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PURE SILK CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY VISIT WILLIAMSBURG

May 21, 2019

Ariya Jutanugarn

Williamsburg, Virginia

THE MODERATOR: Here with 2018 champion and the Rolex rankings No.4, Ariya Jutanugarn. Thank you for coming in. After a two-week break sometimes I feel like it can feel like forever when you're not playing for two weeks. Is that how you felt?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Definitely no. Not feel forever. I went back to Thailand and spend ten days and I just came back U.S. on Friday.

THE MODERATOR: So going back to Thailand, I know that means so much to you. What were you able to do?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Actually I took vacation. I went by myself like four days. So much fun.

THE MODERATOR: What did you do?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Just went to the beach and do nothing. Just lay on the bed and just walk around, swim, and went to the beach.

THE MODERATOR: How important is that for you, to have this two weeks to kind of just let loose and be yourself?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: You know, I love it, because like especially this year I play lots of golf. I been working hard and try to get better and improve. To be able to have two week off just feel like more fresh.

THE MODERATOR: I was going to say, do you think that is in your favor when you're able to take a couple weeks off?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Actually I love to take only one week off. Last week and week before is perfect for me.

THE MODERATOR: Well, you also had some off-the-course news over the two-week break, especially for us here in the States, the Ariya Jutanugarn movie. Just explain that project a little bit. What's that like for you to have a movie coming out about your story?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Actually they been asking me for long time. I always keep saying no because I feel like I'm too young to doing this.

Then until like the end of last year I went to talk to them and really want to know what they goal is to do the movie. So basically they just want to inspire the kids in Thailand, so, Okay, I doing that.

I been talking to them like long time, and it's just honor that they think like my life can inspire other people. It's going to be so much fun.

THE MODERATOR: So you were able to go to the trailer premier and kind of meet some the actors and actresses that are playing you. What was that like to see someone playing you on the big screen?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Actually I meet them before. Like two of the actress that play me and my sister, I meet them before. They really good actress. And I see another guys who play my dad. Just look exactly like my dad.

THE MODERATOR: Was that kind of freaky for you or were you just like, Oh, this is more fun than kind of weird?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I feel it's more fun, because like especially what I say like what we expect this movie to be, I think it's going to be so much fun.

THE MODERATOR: So now that we're back from the break, it's going to be a large amount of events in a row, starting here at Pure Silk where you're coming back the defending champion. Last year when you won it really set off the full season in motion for you. What was it like to win here the second time last year and do you ever still really feel those emotions?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I'm always love to be here. I play here, this is my seven I think. I love to play here. I have such great memory here.

Last year after this tournament I just feel like you know what? I'm ready to win more. Just give me really good momentum last year. This year is different. Every year is different. I still have to work hard and improve my game.

THE MODERATOR: You said one of your goals for this year is to not compare yourself to 2018. What do you say to yourself to really not fall back on what happened last year at all, and to also just play as well as you possibly can?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: You know, it's tougher because I have such a great year last year. It's getting more tough and tough like when try not compare myself to last year, but I still doing okay with that. Even like sometime I thinking about the outcome so much so it make me feel harder to play well.

I just really have to come back and really focus on like the thing under my control. I been working that with like my coach. So I think I'm getting better.

THE MODERATOR: I was going to day, yeah, I know you have a strong team around you that's really been helping you. What's it like working with them and how have they really helped you? Maybe that's different from last year.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I feel I'm so lucky, because like every time when I feel struggle they help me, they support me, they always give me the best support.

I felt like don't really -- not like care -- but not really worry about what's going on right now because I know I have the best team and they going to be always support me.

THE MODERATOR: And so you know this place I feel like brings out the A Game in you. What's so special about Kingsmill that you seem to play very, very well?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I'm going to say like what you said before. Like my first time here is like 2013 and I finished Top 5. I just felt like I love to be here. I love everything here. I love the course. Even the course really challenge, but I feel like it's just so much fun.

THE MODERATOR: Anything different this year compared to last year to your approach of this year's tournament?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I'm going to say everything different. Different year. My game was different. Still like I have so much thing to improve.

Of course when I look back I have great memory here, but I'm not compare to last year. Everything is different.

THE MODERATOR: Open it up to questions.

Q. Hoping you could maybe talk a little bit more about the movie and when it was you found out about it. When is it coming out?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I think they plan to come out in this August 8.

Q. When you were first approached - you touched on this earlier - did it almost feel surreal in a way that they wanted to do this?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I feel that way, but because like first time when they ask me I don't think I'm going to doing this because I feel I'm too young to have movie about my life.

I feel I'm too young and I didn't answer them right away. I'm keep waiting for like few months later.

Q. You also have the Open coming up next week. Does that affect how you approach this week knowing you're defending there as well? Not very often that a player defends in back-to-back weeks.
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I'm going to say not, because like in the last few months I keep working on like -- you know, because starting the year I'm thinking about outcome all the time, about why I'm not finish top 10, why I'm not playing well yet. I keep thinking about that.

Last few months I realize it's not going to help me to play better, so I have to -- I'm not thinking about defending champion. I'm not thinking about U.S. Open next week. I kind of like work on what I have right now. Right now I know what I have. I know what I have to improve and get better.

Q. Are you familiar with the course in Charleston?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Yeah, I went there after Singapore tournament. I went to do media day. But I play only four, five holes. Yeah, so I forgot already.

THE MODERATOR: I know you're only focusing on one tournament at a time here, but this is a little different, like he says, with the defending champion. When you saw the schedule and you saw this event, how much more kind of - I don't want to say pressure - but is there any feeling of pressure? How do you get out of that feeling of pressure?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: It's tough. I think before when I saw the schedule I feel pressure, but not right now, because like I'm not my best yet this year. I know I'm on my way to doing that. So I just have to really stick with my process.

If I'm thinking about defending champ, U.S. Open next week, I know I'm not doing my best, so I just have to really like stick with my process.

THE MODERATOR: And your process, what are some of the things you've been looking to improve on as the weeks have gone on?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I'm going to say last few months only thing I think is I want to play well. I want to finish top 10. I keep asking like why. I keep asking myself why.

But right now I'm just going to tell myself like how I'm going to do this. So just come back to that. I think I'm on my way.

Q. You're talking about thinking maybe too much and focusing on the process. Is there a time recently that you really just started focusing on the process?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I think I'm starting after like Hawaii tournament, because like before that, especially we play in Thailand, we play in Singapore, one of my favorite tournament, and I'm playing well like all the time that course and I just focus on like I want to finish Top 5. I realize that it's not help me.

So in Hawaii I feel like I'm not going to thinking about the outcome anymore. Just going to focus on my process.

THE MODERATOR: All right. If that's it, best of luck this week. Thank for coming.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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