LOTTE CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY HOAKALEI

April 13, 2023

Nasa Hataoka

Hoakalei Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Nasa Hataoka, round of 2-under 70 today. Lots of birdies; fair amount of bogeys. Overall, how do you feel you played today?

NASA HATAOKA: You know, all my preparation this morning, I felt like the wind wasn't that bad. When I actually started the round the wind kind of started to pick up. It was a pretty tough conditions, but feel like I had some bogeys, but I had more birdies than I thought, so I feel like overall I had a really fun day.

Q. What is the mental challenge when you start your day and think it's going to be one way and then the weather changes and the wind picks up? What's the mental challenge to get yourself through that?

NASA HATAOKA: I think the key is to, you know, focus on my shots, the shots I'm working on, swing that I'm working on. Just focus on each swing and don't take the mistake too much.

You know, just stick to your plan, what you really want to do. So I feel like I was able to do that today.

Q. You closed with a birdie on your last hole. Always a good way to finish the round. Can you tell us about that birdie?

NASA HATAOKA: Second shot put it on the right side bunker. You know, hit it over a little bit. Gave me like a nine-footer birdie putt. Feel like I pushed a little bit on the birdie putt, but the wind kind of helped me adjust that. I feel like wind is always not bad. I feel like that helped me today.

Q. Wind is helpful, right? You have a lot of Japanese fans here, a lot of Japanese media. Does it maybe feel a little bit comfortable, a little bit like home here in Hawai'i?

NASA HATAOKA: Yeah, you know, definitely helps me, my game. Really helps me all the fans following me. I had this one girl following me today. She was actually at my junior clinic that I did last week, so that's something that doesn't really happy usually, so it is something special for me.

Q. I was going to ask about the junior clinic. You were part of opening the Girls Golf of Hawai'i with the First Tee. How fun was it to work with those kids and then to see that little girl coming? Makes you realize what you do is pretty cool, I would think.

NASA HATAOKA: Yeah, it was my first time doing that type of clinic with the junior golfers. I wasn't really sure what I can teach them, but they were having fun and they were energized, and I was one that had fun that day.

So hopefully I can do something similar in the future.

Q. Just two rounds to go here in Hawai'i. Two rounds until the Chevron, the major. How do you feel heading into the weekend and how do you feel your game is coming together as we head to Houston?

NASA HATAOKA: Yeah, I think it's definitely a great preparation for Houston. Not sure if it's going to be windy condition, but definitely playing on a difficult condition will be a really good preparation for those major weeks.

So hopefully I can have good rounds the next two days and hopefully I can be in good shape.

Q. Texas usually has a lot of wind, so this is good. Thank you.