championship, had a best finish of third in 2016.

Ariya, you're leading the LPGA currently in earnings, top 10s, scoring average, eagles, birdies, rounds in the 60s. You lead in the race to the CME Globe, the Rolex Player of the Year, the Rolex Annika Major award. You seem unstoppable. What is clicking for you so far this year? What's working?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I think the main key for me this year is just like -- I never think about the outcome, and I feel like when I think about the outcome, it's not really help me to be a better golfer because I start to get worried. I start to thinking about the things like I can't control. And this year it's like my goal before when I talked to Pia and Lynn, it's just like who I want to be. I want to be a happy golfer. I want to really enjoy myself with like every moment in my life, and that's like who I want to be.

And I just bring it back to the golf course, and I think that's working pretty good for me.

THE MODERATOR: You mentioned Pia and Lynn, and something so many have noticed this year is you stand back before you take a shot and you smile. Is that something they have taught you, or where did that come from?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Actually I have been doing this all three years already, and yeah, it come from Pia and Lynn because I want to create a happy feeling before the shot, and not only just smile before the shot but I also feel something before the shot.

THE MODERATOR: What has the response been back in Thailand for you with your success, and especially winning the Women's Open and then also with your sister's breakthrough, her finally getting into the winner's circle?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: They're very excited about it and they're really happy for us and we're just very happy and proud to be representing Thailand.

THE MODERATOR: You said you played nine holes yesterday. Was that the first time you had seen the golf course?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Yeah, my first time.

THE MODERATOR: What are your thoughts on the golf course so far?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: It's so hard. Just like the fairways are really tight. The rough is really thick, and the greens are like -- very, very big greens and really slow but really fast. Actually everything is pretty hard.

THE MODERATOR: It's a major; you have to expect that.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Yeah.

Q. You had a bit of a club snafu at the U.S. Open with your clubs getting there late. Did your clubs get here okay this time?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Yeah, on time.

Q. Ariya, is there any one hole here at Kemper Lakes that might give you difficulty? And is there any one hole that might be your favorite?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Actually I played the back nine yesterday, and to me every hole is pretty tough, and last three holes like really, really tough. Going to be a really great finish because like 16, 17, 18.

Q. With the way you just described the course, do you plan to hit driver at all this week?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: No, no chance. I can't hit here.

Q. No chance? Did you consider it at all before you came out here?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: No. So after I saw -- yesterday after I played nine holes, like no chance. I'm just going to keep hitting 2-iron and 3-wood.

Q. You had said you really want to focus on being a happy golfer and having fun. Were you not having fun or being happy out there before?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Before -- I always have fun and be really happy about that, but especially my position right now, everybody keep thinking about the outcome and talking about how good you are. I've been playing pretty well, and last time when I forget about all that things, I can't play golf and have fun because the only thing I think about is I want to play good, I want to finish top 10 and it not work out for me. And especially right now, lots of people keep talking about that, so I have to be able to ignore that because like my goal is not only finish top 10 but I want to improve myself every day.

Q. How much do you think that length will be a factor this week, and do you have any strategy going forward?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I haven't seen the weather, but I know it's raining today, so I think it's going to affect pretty sure because, of course, we're going to hit shorter and the course is going to be pretty soft.

Q. Ariya, when you think back on the way that you won the U.S. Women's Open, getting a big lead, losing it, but then coming back and winning it again, did it make it even more satisfying, or did you learn something more about yourself in that win because of the way you won?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Actually, you know, like after my Sunday, so I've been talking to my coach, like I talked to Pia and Lynn, and I feel bad. I don't know what's going on. I feel like why I have to have like seven-shot lead and have to go to playoff. So I didn't feel good about that, and I talked to them, and actually after our conversation, I feel really proud of myself because like I still fight all the way to finish. Even though I have really poor back nine, but my playoff I fight every shot, and I learned a lot.

I feel like if I won by five strokes, I'm not going to learn anything, but that week I learned a lot.

Q. I saw pictures of you and your sister at THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass to cheer on Kiradech Aphibarnrat? How was that experience?
THE MODERATOR: And then Kiradech came to our event last week.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Yeah, he come last week. We had so much fun. I love watching the guys play, and I feel like we -- I feel like I'm not good enough when I saw the guys play because I feel like they're so good, and we have so much fun there like watching Kiradech and cheering for him.

THE MODERATOR: And then last week Kiradech said the same thing about you, that he didn't feel like he could play. What was it like? So you watched him; what was it like having him watch you?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I feel like I told him after I watched him through a tournament, you guys are so good. Really I'm not good enough, you guys are so good. But last week he told us like you guys are so good, you guys' short games are like the best.

Q. How different is Kemper Lakes going to be from last year at Olympia? You've had a lot of time at Olympia, not much time here.
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I didn't play much golf this tournament last year, I played only two rounds, so it's pretty different. So the course in -- I think both is pretty hard, but I feel like this one is even harder.

THE MODERATOR: In 2016 you won five times, your breakthrough year. Two years later you're in another dominant year. How does your game compare from now to 2016?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I think my game not much different, but my mental I feel like is better because like since I won my first tournament I've tried to improve my mental game a lot, and I feel like it's getting better.

Q. When did you start working with Pia and Lynn?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: 2016.

Q. Just following up on -- you said winning the way you did, you learned something from it. What were the things after talking to Pia and Lynn that you learned?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I'm going to say -- so I have to go back on No. 10, my tee shot. So I didn't feel comfortable to hit 3-wood, and to be honest, when I talked to Pia and Lynn, what we talked about is if I not feel comfortable, I shouldn't hit 3-wood. And second, if I really want to hit 3-wood I should do something else, not just hit the ball because I'm really nervous on that shot.

Q. Ariya, you spoke about being a happy golfer; this might not be fair, but what made you most happy, winning the U.S. Women's Open or watching Mo win Los Angeles?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Actually I feel more when I saw my sister won, I feel more happy. Because like to be honest, I won my tournament already, I have won a major already, and I feel like as family goes, I really want to see my sister win a tournament. So when she won a tournament, I just feel so happy.

Q. I know I've asked you this before, Ariya, but what would it be like for you and Mo to be in the final pairing on Sunday trying to win? Do you ever talk about that or think about that? And would it be fun or not fun?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: We never talk about that, but I've been thinking about that. If you play together -- normally when we play same group in the tournament, we not really talk much at all, and of course I think we both are going to try to beat each other so bad. But it's going to be fun.

THE MODERATOR: This is the last week to qualify your four players for the UL International Crown. I think it's safe to say you, Mo and Pornanong. Right now Sherman is player No. 4. What do you think are Thailand's chances as we go to Korea in October?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I think we have a very good chance. I said last time we want to win, but we not even make to finals. So I'm not going to say that. But of course we're going to do our best, and I'm really looking forward for the tournament because we always have fun in International Crown, and we want to be like representing Thailand, so I think it's going to be so much fun.

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