HSBC WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

March 1, 2023

Atthaya Thitikul

Sentosa Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome inside the media center here at the 2023 HSBC Women's World Championship, we are joined by Atthaya Thitikul, two-time winner on the LPGA Tour.

Let's talk about last week before we talk about this week. Getting to play in your home country of Thailand in a final group with somebody that you grew up with. Tell me about those crowds and how it was last week.

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: Yeah, it was a pretty good experience and also we had a lot of fun in the final round in our home country. It's nice to be home and especially on the final round in Thailand in front of our friends, it's so amazing. I think we do have fun and I hope all the fans in Thailand have fun, too.

THE MODERATOR: You obviously had a really good season on the LPGA last year, and last week was your 2023 LPGA debut. What are your goals in 2023?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: Yes, I had a really good season last year and this is my second year. I hope things are going the right direction as last year because you know, this year, I know things more, a little bit more than my first year. Some courses I have played in before last year, so it's been -- I think it will be getting better this year as well because you know, you have a lot of experience and last year has already been -- my goal for this year, it's just like, you know, just trying to keep my best, trying to keep perform and represent that I can.

And obviously yes, I really want to win but I don't know if it's going to happen or not. But if not, I'm just trying to get better every single day anyway.

THE MODERATOR: And to be here the 15 many playing of the HSBC Women's World Championship, how excited are you to be the Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore.

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: I'm happy to be back here. I was here as an amateur and I think I had a Top-10 when I was an amateur as well in this event. Also last year, I had a good memory starting the season in this event as well.

THE MODERATOR: How do you feel about this golf course? It's kind of long, almost 6,800 yards this week, but what about this golf course that suits your eye or that you're going to working on to attack this golf course?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: You know, I love Sentosa, it's always been in good condition, and as always it's in good shape when we play it. I think my irons -- I do love the grasses they have here, the green is so smooth and the fairway is so smooth and so short. They had a good work on it, worked really hard to get it close and in good condition.

I think that they put it in good shape on this course and maybe it suit my eye, and it suit our eye -- not just me, I think all the players see the course is in pretty good shape.

THE MODERATOR: I know the conditions thus far have not been ideal but we're working through it and going to play golf tomorrow, which is exciting. What do you change when the conditions are wet? Are you a person that likes to play in the rain and wet weather or do you prefer the drier, pretty conditions.

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: Prefer dry. I think everyone prefer the dry. But I'm not really getting used to it because when it's raining -- I think in Singapore and Thailand, it's similar, because we have the lightning, so we don't play as much in the rain as in the US. But I do have experience with it but hopefully I can deal with it better.

Q. After playing last week at the Honda LPGA, how do you feel about that development and how do you feel about being a role model for the Thai players now?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: Actually I played with Sim the last event in the final round, and I think the second round as well. We are pretty close, and it was eight or nine years we were playing together. We grew up together in junior golf. Also nice to see like some new face, Thai players, and I think it's a good sign and also it's -- I think women's golf in Thailand is getting bigger and better as well. I always love new faces coming up, and I'm a little bit proud that they are all trying to see us or get motivation from us to be a golfer, a better golfer one day, and obviously we love to see a lot of Thai players competing on the LPGA Tour.

I think all the fans love it and we do love it too, because we are not going to stay here on the LPGA forever and we need someone next generation coming up.

THE MODERATOR: For a lot of people, they consider you the next generation, especially with last year. I know what you did on the LET the career before but being a Rolex first-time winner and to see Sim and other rookie, have you talked to them and given them advice from your rookie year you maybe wish you would have known.

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: Not much. I mean like we don't really talk about golf much. I mean, I tried to talk with her with golf but she's just like, "I don't know. My manager did it for me."

It's great to have someone manage your schedule for you because I think it's pretty important because sometimes Thai golfers, they have talented but sometimes they don't have anyone to guide the way when they have to manage their schedule, which way they have to do to get the experience before going to the LPGA.

So I think it's nice that she has someone do it for here?

THE MODERATOR: Let's talk about your off-season. Before last week you had not hit a lot of golf balls but you were working on air balls. How did it feel?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: Chris doesn't allow me to hit a lot of golf balls at all when we are adding something or like doing what we have to -- I'm not really hitting that much ball with him. I'm just hitting when I'm not with him. I think we work together for a while and I know what he going to do, and also I know he brings the best in me.

It's nice to work with him and it's nice hitting a lot of balls last week. I mean, like last three weeks, but like, we working without hitting much ball but I see the improvement of it with the air shot swing. So I think it's a good sign and also it's a good, like, way to fix things.

Q. (Do you feel more pressure this year after the success of your rookie year)?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: Nice and wide. Not strong. Yeah, I can tell that I achieve things really fast in my rookie season, and also had a lot of eyes on me. So yeah, I feel the pressure for sure. Obviously I think it's normal thing. It's golf live; if you've been on top, obviously you have to get the pressure eyes on you.

I think it's a good sign, as well, because you're on the top, if not, no one is going to like really -- I'm trying to keep being myself. Being the same me as day one and also trying to be kind to all the fans, and also time to work on what I have to do. I know I've been on the top really fast but at the same time I try to be strict on what get me to this position and trying to manage my time with media, also practice, yeah.

Q. What do you remember of the time when you were on top?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: Well, I don't really -- I was in Japan and a lot of fans, as you can say, I think Japan is so crazy about golf, so it's really good memories with my caddie as well. He always had a dream to wear the green bib, so he got his green bib on the first tee in Japan, Toto. So I think it's a really memorable moment for us and also we won't forget that moment for the rest of our lives.

Q. Inaudible.

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: I think so. I'm not going to lie, I think so. Obviously playing in your home country would always be nice but at the same point, you also feel the pressure as well because they want us to win, and we know we are trying to do our best to win the tournaments in our home country as well.

But yeah, what we can do is do our best, every single week. Not just because in our home country but also this week, it's kind of hard to tell, because as you can see from the weather.

THE MODERATOR: Good luck this week and play well.