HANWHA LIFEPLUS INTERNATIONAL CROWN

May 2, 2023

Ariya Jutanugarn

Moriya Jutanugarn

Atthaya Thitikul

Patty Tavatanakit

Harding Park

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Team Thailand. We have Atthaya Thitikul, Moriya and Ariya Jutanugarn, and Patty Tavatanakit joining us this afternoon.

Moriya and Ariya, you've played this event before and know what this event entails. How excited are you to be back At The International Crown?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: This is going to be the fourth time. We played since 2014, so so excited to play this event again because it's so different. I feel like to be representing Thailand, we have to think and plan like every single match what we're going to do in the next day, and that is kind of really a challenge for us.

Q. Mo, what's it like being back here and playing with your sister in this kind of format?

MORIYA JUTANUGARN: Of course very excited. Get to come back and play with -- in International Crown, also represent Thailand. It's like the only tournament you get to play with another three like best girls in Thailand.

It's just like another week I feel that I really enjoy.

Q. Patty, how special is it to be with three of your best friends? I know it's not a format we play a ton on the LPGA Tour, but how excited are you to be here?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah, I am excited. This is like the first team event as a pro for me. We went to the Olympics together but that was individual. That was like stroke play, so this is going to be match play format. Very excited to be back and just be alongside these girls and representing our country, as well.

Q. Are any of the match play feels coming back from your amateur days?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah, actually me and Atthaya played the Patty Haynes Cup in Qatar together once, and that was pretty much like an Asia-Pacific versus Europe. That's about the only thing that comes into my mind. But other than that, national, yeah.

Q. Atthaya, just excited to be here? Like Patty said, obviously have some match play experience, but what's this format like for you and how much do you enjoy it?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: I think I'm just excited. My first time here in the International Crown with the best three in Thailand here, and we're so excited. We're trying to make this strategy who's going to play with who this morning, and we came up with a pretty good pairing, I guess.

Q. What goes into that strategy? I don't know if you have a specific person that's been like the team leader, but whoever wants to speak on that, what's the strategy going into who's going to play with whom?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah, I think they're just really comfortable with each other because they know their games the best, and Atthaya and I have rounds together before because we played junior golf together.

So we'll just go with that and see where that leads because I think everyone wants to play with everyone for sure.

Q. Ariya, thoughts on the golf course? I know TPC Harding Park isn't a venue that the LPGA Tour has visited so far. How excited are you to be at this venue and what are your thoughts on the golf course?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I would say after I play yesterday and today I thought this course really tough. The fairway is really narrow and I struggle hit it in the fairway.

The rough quite like long also, so I think this course really challenge. You need to have like really good tee shot, and also to the green, because the green is not that big at all.

And the green is also like something you have to work on and read the green.

So this course for me is really challenge.

Q. Atthaya, you won the JTBC Classic last year; do you like these kind of conditions and this kind of a golf course?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: No. I think I get used to the hot weather, but obviously chilly. It's nice, but this is a little bit too cold.

Q. Patty, I just read that Carrie Forsyth is retiring from UCLA. She's got three or four players in the field this week. Any comments on what it's like playing for her and why she has produced so many stars?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah, when I heard that, I was actually at a dinner last week with her, like celebrating her retirement. It's been great playing for Coach. I learned so much as a player and as a person playing for her. Being at UCLA and on the team helped me grow a lot, like mature life-wise and on the golf course, as well, because I never really have to think much or like strategy and all that.

But you kind of have to when you play team golf.

I learned a lot from that, and Coach as a coach is very -- I think our team at that time was very motivating, and she did everything she could for all of us to perform. And we did; my freshman year we were unbeatable.

Just seeing her retire, it makes me sad because it's just been -- like when you think of UCLA golf, it's just her face comes up. Like it's her.

But I think she's at a stage in her life now that she wants to focus on something else and maybe pass that role along to someone who's more fitting at this time.

Q. All three of you have played at Lake Merced, Olympic Club, and here. Could you rank the three courses along the Merced Mile?

MORIYA JUTANUGARN: I mean, they all are actually great golf courses. All of them have their own style. Like the weather around here is not easy because sometimes it gets very cold day and could be very windy, or like today is very rainy.

All the golf courses is very, very challenging for us around here.

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: I like this one the best because I won conference here. So yeah.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I think I like Olympic the best. I feel like that course is really hard, especially the U.S. Open two years ago. It makes it even harder.

Q. Where does Lake Merced rank?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Sorry, that was regional that I won, not conference.

Q. For May and Mo, Sunday has now changed with the format. What did you two think of the change from the singles to the semifinals and finals format?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I think it's different. I think it's pretty cool. Even we have to play 36 holes, but it's something different because as a team it makes it even harder when you play like alternate shot, so I think that match is going to be pretty challenging for everyone.

Q. This is a tournament where by and large the home country has won on home soil. What advantages does that provide for teams in this event?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Like we said, the courses are pretty challenging. I mean, home soil, like USA got a pretty stacked team. Pretty highly ranked players, all good ball strikers.

At the end of the day it's match play. You never really know what's with going to happen. You can't really predict, even in stroke play. But when it comes to match play I feel like things can turn around so easily. So we have a chance, too.

Q. Atthaya, here in your second year on the LPGA Tour, and this is a question for all of you, what does it mean to be able to represent Thailand in this way?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: I think it means a lot to us. It means the world to us, being here, standing here and representing our country, and with all the best players in that country for one crown. I think it's such an amazing event.

We are so proud to be out here, not just especially this event, but like every day that we play in the LPGA Tour we're representing our country.

I think it's more like a little extra proud of ourselves to be here.

Q. What does it mean to the rest of you? It's something you don't get to do very often in a team format.

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: I think building off of what they have established out here, like I'm here, Atthaya is here, and you see, many more Thai girls out here this year as a rookie, as well.

I think that is saying enough that like we're growing so much as a sport in our country. So I'm here and I'm proud to continue that, as well.

Q. Ariya and Moriya, like Patty just said, Thai golf really took off with the pair of you. What does it mean to see it now? There's so many good Thai players. We have three or four Thai rookies out here this year, which is wild. How much does it mean to have grown the game in Thailand as much as you have?

MORIYA JUTANUGARN: Of course I'm very proud to be able to represent our country. There's a lot of good Thai girls out here, and that's just what she said. That means we really grow a lot for this game.

I want to see more and more a lot of good Thai girls out here. Every time I see, it's actually pushing me to -- I want to work harder. I want to be better.

I actually really -- actually is proud to be able to represent Thailand.

Q. Did you guys play your practice rounds as a team here?

MORIYA JUTANUGARN: We all played together today.

Q. How was that? I know typically practice rounds are out of control.

MORIYA JUTANUGARN: It was a good practice round. A lot of chat. We just like tried to see how is the games like and what we want to do for the team like for three days.

Q. Is there one player that's not the team leader but the team mom of the four of you?

MORIYA JUTANUGARN: How about like sister other than mom?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Mom should be Mo, but team leader should be Atthaya and Patty.

MORIYA JUTANUGARN: Because we have to like keep like, you know talking about this, but I think we come up with something good. Not sure. We'll come up with something.

Q. Atthaya, cool thing this week, you got to pick a number to wear on the back of your shirt. If you could explain the significance of the number; just tell us the number and explain the significance of the number that you chose.

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: Actually our number -- actually my number it's just the year -- my birthday year in Thai year. It's like 2546 in Thai when I was born.

MORIYA JUTANUGARN: When they asked me what's the number I couldn't think of anything and I look, and I could just go 35. It's like two numbers of -- two of the numbers in my phone number, and I was just like, just go 35.

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Just like 15 is a good day for every month.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: After Mo picked 35, so I don't want to think, so I go after her, so I say 36.