U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN

June 1, 2021

Patty Tavatanakit

The Olympic Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome back. Please join us in welcoming major champion Patty Tavatanakit. This is your first time at a major being a major winner. What does that feel like?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: It feels pretty normal. I just treat it as like another event. I guess it is like living the dream, I guess, being a major champion playing in my fifth U.S. Open. It's pretty special.

THE MODERATOR: You've been a low amateur at this event. What does the U.S. Open mean to you?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: It means a lot. It's always the tournament I'm looking forward to every year. It's a USGA event. They always treat us like a queen. It's always fun to come here, way back since USGA girls and U.S. amateur and all that.

I'm just really excited to be here at this really, really great course.

THE MODERATOR: Olympic Club is a historic venue. What's your thoughts so far on the course?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: It's playing tough. You've got to execute a lot of shots, and just be prepared it's going to be tough out there mentally and physically with the roughs and the weather. It's going to be challenging. I'm up for it.

Q. How would you characterize the rough and how it's changed from yesterday to today and what you're able to hit out of it?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Well, when I'm in the rough, first thing I try to do is what shot am I going to hit, and how far can I get it down there? If I have a more lofted club, let's say I have a 9-iron, I open the face a little bit more.

Out of the rough you're not going to have a lot of spin. You can try to hit it to the front, and hopefully it rolls up to the pin or on the green.

The first goal you're trying to do is hit as many greens as you can out here. I think that's going to be really important, what separates the fields a lot. It's a little tough to get up and down, especially with the roughs being like this. It's still a little bit of a guess every single time you're in there, but you've got to work your way around it.

Q. Do you feel like your length is an advantage here?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: A little bit, yeah. I feel like the course are setting up wide and manageable. There's a little bit of forgiveness to it. I feel like it's not too -- or like it's just trying to penalize you. I think this course sets up pretty fair given how tough it is.

I don't think this course is long, but if it's going to be long, you can't leave the roughs this long. I feel like it's playing pretty fair.

Q. Kind of playing off that a little bit, there's always been this adage that a USGA setup is not a bomber's paradise. Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods did pretty well. What is it about this kind of setup that would play into your game?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Hitting different shots. I feel like where it's just out there and you're not only going to hit a straight one or just the same flight every day all day. For me, what would benefit my game the most is using all the tools I have as a player, as in hitting low cut into it, with the wind, a little help, just being creative playing around these courses.

I've played a lot of tough ones, and this is something different. You've obviously got to be sharp, think through your shots, and try to execute no matter which shot you're picking to hit.

Q. Now that you're a major champion, have you reset your goals for the rest of the season, and if so, what are they?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah, I have reset my goals a little bit, still focusing on my process on the course. It's a mental ride for sure. You've got to be tough each week. There are going to be weeks where you're not feeling yourself, you're not feeling it, so you've got to grind your way through.

If anything, I like to climb up that world ranking a little bit more, as far up as I can. Not particularly trying to get to No. 1 this year because I know it's going to take a while and I've got to be patient with the process.

Q. Have you decided how many drivers you're going to use on holes this week? What does it look like for you driver-wise?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Back nine is pretty wide open. I feel like a lot of back nine's holes I can use drivers, but obviously some of the holes you want to be on the fattest part of the fairway. A couple holes I hit -- I think on 18 I'm hitting hybrid off the tee because I think 3-wood is a little too far in.

Q. You said you felt like there's some room out there. Have you been pretty adept at hitting fairways so far in practice?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah, I actually hit it really, really good today. Just seeing a lot of good shots makes me feel a little bit better about going into this week.

Q. What do you think of the 16th hole, the big horseshoe par-5? What's that hole like for you? How do you plan on playing that?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Is that the one before -- yeah, sorry. It's a three-shot hole. I feel like you've got to treat it like another long par-5. And I really appreciate them doing that just because, if anything, it's making it tougher. You've got to make sure you hit fairways on your second shot and try to have a good look of going into the green.

I feel like, if you miss the fairway on the second shot it's going to be a little tough to get around the green and get up and down.

Q. So it's kind of a point to point to point hole, isn't it?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Absolutely. Just taking it shot by shot and do the best you can with each shot.

Q. Patty, you said it's been a mental ride. What's been the toughest part of your rising stardom?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Just managing my time. I feel like I struggled a little bit in L.A. with just how much attention I'm receiving from a lot of people, and I wasn't really used to that. If anything, I just like when people don't recognize me as much or just kind of leave me alone.

I struggled a little bit, but I've learned how to kind of like be there or not be there with a lot of attention I got. I'm still learning and I'm still adjusting to this whole thing, but still it's an honor getting everyone's attention to be a major champion.

Q. And still playing off of that -- I've asked you this several times. We're not quite 100 days in. How has your life changed?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Not much. I feel like I have a really good support group at home, and every time I go home, I don't feel like I did something that changed my life. Everyone treating me the same, which is exactly what I wanted. If anything, I'm so grateful for that. It just goes to show that, no matter what you do, if that person and people around you loves you for who you really are, and that's just really important to have in your life.