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MARATHON CLASSIC PRESENTED BY DANA

July 10, 2019

Jasmine Suwannapura

Toledo, Ohio

THE MODERATOR: Thanks for joining us back in the media center at the at Marathon LPGA Classic. It's my pleasure to be joined now by the defending champion, Jasmine Suwannapura. Jasmine, driving in this week, seeing the street signs with you name on it, your face all around here, what is that like?

JASMINE SUWANNAPURA: I think it's pretty cool that you can see my name on the street and drive by it. Next thing you know, I have my face on the badge on every guy on the golf course. So it's kind of fun, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: So take me back to last year. You finished eagle, birdie to force the playoff. Tell me about your final round and how you were feeling heading into the playoff with Brittany.

JASMINE SUWANNAPURA: To be honest, I did not think that 14-under will be good enough for the playoff, so I was just staying in my game. I saw the leaderboard and I was happy with the Top 5, to be honest. So I just was like, All right, whatever. Knock it in. Next thing I know I wait for like an hour I think and look at Brittany and Brooke coming up 17 and 18.

Knowing that I had a chance for playoff, I just tried to do my best on that time and see how it happened.

THE MODERATOR: How nervous were you during the playoff with Brittany before you started?

JASMINE SUWANNAPURA: Not really. I'm not nervous. I don't think so. I was really calm. I know that Nikki, she's a little bit nervous. Like we tee off on that first playoff hole, we walk out from the tee and she ask me, How are you feeling? Are you okay? And I said, Yeah, I'm okay. And I look back at her, Are you okay?

She said, Yeah, yeah. So I think she's a little bit nervous.

THE MODERATOR: And then describe your feelings when the final putt dropped and you had gotten your first LPGA win.

JASMINE SUWANNAPURA: It doesn't hit me right away. That moment I was just taking my time and talk to Nikki that, you know, what's the line? It's either inside left or straight, because it's like a similar line that I putt before in my 18 hole.

That time I'm just like, Don't push it. Don't push it. Anything but push it. Because I been working hard on my putting left to right, like make sure I putt it online. So I putted that in and it doesn't hit me until like the camera guys like come towards me and then asking how I feel.

I'm like, I feel happy. I win a tournament. I'm about to cry in that time, so it's getting there.

THE MODERATOR: How do you feel now just being able to reflect on your win and how impactful that was for your career?

JASMINE SUWANNAPURA: I just had a good feeling coming back here. Like playing the same hole I'm like, Yeah. Playing the pro-am today, Yeah, I've been there. I chip it in from there. So I can still see myself playing that shot from last year. It's a really good feeling.

THE MODERATOR: How much confidence does that give you when you're able to draw on past success?

JASMINE SUWANNAPURA: That's actually change a lot in many ways. I feel like after I broke my back in '16 and I have to scramble so hard to be on the tour and keep my card. I change my swing. I didn't hit straight like before. So it took a lot of time and effort to change my swing and play in a game again.

Winning, it's like telling me that just don't give up on things. You have to believe that you are good enough to be out here and then you good at what you're doing.

THE MODERATOR: How has your life changed in the last year since winning here?

JASMINE SUWANNAPURA: It definitely took a lot of pressure off from me. Like I feel like I don't need to concentrating on keeping my tour card. I actually concentrating on grow the game. Like my emotion, I feel way happier to play golf. I have more confidence and believe that there will be a good day for me and I probably win again sometime.

THE MODERATOR: How has this season gone for and how is your game looking heading into this week?

JASMINE SUWANNAPURA: Starting pretty good, and then a little bit slow on the past month. But I feel like on my irons my game is getting better. I hit it -- attack the pin more. I had more chance.

Now it's just like short game. Some day you leave it short like four, five holes, but it's a good line. You can't really do anything about the speed. When the speed is off it's a little bit hard.

At least I'm happy that my game is getting better. I had a lot of opportunity for myself to make birdie, so...

THE MODERATOR: We'll go ahead and take some questions.

Q. First off, kind of looked over the last year you've had some real ebbs and flows; over the last two week you've made a couple cuts and done very well. Did you just find something you were missing for a while?
JASMINE SUWANNAPURA: I'm definitely working on my mental. You know, because when you play U.S. Open everything is kind of hard. The golf course is hard and I have to play 27 holes on that day in like 100 degree, so it's kind of hard like mental. It's already hard playing 18 holes.

So I been working on my mental part, that when thing doesn't go right for you, when you hit a good shot and somehow kick right, kick left, like thing doesn't go well on your day, you can't just look down and say, Oh, I had a bad day. Oh. Your energy is going down and your mood, it affect your mood and everything.

So I try to get better on that and see more positive thing. It doesn't matter if you hit a good shot. Doesn't mean the result will come out good. Just tell myself I'm good enough to play from any shot in the golf course. You know, even though I hit it bad, I will be able to get up and down, make par from anywhere.

I just work on believing that.

Q. Everybody out here has the game to play physically. You touched on the mental part. You admitted that it's a struggle sometimes. Do you have a player or people you kind of rely on out here when you hit a bump in the road so you can get refocused and back out here to defend your championship?
JASMINE SUWANNAPURA: Definitely I been talking to my caddie. Unfortunately my caddie that caddie for me last year, Nikki, she retired. I had a really good friend of me, her name is Michelle Simpson. She caddie for 15 years I believe on LPGA Tour. She had a lot of experience, and I been talking to her about what should I do when thing doesn't go right or, you know, try to get me back in the game when I had a hard time and tough time.

And then I have a couple friend and my family to help me.

Q. Next week I call it the doubles tournament up in Midland. I don't know what you want to call it. Did you choose somebody up there where you two can work off each other's game and have a really fun time before the tour goes overseas?
JASMINE SUWANNAPURA: Definitely next week I think it will be really fun week for me and my partner. I actually picked Cydny Clanton. I know her for a while. We are friends. Her game is -- she hit it long and straight. I'm not that long. I think I'm pretty average on tour.

When the par-5 coming up, she hit a driver, I hit a second shot, we will make an up and down. We actually had a practice round to go last week in Thornberry. We played nine holes together. I think nine holes we shot 5 or 6-under, like switching the ball, play together, see how the game is doing on the par-5.

Seems pretty good and we have fun together.

Q. Final question: Some of these young players coming on the tour are just so fantastic, and you were one of those players in 2012. You have perspective looking back. What do you see on the LPGA Tour today? I mean, the tour just seems stronger than ever. That's obviously a good thing.
JASMINE SUWANNAPURA: Definitely, yes. As a player playing on tour for a while I feel like this year the field, it's stronger. Like last week the cut was 5-under. The winner was 29. I feel like the new girls, rookie, they are really strong, coming strong and play on the tour.

I feel like the field is getting stronger and harder out here for sure. That's good thing to see. The game and women's and everything, it's growing better.

THE MODERATOR: Any further questions for Jasmine? Okay, thanks for joining us so much. Good luck.

JASMINE SUWANNAPURA: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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