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UL INTERNATIONAL CROWN

October 2, 2018

Incheon, South Korea

(Through translation.)

CHRISTINA LANCE: Good morning everyone. Welcome back to the 2018 UL International Crown. I'm very happy to be joined here by our No. 3 seeded team, Japan.

Give me a moment to introduce the team up here. Nasa Hataoka playing in her first UL International Crown.

We also have Misuzu Narita playing in her first UL International Crown.

Mamiko Higa playing in her second UL International Crown with a record of 1, 2, and 1.

And Ayako Uehara playing in her first UL International Crown.

Nasa, I'll start with a question for you. You've had an amazing year. I was lucky to be with you in Arkansas when you had your first LPGA win. What does it mean now to be representing Japan and be playing on this team at the UL International Crown?

NASA HATAOKA: This year I been playing really good season. I won in Arkansas championship, and this week I'm very honored to be representing our country.

Hopefully I can contribute to the team.

CHRISTINA LANCE: Mamiko, you're the only one up here with experience at the UL International Crown. What advice did you give your teammates as you start this week?

MAMIKO HIGA: This is my second time playing UL International Crown. First time when I play UL International Crown I felt very responsible for the country and really feel the pressure.

But this time I want to be more enjoy, and hopefully I can make the team happy.

CHRISTINA LANCE: Ayako, down to you, the newest member of the team who just joined the team last week after another player had to withdraw due to injury. Golf is such an individual game, and now you have an opportunity to play as part of a team. What is that experience like and what are you looking forward to most this week as you play as a team?

AYAKO UEHARA: It was last minute that I could play this event. I was very excited when I hear that I could play as a Team Japan, being on Team Japan. I was really happy to be here.

I had injury on my back injury this year so I wasn't been playing really well. Not really happy about my result. To be here I'm just so excited, so hopefully I can contribute to the team.

CHRISTINA LANCE: Misuzu, two of you play on the JLPGA and two players from the LPGA. How well do the four of you know each other, and what has your planning been as you come together as a team and get ready to go out and play?

MISUZU NARITA: Even though we playing ditch tour but I know them. We get along and we communicate very well each day.

I think the strategy to be playing on this week is some of them play aggressive is and some of them going to play conservative. Hopefully the end of the week we can get a Crown.

CHRISTINA LANCE: We'll open it up for any questions.

Q. Ayako, what kind of fan support are you expecting from Japan here? Do you have any idea if a strong contingent will be traveling to cheer the team on?
AYAKO UEHARA: (Through translation.) Even though on Tuesday practice round Team Korea was playing in front of us and there are so many large crowd following already, so I was very surprised, and I think it's going to be a lot of people coming into this week.

But Japan is really close, so hopefully like a lot of the Japanese fans is coming to watch as well.

Q. Ayako, I'm curious, we've heard so many stories about how South Korean fans like women's golf. In Japan, what are the similarities and differences between Japanese women's golf fans and South Korean women's golf fans?
CHRISTINA LANCE: Might this better be answered by one of the JLPGA players?

AYAKO UEHARA: It's really hard to tell the difference between the fan in Japan and Korea because we not sure how many fan is coming in during the tournament week.

So maybe we will figure out on Thursday morning when the tournament start.

Q. You mentioned in your practice rounds that you were observing that some of you were aggressive players and some of you were conservative players. Were you also sort of keeping a list of so who has got the longest drives and who's the best out of the sand and who's the best out of the rough?
AYAKO UEHARA: So Mamiko, Misuzu, and Nasa, all of them hit really far. Everybody can play aggressive. I'm going to try to play conservative.

From out of the rough and sand all of them is pretty good, so we all have potential to play well this week.

Q. What was your reaction like and did it ever cross your minds when one of your team members had to withdraw due to injury so close to the competition that you would have to enter with only three players, an incomplete team? What were your conversations like? And for Ayako, how was your reaction when you received the call to have the opportunity to play on the team, and did you have any hesitation to enter and represent your country?
MAMIKO HIGA: When I hear first time that I was through I didn't hear who is going to be fourth player for long time, so I was really worry.

But when I hear that Ayako is playing I'm really happy that Ayako can joining us. Hopefully we can all playing well.

AYAKO UEHARA: So last Wednesday I heard that I got in, I didn't expect it so I was so happy can be a part of Japan team.

So being part of Japan team very honored to be representing country. There is not much opportunity that I can represent country, so I'm so happy to be here. Hopefully we do good.

CHRISTINA LANCE: Anything further for Team Japan? These last two.

Q. Basically for anyone up there, after watching the Americans and Europeans play the Solheim Cup for so many years, how meaningful was it for you to be able to represent your country in an international team event?
MISUZU NARITA: Representing country is very honor and there is no much opportunity that I can play as a Japan players, Japanese players.

So team play this week so it's also have a pressures, but different energy and good spirits. So probably different feeling than normal tournament, but I hope I can put this performance this week.

Q. So each team gets their own walk-up or walk-out song. Have you guys picked your song yet? If you have, how did you choose it?
NASA HATAOKA: We pick the song called Hero. It's by a Japanese artist. We wants to be hero this week as well, and everybody love the song so we pick that song.

CHRISTINA LANCE: Thank you ladies. See you on the first tee.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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