MAYBANK CHAMPIONSHIP

October 29, 2023

Natasha Andrea Oon

Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Natasha, four days done in Malaysia. How was the experience playing in your home country and first LPGA Tour event since securing your card?

NATASHA ANDREA OON: Yeah, you know, I wish I could have gone lower, but honestly the fans here are showing up and I can totally hear them and it's so cool to see how Malaysia supports women's golf.

You know, Maybank did such a good job organizing this event. Just the marquees and the grand exposure of things, I think it was such a good stepping experience for me for next year.

There is so much room for me to grow. These players are awesome. They're literally killing it out there every single week. So I have to step my game up, and this is such a good introduction to what I should expect next year.

Q. Can I ask about hole No. 3, the one that you birdied, third shot from the bunker. Tell us more about that and the birdie on the fourth as well.

NATASHA ANDREA OON: Oh, okay. So hole 3, I wasn't really expecting that shot. I did not plan to be in that bunker at all. I mean, yesterday I could have reached on the left side. I was in the rough. Today I was in the bunker so I was pretty shocked, so I was kind of a little angry coming up.

But long bunker shots are something that I've realized that I was really comfortable with, so coming up on that I saw it. I was like, wait, I've been hitting this shot a lot in my warmup. You know, I told my caddie, bring a 54 and a 50 and took the 54 and just emulated that same feeling, and it went to, you know, pin high and it was really nice to get a birdie after the second hole.

Then hole 4 I had an 8-iron. I wasn't nervous on that hole anymore because they didn't move the tee up. They moved it back so I could hit a longer iron in. It was like 132. There is like kind of a ridge on the right that if you hit it you can get into the left, but I wasn't planning that at all.

I kind of hit it a little bit right and it so far like just rolled back down. So it worked out for me well, yeah, good miss.

Q. What are the positive you can take from this week?

NATASHA ANDREA OON: Positives I can take from this week, well, I shot three under-par rounds in three rounds, so that's good. I mean, it's playing really long, and there is only like one time where I could reach the par-5s in two.

But normally like in the Epson Tour I feel like there will be one where I would be comfortable getting it there and maybe with 3-wood. This is like you need to hit it longer.

You know, I think what I can take away is kind of like a more sharper mentality, dial down on those iron numbers. So many girls out here have technology to help them dial in the numbers; I don't have one.

I think in my off-season I'm going to work on really knowing my numbers and how much to carry and just getting into the groove of things.

I'm just starting out. There is a lot of room to grow. I'm really excited. I'm still learning every day.

Q. Is there any aspect of your game you think you should be working on for next year?

NATASHA ANDREA OON: That's such a difficult question because I feel like everything needs work. Nothing is perfect. So far definitely my drivers are amazing, but kind of like the short putts, yeah, I tend to miss some. I had one on hole 7 and I missed it. I was like, what? That was a brain fart.

So just getting comfortable in that and possibly just -- I think just putting and wedges. Irons are hit or miss. When it's really good it's really good, and when it's not good it's very streaky, yeah.

Q. How important is this week to help you prepare for the 2024?

NATASHA ANDREA OON: Oh, it's really important. It's a great kind of ribbon for competitive golf this year for me. So glad I ended in a par. You know, it's a grand experience. There is so many people, and there is these nerves you play with the crowds, and I'm not used to crowds so sometimes it's like overwhelming.

It's such a great introduction to just what I'm -- what I should expect next year. I'm going to have to get more comfortable playing in front of crowds with longer distances, longer irons. Yeah, they set up the course well for this event this week.

Q. Was there a lot of difference when you played the Dana Open?

NATASHA ANDREA OON: Dana?

Q. Yeah, when you play at Dana, was it a lot of difference?

NATASHA ANDREA OON: It's been a while since Dana. That was a great experience for me because I think it was my first cut that I made.

Dana there was some holes where I could reach it. I think Dana was a lot shorter. Not so much, but, yeah, Dana had water. There you like comparing apples to bananas. I can't say what's the biggest difference. Just a different course, different condition. Yeah, it was just a good week for me.

Q. I meant (indiscernible) but then you just turn pro. Yeah, yeah. What's what I meant.

NATASHA ANDREA OON: Yeah, I definitely had more experience now. I definitely know what to expect coming in. You know, that was also the first time I was working a caddie, and this week I had my friend Howie on the bag.

The difference I think is just me as a player. Definitely I shot better there but the course was I think for me a little easier. That was a driver I could hit one on at the end.

But, you know, just from then and this I'm grown so much. I have so much experience on my back, so, yeah.

Q. Being the best Malaysian in the tournament so far, does this tournament boost your morale for the Olympics?

NATASHA ANDREA OON: Oh, I have no idea. I kind of try not to think about those things when I'm playing golf. But, you know, hopefully that would work out well for me. I really want to go to Paris. I love Paris. I've never been there.

Just an opportunity to represent my country, its beautiful colors, I think that's such a great experience to have.

Yeah, I'm just going to play my best and see how that fairs up.