TRUST GOLF WOMEN'S SCOTTISH OPEN

August 13, 2021

Prima Thammaraks

Dumbarnie Links

Quick Quotes

Q. Impressive round, what can you take from today and prepare for tomorrow?

PRIMA THAMMARAKS: Well, from yesterday's round, I was trying to not do something too stupid. I still made some mistakes today but in this tough wind, you know it's going to happen. But I kind of held it together and made a few bogeys but really stuck to it and my birdies showed that I didn't give up. So proud of myself for that.

Q. What's your favourite thing about this course?

PRIMA THAMMARAKS: I think it requires to you really bring out the creativity in you, to just not see the traditional shots, which I like. With the wind and the lie, it requires you to play really creatively, which is really fun and you don't get to do that a lot in the US. I enjoy that.

Q. That's quite interesting, as well, you said yesterday you felt like links really suits your game but it's only your second tournament in Scotland so coming into this week, how do you prepare when you're not used to the weather conditions?

PRIMA THAMMARAKS: Not really, it might sound funny, but I didn't do much. With just having that confidence and kind of just hold onto it, I think that works, and that's the best thing for me is not think too much about it. Especially for golf, you can always over think and you can kind of over prepare and everything and it just takes away the fun and the game a little bit.

So for me I was just really looking forward to coming and to playing and just literally be here, literally this morning and excited that I finally get to play it the way that the locals get to play it, so I can say, oh, so you guys got the good weather and you didn't get the link experience. So I'm like, here we are.

Q. How important is it to stay consistent and coming away with an under-par round seems to be quite the accomplishment.

PRIMA THAMMARAKS: I hit one bad shot off 17 in the middle of the fairway with a 9-iron in my hand. I think the wind swirled a little bit on me and that was a spur of a decision we made. It was a mistake but I held on and I think the wind changed on us. I bottomed that 9-iron in the back pot bunker which is really difficult.

Yeah, it's really important to stay consistent, a lot of things can happen, like out there, and literally like minus that one 9-iron, which wasn't a bad shot, it was just a bad decision. So I think overall, I played really, really solid golf out there, so like you said, I was really disappointed about the double on 17, obviously I know it cost me but I'm glad I get two more chance at it.

Q. You've been playing on Symetra Tour the past two years and this is your first LPGA Tour event since 2019.

PRIMA THAMMARAKS: Oh, my God.

Q. What was it like preparing for the event and getting this sponsor exemption from Trust Golf?

PRIMA THAMMARAKS: It was really special. Like I said if it weren't for Trust Golf, I wouldn't get a chance to be here, even to travel outside the country right now it's really difficult.

A, it's almost a nice break. It's kind of at that point of Symetra season where it's kind of in the middle and you've been playing a lot of tournaments in a row. You get a lot of the same people, a lot of the same routine, so it's a nice change to be able to come here and switch that out a little bit. It puts your mentality to be more creative and more fun just basically what the game is all about. So you're here at the Home of Golf being reminded that golf can be fun and just you need to just play. It's not about perfect shots.

Q. You've had two top seven finishes this year, what is it about your game that you're feeling most confident in?

PRIMA THAMMARAKS: I think mentally I've been doing a better job for the season and being committed with my decision. I think the difficultness of traveling right now just makes it easier to make that solid decision to not jump around. This year would be my first full year on Symetra if I stick out playing the whole event. Because every time I miss my family, I play an event in Asia, I just jump around a lot.

But I think just focusing, that helps a lot because I can plan long-term and short-term goals better. I talked to Ali about peaking at the right time and that's what I'm trying to do and just keep fixing the little things in my game and I think that's helping, too, to just not be focused on the result too much but just to keep getting better.

Q. And you spent 2020 back in Thailand?

PRIMA THAMMARAKS: I did.

Q. So it was a conscious decision to tell yourself you're going to be in the States for 2021?

PRIMA THAMMARAKS: Yes, it was hard, the longer I stayed home, the harder it gets to leave. Par but yeah, so I mean, it didn't really make much sense and I think to be to go like the extra mile, you have to do something that you've never done before. And this is the decisions I kind of dreaded to make, and once I make it, it was like, oh, first hurdle, done.

Q. This is the life of a professional golfer. You mentioned yesterday there is the five spots into AIG.

PRIMA THAMMARAKS: Oh, yes.

Q. Is that in the back of your mind a little bit or just one shot at a time?

PRIMA THAMMARAKS: Most of the day it's been one shot at a time and every time that thought enter my mind, that's not how I play so I get it out of there. But I knew just walking out 17, I don't know if that's going to cost me that or not. Par but at the same time, I'm still thinking like, okay, you've got one more hole, you need to refocus and get this -- get yourself together because the wind is still blowing like 35 miles an hour into your face waking you up and I knew right away but I just let my mind slip a little bit.

Q. You've been making cuts on Symetra Tour but coming here and being able to play the weekend in Scotland on a sponsor exemption how proud are you the way you've been able to handle yourself?

PRIMA THAMMARAKS: I'm really proud. I'd be lying if I say that I don't feel the pressure. Being sponsor exempt, you want to do well, with the main sponsor being the first-time sponsor of an LPGA event and they are my sponsor personally, I want to represent them well and I want to do a good job.

Basically I just want to go out there and hold myself to the standard and I think I did just that.

Q. And like you talked about making the cut, you'll be the first Thai sponsor invite to make the cut this weekend, so it's really special.

PRIMA THAMMARAKS: Yeah, for sure. Like I said, the other two girls, I think they have a little different mentality. I think I'm really proud of them. I spent quite a lot of time with Trichat Cheenglab is my buddy this week and I get to talk to her. Yesterday she was plus two in that condition, first time here, ever, outside the country, being a sponsor invite into an LPGA event, it's a lot on her shoulders, and it was her birthday and she didn't even tell us.

Q. Just feels like there's a different atmosphere this week with the Thai sponsor. There's 11 of you Thai golfers, and it must be so nice to experience that with them?

PRIMA THAMMARAKS: Definitely, you get to see a lot of familiar faces and obviously with traveling, you haven't really seen them a lot this year. But also with support from home in Thailand, I try to stay off the social media a little bit.

But I get lots of texts and everybody is keeping up I think extra much because of Trust Golf and the way they are sponsoring the Thai Ladies Golf Association, which is awesome. I feel really special. It's really nice. I hope we get to do this more often because we do have really talented Thai players out there.