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CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 18, 2018

Ariya Jutanugarn

Naples, Florida

THE MODERATOR: Our final press conference of the 2018 LPGA Tour season, and she's excited. She's the last one. Race to the CME Globe winner, Ariya Jutanugarn.

Ariya takes home the cool mil here for winning the Race to the CME Globe. She's also, as we know, the world No. 1. Took the leaders top 10 competition with $100,000, earning 17 top 10 finishes in her 28 events this season. You're kind of good. You're top the Money List. She also collects the Vare Trophy with a season scoring average of 69.415. Set a season record with 57 rounds in the 60s.

And this is a question I have for you Ariya: How many birdies do you think you had this year.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: This year?

THE MODERATOR: This year.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Like 400? Is that too much?

THE MODERATOR: No. Keep going.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Not over 500.

THE MODERATOR: Not over 500.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Like 450?

THE MODERATOR: 470. You set the tour record with 470 birdies, which was one more than you had in 2016. What got into you this year? What was the cause of this amazing season?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Actually I made a lot of birdie because I play a lot of tournament, too. Yeah. (Smiling.)

Didn't expect to be that good at all because like this year is like the only focus is just told Pia and Lynn, like my goal is I want to have good attitude. Like what I said before, I want to have good self-talk. I feel I have to work on a lot with that because I want to improve.

Of course I want to win the tournament. When you look at all the trophy, of course I want to win everything if I can. But when I keep thinking about that it's never help me to get it. Since like last year when I start to thinking become world number, I try to win more tournament, it's getting worse all the time.

So this year is mainly just work on that. I achieve my goal this year a lot.

THE MODERATOR: When did you think that working on the mental side of your game was something you needed to focus on? Since you were amateur have had the physical game. When did you realize you needed to work on the mental game?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I think on my rookie year, because like I missed ten cut in a row. During that time I start my first few tournament I play really well. I almost won Australian Open, and I feel like that time I should play well every tournament. Then I start to play badly, start to play poor, and then I miss ten cut in a row.

Then I know it's nothing wrong about my swing, my golf game. It's all like mental game. So I try to look like someone who I want to work with. I work with Vision 54, Pia and Lynn, so it's help me a lot.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. With all the awards you won this year, do any stand out to you as maybe your favorite or the most meaningful?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I think going to be the low score.

THE MODERATOR: The Vare Trophy.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Yeah, because I feel like my best year so far is 2016 but I'm not even win this award, so I feel like that one of the hardest one to win.

Q. You've had a great putting season. Can you talk specifically about how Gareth has helped you?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: He been helping me a lot, like three years already. He make it simple, and actually this year I'm struggle with my putting last few month, and I took the video and send to him and he told me what I should do.

Then I didn't do it, so I keep putt bad for so long until I saw him this week. Then he like he ask me did I do what he said to do. I said, No. He said, You don't trust me anymore? I said, No no, actually not, but I just -- you know, I want to do something that not take long time. You know, I just feel like you tell me to do one thing and it's good already. I don't have to practice. But that's not going to happen.

So this week I work on with him a lot. So I see him like three, four times this week. I trust him so I'm getting a lot better with my putting this week, but it's last tournament.

Q. What was the thing you didn't do?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Actually, you know, just like my stroke a little bit like weird because like my backswing start to be too much open. So I just have to be like more square with my backswing.

Q. Les was telling me the first few days were a struggle, but today you just flipped a switch. How do you do that? Do you just wake up feeling that way?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Actually, to be honest, first few round I'm thinking about everything, about like CME, about low score, like everything. I feel like it's so tough for me to play.

Like when I got up to the first tee I can't even hit the ball because I feel so bad. I didn't focus about the thing I should focus on at all. I been talking to Pia and Lynn like every day, and today I felt like -- I don't want to end up my season with I do something like not smart.

It's mean thinking about the outcome. It's mean thinking about the CME. Like think about everything. I just told myself, You know what? I want to be proud of myself. Last hole I back out like twice because like doing second shot I told myself, This one going to be last shot of the year so I should hit it good.

Then i'm like, I shouldn't think about that. I should come back and just like have good commitment, and I did.

Q. And you made the putt.
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: (Smiling.)

THE MODERATOR: Anything further for Ariya? I'll wrap it up. I asked you earlier this week, and now we know you have $1 million. Again, I'll take a little extra off if you have any left over. What do you think you might do with it? Anything fun you want for yourself?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Anything fun? I think I'm going to -- I don't want anything for me. Because I didn't got a lot, but everything enough for me already, so I didn't want anything more than what I have right now.

So maybe have (indiscernible) with my family in Thailand. That's all I'm planning right now.

THE MODERATOR: Well you're a blessing to the tour, and thank you very much for everything. Congratulations.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Thank you. Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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