CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 17, 2023

Atthaya Thitikul

Tiburon Golf Club

Flash Interview

Q. Okay, here with Atthaya Thitikul after her second round at the CME Group Tour Championship. You got off to birdie, hot start, and then a bogey, and several more birdies following that. How would you describe your round overall today?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: Overall, it's pretty good. I mean, like the wind is kind of different today than yesterday or the other day, so overall it's good for me. Just hit not a really good approaching shot today, but just make some putts which is pretty helpful today.

Q. I know -- and you probably know -- that you're up for the Vare Trophy for this season. I wonder if that's factoring into any of your decision making this week.

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: No, I mean, winning Vare Trophy, it's pretty much mean a lot to us, which mean like you pretty accurate and pretty consistency, but she can go pretty low as well. We are just like zero point something that I'm leading, which is really multiple.

So I just trying to do my best, not focus about what's going to happen on the future.

Q. I know we were looking today that no one has ever won the Vare Trophy without having won an LPGA event that season. Sorry, Kent, if I stole your question. What is your reaction to that?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: It's not in yet. If I'm not getting Vare, yeah, which mean -- I had a pretty good year so far, some close to the win, but I didn't get the job done yet this year.

I mean, it shows that consistency. It's pretty important as well I would say. But getting the win, it's pretty nice I would say.

But be out on LPGA Tour is not easy at all, guys. (Smiling.) There are so talented players upcoming. Like example, Lilia Vu just won four times this year; Celine won four times. They're just coming up and coming up.

I'm glad about it. I feel pretty good about this. Just not trying beat them but myself and the course is more important.

Q. At what point did you feel you had a chance to get the Vare Trophy?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: No point. You know, some time I feel pretty bad when I miss two cut on the major in the middle of the season. Feel pretty bad; feel like kind of lose my confidence.

But after that0 trying to release everything out maybe, because I think this year I put a lot of pressure on myself because I had a pretty good year last year, which is just like kind of pressure me a little bit on this year.

But I would say I release it out. It's came up pretty good. Starting to hit better, starting play better, you know, which is, yeah.

Q. You already mentioned the minuscule difference between you and Hyo Joo. Have you you done any math about what the difference is in order to win this week?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: No. I'm fail on math in school. (Laughter.) I failed in math. I feel like -- not fail, but not a good grade. (Laughter.)

And I don't even count. I'm not even calculated much about it because, I mean, Vare Trophy, Aon, win, I pretty close on all. If I get it going to be really great, but if she get it, respect her. No big deal.

Q. What would be more meaningful to you, winning an LPGA tournament or winning the Vare Trophy?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: Winning on LPGA Tour, to be honest, because Vare Trophy, it's show the consistency, but like sometime when you get there on the top and winning, it's more like pressure on it, which is mean you kind of like over the pressure pretty well.

Vare Trophy it's mean the whole year. I think winning feel pretty good.

Q. What's it felt like for you this season to not have a win at this point?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: I would say it's been a really good year so far. Haven't had any trophy yet this year, but hopefully this one happen. (Smiling.)

I don't know. It's just like I said, so hard to be out here. I'm trying to get it. I'm really trying to get the win.

At some point if it's not yours, it's not yours. We just going back and trying to improve ourself every single day on and off the course.

But I think I always trying to think in a positive way that maybe more good thing it's waiting for us in the future.

Q. The LPGA season is long. You talked about...

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: Pretty long.

Q. You talked about how you had a couple missed cuts in the middle of the season that made your confidence go down. Can you talk about how you regrouped, built yourself back up, and kept going through the second half of the season to get to this point?

ATTHAYA THITIKUL: You know, golf is pretty hard when you lose your confident. It's just like -- I just seem like my world just destroy.

But when I trying to -- you know, I really want to get through this bad time. I really want to go out of it.

But at the same time, at some point I think you have to enjoy even goods or bad. Yeah, you obviously have the good one. You pretty enjoyed it. But bad one you have to stay with it as well, even you don't want to.

But you have to enjoy and love the consistency, the journey, love everything that's making being you today. I just realize.

And yeah, feel pretty bad at the same time, but trying to not getting down, it's more important. Because golf, it's like ups and down, ups and down. I think confidence, it's more important, really important in golf.

And then personally for me, keep smiling on my face the more important. That is how much it's like, oh, not smiling at all, not enjoying golf, not enjoying being out here at all. Now I want to be enjoyed it and I want to keep my smile on my face and I think I will be fine.