ISPS HANDA WORLD INVITATIONAL

July 31, 2021

Pajaree Anannarukarn

Galgorm Castle & Massereene Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. An amazing round of 66, the best of the day. Tell us about it from your point of view.

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: I think my putter was working very well today. I made a lot of good birdie putts out there and been hitting it really good.

Q. What did you learn from the Evian last week? You played well last week; what did you learn there that you can take into tomorrow?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: Honestly I feel like I keep learning every week. Last week was special, honestly, playing in the last group. I played with Minjee. She played amazing golf. I think I learned a lot just hitting alongside her. I think what I learned the most is kind of being patient out there, trusting your process and just keep doing you.

Q. What would it mean to you to win tomorrow and be an LPGA winner?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: I mean, it's going to be a dream come true, obviously. I think it's just going to -- I don't know. It's still going to be 18 holes to go, and I think I'm just going to focus on doing what I can do tomorrow.

Q. You played with Minjee in the final round at Evian; take me through the day and what it was like to see what she was doing. What did you take away from playing with a major champ?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: I think, like I said, I've learned a lot. I feel like I keep learning every week from my mistakes, what I did well and what I should improve. By playing with her in the final round, obviously I played good golf, but it wasn't -- well, I didn't -- it should have been better I would say, but I think I played some good golf and some that I -- hmm, okay.

But Minjee, I think what I've learned from her that she's really staying patient out there, every shot, one shot at a time she's really doing well. It's just when you're at that point, in that position, where you're giving yourself good contention into that, she's really playing really solid and patient, really focused and concentrate on her shot, every shot. I think that's what I learned because sometimes I was a little -- wasn't really fully focused and not really fully committed.

Q. You raced out to two rounds of 65 last week; do you think not being kind of the focus of where everybody has got their attention on this week and being able to climb the leaderboard steadily is a little nicer feel for you?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: Yeah, I think so. It's just I wasn't -- honestly I wasn't really thinking of -- I didn't really look at the leaderboard, and I wasn't -- I just really focused on what I'm doing at the moment, trying to make lots of birdies and give myself a lot of chances out there and focus, and that's all I think about.

Q. I know you had no idea that you shot what you --

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: Yeah, especially last night, honestly.

Q. You had seven out of nine birdies over a nine-hole stretch today. If that was a par, it would have been a par 36, you would have shot 29 today. When you look back on the scorecard, when you're in the scoring area and you say, wow, holy cow -- and your caddie even told me, on 14 we just misjudged the wind. That could have been another easy birdie.

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: No, no. But I mean, it was a straight shot, honestly, straight at the flag but then I left it like 20 yards short.

Q. On 14 you're saying?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: Yeah, the par-3.

I think what I liked about that shot is I really fully committed, even though we misread the -- miscalculated the wind. But I mean, that was a good shot.

Q. To go over that stretch, though, if you don't mind, we'll start with that eagle on 3. Can you take me through that hole and how you managed an eagle?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: So I hit it right of the fairway in the rough. It turned out to be quite an okay lie. It wasn't that bad, so I decided to go for it. It's only like 220, 230-ish to the flag. I hit it out pretty good, let it land 15 yards and then just roll up. I had like a 20-foot putt for eagle or 25 feet for eagle, and I made that putt. So it was a nice hole. Wasn't really expecting that, but I just kind of tried to finish middle of the green, and it turned out good.

Q. You had bogeys at 6 and 8 and then after that you started with five straight from 9 to 13, added one on 15 and another one on 17. When you stepped on 9 tee after your second bogey of the day, did you guys discuss anything? Was there anything running through your mind that you wanted to get it back, anything that you just thought, hey, let's get it going?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: Honestly, yes, I wanted to get it back because that wasn't supposed to -- it's golf, and I feel like I should have made par on the 8th. I shouldn't bogey on that hole. But it's just -- I mean, I did my best on that shot, and I should accept the result.

I was a little -- it's golf. I just kind of told myself that, okay, it happened, and just kind of keep focusing on your game and just try to hit it good, like lots of good shots and give yourself lots of opportunities, then you will be in a good position.

Q. Was there any birdie from 9 to 13 that you looked back on and you thought, oh, wow, that was a pretty good one, that really got me going?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: So I think the par-3, I don't remember which hole --

Q. 12?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: 12 and 13 I would say. So I made like a -- can I tell in yards? About 11 yards putt up the hill. I made that putt, really straight up the hill. A little speedy, but it just went middle of the hole. So I think I didn't expect that, but it was a great birdie, and following up with 13 I hit it close and I made a really good birdie there. So I feel like it kind of picked up because I made some unexpected birdie putts, and then I hit it close, so I think those two holes.

Q. And then just playing with Atthaya, what was it like today?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: Definitely. I played with her many times, and I think this is like the first time since 2015 I would say or '16 that I played with her in a tournament because we haven't like really played in a tournament as much as we do -- like we play practice rounds, play golf together, but the tournament --

Q. Do you remember the tournament?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: It's like junior golf or something. Actually, sorry, did we count as the national golf team because we're actually on the national golf team together, so like 2017 when I last played with her. And then after we turned professional we just really didn't see each other much because she's out here on the European and me -- but yeah.

Q. Last time was when you guys were members of the Thai national team?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: In 2017, yeah.

Q. Since you've turned pro you haven't played together?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: Sorry, we played, but it's like the tournament -- practice round, but it's always fun to play with her. Obviously it's not -- we didn't really get to play in a tournament together as much as we used to, but now since we're back and we're playing in the same tournament and playing together, so that's fun.