HILTON GRAND VACATIONS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

January 18, 2022

Nasa Hataoka

Lake Nona Golf & Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, here with Nasa Hataoka. Ready to kick off the 2022 season. Welcome back to Florida. Tell us how you spent your off-season. I think you said you got to go home. What did you do?

NASA HATAOKA: I did go back to Japan. I had a really good time with my family and especially with my dog. I had a really good time.

Q. Did you take a lot of time to practice during the off-season, or really try to put golf away and relax?

NASA HATAOKA: Yes, so there is still quarantine back if Japan, which I had to go through about ten days, so I didn't really have time to do all the training or practice.

But I came back to Florida around the 10th of January, and that's the time when I kind of started to, you know, do all the practice, yes.

Q. Was it difficult for you not being able to practice in Japan, or was it maybe kind of nice?

NASA HATAOKA: Yeah, you know, it's actually really cold right now in Japan, so it's really hard to train or practice outside. Obviously during quarantine I can't really good outside, so I was actually able to have a really good rest.

So I'm taking it positive.

Q. Good. Hopefully take a lot of positives to this week. We're here at a new golf course. You said you played nine holes yesterday; you'll play nine holes today. Certainly you played this course last year for the event. What are your thoughts on this golf course and how it's different from Tranquilo where we played the last few years?

NASA HATAOKA: So this is actually my member course. I practice here a lot during off-season or during off weeks, so I feel like I'm used to this course. The golf course is in great shape. There are tough holes, few tough holes, very tight and compact, undulations.

It's very challenging, but I'm really excited about playing on a course like this.

Q. Silly me. I didn't realize this was your home course. You live close to here?

NASA HATAOKA: Yes, I live like 15 minutes away from here.

Q. Very nice. You can sleep in your own bed. Always good. We've heard from a lot of players that of course it course is very different from Tranquilo. Certainly they don't play it as much. Do you think that's a nice advantage for you?

NASA HATAOKA: Yes, it's very challenging course, especially the greens are very -- green reading, that's one of the key points for me to be successful this week.

During off weeks I get to practice here, so I want to use that as a good advantage.

Q. One last question from me. New season, new goals of what are your goals for the 2022 season. What do you hope to achieve this year?

NASA HATAOKA: Yes, my biggest goal is to win a major.

Q. Do you have a favorite major you want to win or will any major be good?

NASA HATAOKA: Yes, I want to win all.

THE MODERATOR: We'll work on that. We'll work on any major. Thank you very much. Good luck this year, enjoy.