JTBC CLASSIC PRESENTED BY BARBASOL

March 27, 2022

Atthaya Thitikul

Aviara Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Here with Atthaya Thitikul, a Rolex first-time winner here at the JTBC Classic Presented by Barbasol.

Thrilling playoff victory over Nanna Koerstz Madsen on the second playoff hole. Just take us through what was going through your head on that final green.

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: I would say it's a lot, you know, like thing going through my head, but one thing that I really want to focus is like just do your every single shot.

Just like if you lose, if you win, this is another chance to learn. So do your best every single shot. That's it.

Q. You're no stranger to success; had lot on the LET last year winning the Race to Costa De Sol, Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year. Did you expect to come out on the LPGA Tour and nab a first win in the first few starts?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: I mean, every one come here they want to win. I want to win as well, but didn't expect that going to be come really fast, as well.

It's just crazy in my mind right now. I cannot believe that I became LPGA winner. It's feel amazing as well.

Q. Pajaree stuck around. You're now the sixth Thai player to win on the LPGA Tour. What does that mean to you and your team and your country?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: Well, I was there when she got her first win in Ireland, and she was here when I got my first win as well, so it's really -- I mean, it's really special that I have her here because we pretty close to each other.

So, but it's really mean a lot. I mean it's mean the world to me, to our team as well. I know my parents watching back at home. I mean, they supporting me since day one, and then my manager is here, my coach, caddie.

I know that they're trying to get the best for me, like trying to find something the best for me every single tournament, every single day to make me better.

And, yeah, my friends and my fans back in Thailand and here as well that support me, it's mean a lot to us.

Q. How many times had you played the golf course before this week, if at all? I think you said something out there about you had tried to get in the field before. Was that correct or...

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: You mean this course, right?

Q. Yeah.

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: How many times I play this course? This is my one -- this is my first time play this course. And I don't think I trying to get into because I think my ranking would get into already, yeah.

Q. Okay. So the very first time you played was what day? What's the first day?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: Sunday.

Q. Okay.

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: I play Sunday nine holes and Monday nine, and I drop Tuesday and then play the Pro-Am.

Q. What did you think of the course when you saw it as far as how it suited you?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: Tough. I saw tough. I mean, like off the rough as well, if you put the ball into the rough. So it's kind of hard to get into the green in the position you want it.

But the green, I mean, the good thing for me today is because I don't think too much when I putt because the green is kind of like -- you cannot take anything personally on the green, so just like be patient, yeah.

Q. Yeah. The round today, you talk about being a tough golf course. Can you talk about the round today, how you got it going, how you kept it going, what was the mindset?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: Yeah, like I said, in the front nine it's fine. I just keep making birdie as much as I can.

But like in the back nine it's a lot of thinking going through my mind as well, because for be honest, because I came close like couple times to make the win but I didn't, I didn't get the job done.

But today I just -- I think like just do your best, just do as you do every single time. Do everything the same routine, and yeah, it's work.

Q. The playoff, you hit the incredible shot in on the first playoff hole. What was the yardage on that? What club did you use?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: I use 8-irons with 156 yards.

Q. And then the putt itself, what were you feeling and what were you seeing on the putt?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: I'm excited. I'm excited. I'm nervous, to be honest, because I know everyone like be nervous every putt they're going to make to make the win, win the tournament.

But I'm trying to focus on what I do right now, like right that time.

Q. Wanted to ask, you've won so young at so many levels. People try and try at different ages and they can't ever win or it takes them a long time to win. Why have you been so successful so early in your life at winning at every level?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: I would say it's a lot of thing. I mean, yeah, first thing it's you and your technical, your mentality, your physical.

But another thing like it's -- I have been playing in so many professional tournaments so I can get all the experience from that, how to improve myself, because back then I'm not like this, my game is not like this.

My game is one shape. I can't shape shot anything. I can't do anything like with my game that much. But I learn from all the professional that they play on tour, because the pin position here is not that easy that you can get it through.

And then, yeah, trying to learn, experience can give you here. And I would say all of the people surrounding me as well, that they trying to pushing me up and making me a better person to be here, to be winning like at a tournament as well.

Q. You mentioned at the start of the week how important consistency is to you and you demonstrated that at every level you've played at. What work have you put into your game and what part of your game do you credit for being so consistent at such a young age?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: I would say every part of the game is important, but now I have been working about -- I'm not a good chipping, like putting as well, I'm not a good short game.

So I think if you want to win out here on LPGA I have to improve on like the short game as well. Like I said before, trying to work with my shape shot to get like -- you can be aggressive to the pin.

Because like if you not be aggressive, like you just put in the safe position every single time. You couldn't reach the high level or the high score that you can make.

Q. Is there any work you specifically did on your short game ahead of this week?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: Not pretty much this week, because chipping is (indiscernible) because I can. Yeah, I would say for putting this week, like I said, just be patient. I'm pretty good for being patient this week as well.

Q. You mentioned you learned from the other professionals. Is there any one particular lesson you learned from them that's really stood out?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: I would say not one. Everyone have like their own games and their own like -- someone is good with this, someone is good with that way, so it wouldn't have been improvement inspiring me to be a better person, to be on LPGA, and to getting better.

Q. Awesome. You talked about your short game and putting not being super strong. You only had 24 putts today. I don't know if you realize how great this is.

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: I did?

Q. Yeah, exactly. At Aviara Golf Club that's ridiculously impressive. What did you find today on the greens that really helped you?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: I really like the, how you say it, the layout, how it's look. For the putting, I have no idea that I had 24 today. I mean, I didn't -- I just kept on rolling it because I know -- and three round I play I didn't make that much, if you can see, like especially yesterday.

I hit it pretty close but I miss it, but today I just like, oh, come on. Be patient, just keep rolling it.

Some putt I thought is going to miss but it's came in, so, like, yeah, take it.

Q. Just wanted to ask, since you won at every level, how much more important is it to you to now get this first LPGA win? When you were a much younger kid dreaming of the majors or the tournaments you would win, how much of that dream was the LPGA a part of that?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: Well, I think it's mean a lot when you were young and then have a dream to one day you want to become like a LPGA member, one day you want to win the LPGA tournaments.

I think it's mean a lot, and it's quite really good that you have a goal, you set a goal, and you really want it and you can do everything, like you can work harder to get it done.

Every win that I had, I mean, I'm happy every time that I like won some tournaments, but just -- but still talk with myself, like this not your last answer, because your last answer, your last goal is just want to be the LPGA member.

So this mean to you, but you have to come back and said it's like if you win, you win just today and tomorrow it's just a past. So you have to keep working on it.

Q. You mentioned earlier that the tournaments you didn't win where you were close were on your mind. Do you remember at what point in the round and what tournaments they were when that happened today?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: It's a lot of tournaments that I said, but the one that always in my mind it's Honda LPGA last year. As you guys can see, just one shot behind.

But I really happy that Ariya won the tournament because she is the first Thai player that won tournament in our home country. But I would say I'm not feel guilty at all, not like upset or anything.

Just I think that one motivate me to be here, because if I won this tournament I probably be on LPGA last year, but I didn't. And then it's kind of like -- I kind of look back and think about it like this: If I won it I couldn't be on the LET to get all the experience with all the challenging weather, challenging golf course on the European Tour, and I couldn't have like experience to be here against all the best player in the world if I won at that point.

So it's kind of motivate me.

Q. Was there any point in time you thought about the Honda LPGA Thailand today while you were closing in?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: Not at all because it's not the same. I mean, here it's harder than that. That one is hard, but the weather that I'm not really get into it. In the playoff like it's kind of really cold for me, for like Thai people.

THE MODERATOR: Last question for me and for the conference. You head into the Chevron Championship next week as an LPGA Tour member and now as an LPGA Tour winner. How much confidence does that give you heading into the year's first major?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: I going to say don't say that. You made me like pressure on me.

But I would say, yeah, it's just like I said earlier, I win just today. I be the winner today; not tomorrow. Tomorrow is the past.

So I'm just trying to be in the -- like trying to keep myself in the present. Like, yeah, you are LPGA member, but today at all. Just now you're normal person, normal player that play in other tournaments.

So just keep do what you're trying to do, what you're working on, and, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. See you next year.