SHOPRITE LPGA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY ACER

June 8, 2023

Chiara Noja

Seaview, A Dolce Hotel

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, I am here with Chiara Noja at the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer.

Welcome and thank you for being here today.

CHIARA NOJA: Thank for having me.

THE MODERATOR: We will get started. You received a sponsor's invite into this tournament. So many other well-known players, like Cristie Kerr, Michelle Wie West, Paula Creamer have also received sponsor invites into this tournament. What does it mean for you to be out here in the same position as some of those other great names?

CHIARA NOJA: Yeah, I mean, obviously a lot to live up to. No, I think it's an amazing opportunity for me just like career-wise, but as a learning experience for me. First time on the LPGA for me, so I'm really, really excited to get the week started.

THE MODERATOR: And you became the youngest winner on the Ladies European Tour recently. What it's been like being such a young player among all the other players?

CHIARA NOJA: It's tough finding a good balance between school as well because I'm still in school. So that's not always the easiest.

At the end of the day I'm doing what I love. I'm playing golf out there. I guess that doesn't change with age.

Yeah, I really enjoy being out on Tour. It's what I love doing, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: And then just this year you racked up seven Top 10 finishes, as well as a recent runner-up finish at the Belgian Ladies Open. How are you looking to use your past experience this week?

CHIARA NOJA: Every week is different. You want to say, oh, I'm perfectly prepped for everything, but I think I want to take every opportunity and experience I've had in the past and sort of channel it into this one.

I'm trying to treat it like any other week on tour and not think too much about it. Yeah, I'm really excited and I think I've had a good season so far and hopefully bring that good golf into the rest of this week.

THE MODERATOR: Absolutely. Questions.

Q. Good morning.

CHIARA NOJA: Morning.

Q. What do you have on tap for the next couple months of competition?

CHIARA NOJA: Lots of travel, that's what I've got. Yeah, I mean, obviously depends how I play this week, but plan right now is Amundi German Masters in Berlin, which is where I was born, next week. Looking forward to that one.

I then go home for a week for prom, which is really cute. Looking forward to that. I guess reevaluate and do the next stretch, but hopefully playing as many tournaments as I can.

Obviously I've got a bit of school to manage as well, so it's difficult for me at times, but I think I've done a good job so far and I am really looking forward to the next stretch.

Q. How much of a time break is there between prom and the end of school and then your next opportunity to not have to deal with school for a while?

CHIARA NOJA: So I graduate 2025, but we have -- I guess the school year finishes. The rest of my year is sitting exams; right now we have GCCs, but my school has been really supportive, so I sit them at the end of the year instead. So I get to do that in the off-season, which is really, really great for me.

I'm literally just missing a week for prom and sort of to do a bit of rest and recover a little bit, and then I go back out like nothing happened. At the end of the day I'm a professional golfer and that's always going to be the priority.

Q. Do you find the time break that you have of being the age that you are and I guess, like you said, going home and doing things like prom, do you find it to be difficult to get back on track? I guess you've answered this. How do you navigate that?

CHIARA NOJA: I think it almost makes a easier I think, because it means I have a really good balance of saying, okay, I'm the golfer and now I'm just being a kid. I think things like that help me get away from the golf at times and not be too consumed by the industry.

Yeah, I actually do enjoy being in this school and being a regular person out there and then coming back to golf and you just feel a lot more refreshed I feel like at times when your mind has been maybe on an exam rather than thinking, oh, the next two weeks I'm prepping for this.

It's about how you balance it and what your priorities and making sure you have them in the right place.

Q. Do you have plans for university?

CHIARA NOJA: I haven't had plans of that, no. I think for me and the way I value my academics, I'm pretty good in school. For me, where I am right now, I always thought if I'm going to do something I want to commit to that fully, and I struggle seeing myself in that environment.

That opinion might change, but I think where I am right now I haven't seen the reason to. I love being on tour and I love doing that and being a professional golfer, and I think I look forward to be able to commit to golf full time at some point. That's where my head is right now.

Q. Can you give us a little idea of your background? Saw you started playing at three. What got you started playing basically?

CHIARA NOJA: I mean, obviously started at three but I don't think I was exactly grinding it out on the range at that age. I was probably more focused on building tents and riding the buggy.

Both my parents are really keen golfers. They played golf and they took me with them. They didn't really expect me to do anything. I just sort of sat there building forts.

I guess eventually I saw dad doing something, and when you see dad doing something you really got to beat him. I picked it up here and there, but it was really when I moved to England that I got into it.

Obviously when I was like five I didn't get what golf was. I didn't understand the purpose of it. I was like, why? I didn't get it. I wanted to watch Barbie. That's what I wanted to do.

But when I moved to England I found more joy in it I think. I like practiced more. I understood golf better. That's when I got into it.

My parents did not expect that. They did not see me becoming a golfer, so I think for them it was always like really interesting watching my love for the game grow.

Q. And I understand now you live in Dubai. How did you end up there?

CHIARA NOJA: So I was born in Germany but moved to England when I was seven and moved to Dubai end of 2020. For me, growing up most of us living in areas where the weather is bipolar we know winter is going to be pretty rough.

When I was sort of getting more serious about the golf we were thinking about relocating somewhere warmer, somewhere I can actually practice in the winter.

A couple places game up. We were thinking Florida, we were thinking Dubai. My parents got a work opportunity there and then we never really looked back. It's been amazing for me and I think it's been a massive factor to the way my career has gone so far.

Q. What do your parents do for work?

CHIARA NOJA: I don't want to get into that too much because of privacy, but my dad sacrificed so much. He's on tour with me a lot of the year, so my mom is out there working her butt off.

So my mom has been a great help, and especially when I was first turning pro, you know, the whole family commitment was a really big part of it because tour is expensive, and making sure that I have a good base and for people to believe in me like that was really special.

Q. What are your impressions of the golf course, the Bay Course? How does to fit your game and what's the strategy for the week?

CHIARA NOJA: Yeah, obviously the course is going to be susceptible to weather. It has like a very open feel to it, so we'll see. It's looking a little windy. It's been a little windy for the last few days. It's a really beautiful golf course. It's a little different than in Dubai. It's a lot greener.

But it's really beautiful and I'm looking forward to getting out there. It's very strategic at times. You're not taking as many drivers as you usually would, but it's a good course and I think it's going to be scorable throughout the week.

Q. Have you ever been to New Jersey before? First trip to Jersey?

CHIARA NOJA: Yeah, so this is my first time in New Jersey. Hello. No, I played in New York last year, so that was really cool for me. This is my second time playing in the States, so it's really cool being over here.

Every experience is a good one so far, so I'm looking forward to that.

Q. So heading into this week you might have a few role models, mentors out there. What has been the best piece of advice you've received?

CHIARA NOJA: That's tough. I'm trying to think. A lot of people have been super supportive. I've got a lot of girls that I look up to that play on the tour, so couple of them have taken me under the wing and I appreciate that a lot.

I think sort of what my team has always made sure to sort of point out is just go out there and treat it like any other week. I think I've said that before. I think for me the weeks where I play really well or the weeks where I'm just committing to everything and I'm not afraid to fail and I do a good job with that, so that's what I'm going to try and bring into this week, and I think if I do that I'll be pretty set.

Q. Hello. Sorry if this has been asked, but what are your future plans when it comes to the LPGA and Q-School and such?

CHIARA NOJA: Obviously I'm 17 so it's really difficult. I'm hoping I can go to Q-School at the end of the year but it's dependant on my age, so we'll see what the answer is to that.

But I'm going to try and play really good golf for the rest of the season. That's always going to be the biggest decision maker I think out there.

But the LPGA is the big tour. That's where everybody wants to go. Hopefully I can one day. Experiences like this are going to help me make it there one day, and I'm just trying to Len as much as I can and take advantage of the opportunity this week.

THE MODERATOR: With this being your LPGA Tour debut, what are your goals, expectations for this week?

CHIARA NOJA: I know, I hate answering this question because people always expect you to say something miraculous.

No real expectations. They're on the processes I put out there. Golf is a sport where you get your butt kicked a lot, so controlling the things you can or the only things I can really focus on, so that's what I'm going to be doing.

If my mindset is good and I put in the concentration and effort and put in my processes through -- if I go through my processes the way I need to, then that's all I can really control.

Q. I just wanted to talk a little bit about length. How far are you averaging off the tee now? Swing speed? What fun nuggets can you share?

CHIARA NOJA: On the LET my average is I think 292 off the tee. So I hit it quite far. I've very tall. I'm six foot, so I think I that comes from that anyway. This week I'm going to be trying to hit the fairways, so that's going to be priority this week.

You know, I swing it maybe 106 club head speed. You know, I don't really go at it too hard. I think like most golfers I'm trying to stay in the fairway and that's what works for me.

Obviously 292 depends on the conditions. I think it's going to be softer out here this week, so we'll see what it is. I mean, not exactly a priority out there.

Q. Do you feel like you have to leave driver in the bag quite a bit around that course?

CHIARA NOJA: Yeah, like I said earlier, I think it's quite a strategic golf course. Lots of 5-woods off the tee; a couple hybrids as well.

I think it's going to be about putting yourself in good spots on the golf course and just leaving yourself good -- like hopefully a wedge into the green.

Yeah, I do hit a couple drives out there, but it's about having a good miss and being smart.

Q. If you were to go at it, like on the driving range, what is your swing speed?

CHIARA NOJA: To be honest with you, I never do. I genuinely never do just because I've never really had the need for it. I guess I get a little spoiled because I'm really tall so it works in my favor in that regard. I try and swing what works with my body.

When I was like 13 I had a bit of back pain because I think I was just swinging it too fast for my frame, so we've made sure that I'm just swinging healthy and efficiently, and that's what I've done or the last two years.

I don't really go at it, to be honest with you. I'm trying to hit it straight. Golf is a game of accuracy.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much Chiara. We wish you the best of luck this week and with prom.

CHIARA NOJA: Thank you for having me. Have a great day.

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