JTBC CLASSIC PRESENTED BY BARBASOL

March 24, 2022

Pajaree Anannarukarn

Aviara Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Pajaree Anannarukarn with three birdies in a row to close your round today. Take me through what was going sp the well on those last couple holes.

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: Yeah, I was very -- I was still very focused on the back nine, especially last three holes. I feel like I been giving myself a lot of opportunities today for birdies. Missed couple putts, but I kind of made the last three, and especially the back nine.

Q. You had that bogey on No. 6, and then being able to turn it back on, what did you say to yourself or what changed for you between No. 6 and 7?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: 6, I forgot.

Q. Oh, par-3, yeah.

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: There you go. So I been hitting lots of good shots today and I missed that to the right. I wasn't really commit to the shot, so I was kind of a little upset, but I wouldn't say -- you know, it's just a shot that I tried and it didn't go well.

It's not always perfect, so I just really tried to get myself back and tried to make that up and down, but just didn't. Well, it was a good goal, but I'm glad I just got through it.

Q. How much confidence does that give you to be able to close so well like that?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: I mean, just really pleased with how I played overall today. I just really stayed like being with myself and being present, and I just tried to play one shot at a time and try not to think ahead, and it went well.

Q. One of the storylines of the week this week is obviously the greens. The greens are a little tricky out there. How do you think you fared, and what did you do to prepare for Aviara Golf Club this week?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: I think it's something to do with my side. I mean, I was trying to like just try to stay -- I mean, try to just putt like normal, what I normally do, and just try to just -- if it goes in, it's go in.

You know, sometime you hit good putts but it didn't go in, so just try to stay patient out there and just trust yourself.

Q. What did you do last week?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: Last week I was at home, so I played the Honda LPGA Thailand, and then I stayed a couple days after the tournament. So it was good to back home. Spent quality time with family, so I feel refreshed.

Q. What are some of the things you like to do with your family when you get to spend time with them?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: I think just do like lunch or dinner with them and just sometimes just sit and talk. I mean, just sometimes when we're out here traveling we didn't get to spend enough time, even talking sometime. We get like a night. So it's like opposite time, time zone, so it's good to be back, just be with them.

Q. What you do you when you're back out here on the road to get away from golf and have those little breaks?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: I try -- I mean, I just try to do what I feel like. I mean, if I'm here I try to find some really good Mexican food in Carlsbad. Anywhere I go just try to find some interesting places and explore news places.

Q. Has that been hard to find the balance? Some players struggle with that. Have you been good about having a life away from golf?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: For me, I think it's just a good balance for me now. I just feel like this is like my third or fourth year on tour, so the rookie would be a bit new, a lot of things that I have to learn; even now I'm still learning a lot of things.

But it's just getting better and better just like manage timing and stuff. So it's good to -- sometime you know the course you just spent like a day or two or nine holes each day and just got the afternoon just to relax or go to the gym, do some fun stuff. (Smiling.)

Q. One more from me. You play today and tomorrow with Atthaya.

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: Yeah.

Q. You're friends off the course. What's that like to be able to have her out here and have a round like you both did today?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: I was happy. I don't know if she was. I mean, like we always tease each other like because I sometime don't really talk enough on the course and she's like she likes to talk and stuff.

So it's like I'm pretty sure she's happy that we paired up together. We actually played practice round together this week, and, yeah, so it's great to pair up with her and just watch her play. She been playing very well.

So just been a fun day.

Q. Is it nice to have a close friend like that to rely on, as Amy was saying, to take your mind off golf sometimes?

PAJAREE ANANNARUKARN: Definitely. It's always good to have someone like Atthaya. There are a lot of golfers out here that have best friends and travel buddies. It's always fun to be able to hang out with them and at the same time playing a golf tournament, doing what you love.

It's always good feeling.