HSBC WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

February 27, 2024

Patty Tavatanakit

Sentosa Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right. We will get started here. I am in the media center at the 2024 HSBC Women's World Championship, joined here by Patty Tavatanakit. Welcome.

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: So first off, we'll start, you've had multiple wins in the past few weeks. What does it feel to be you right now? How overwhelmed, busy?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: I'm tired. There's been a lot of traveling. It's been a lot of golf. But on top of that, I'm really excited to be back in Singapore to tee it up in front of the Singapore fans this weekend at HSBC.

I love being here. I love this country. It's always one of my favorite events to come. So I'm really looking forward to having fun this week.

THE MODERATOR: In talking about your last two wins, can you just walk through maybe like what you were feeling on that last putt when they dropped both times.

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah, it was very emotional. Especially the first one was a long time coming. It was a very long time since my last one. And it just felt like hard work paid off.

On top of that, last week in Thailand, it was very special because like my journey kind of started there at that event. And to be able to participate as an amateur, now as a professional multiple times and being able to win in front of home crowds, in my home country, was just like the cherry on top.

THE MODERATOR: And obviously your game seems to be very good at the moment. Can you just speak to what parts of your game maybe in particular you think are really clicking.

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Overall, I feel like everything is coming together. I've been working very hard on just making everything a little bit sharper off the tee, approach, around the greens.

So everything was just coming together right now, and I have been performing really well.

THE MODERATOR: And being this in the beginning of the year, having these wins already, what did you do in the offseason to maybe prepare, set yourself up for this?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: So the last two seasons I feel like I've -- I was always on the go. I was always grinding. It was two years of grinding.

So this offseason I took some time off away from golf, rested physically and mentally. And so when I come back, I -- I had a plan, and it was more like when I took my time off, I'd write down some plans and what I want to do when I get back to it.

And as soon as I got home from my trip, my December trip, I was just like right on like, okay, let's start doing these things that I wrote down.

THE MODERATOR: And you talked about it last week, but a goal for you is to play in the Olympic Games this year. Seeing yourself move up in the rankings this past week after your wins, what does that mean for you to see that?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: It was just like a goal where like I don't know how -- how I can achieve because it's a Rolex ranking system, and the only way you can kind of move up the ladder is to play well.

I don't know how well I have to play because it also depends on how other girls are playing. So all I could do best under my control was focus on myself and the process I came up with.

THE MODERATOR: And what do you remember most about your last Games? How was your experience there? What do you remember?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: It was during COVID. So everything was very restricted. But it was -- it was an amazing experience being a part of that. Like probably one of the -- it's the biggest sporting event in the world. Every athlete from every sport wants to represent their country during that week.

And it was just an honorable feeling to be able to represent Thailand and Japan. Being in the Olympic Village was so cool. It felt like I was back in college a little bit, just seeing all the athletes, but like times ten with all the amount of people, the amount of adversity in the Olympic Village.

But it would be great if I could experience that again this year. Fingers crossed.

THE MODERATOR: And since returning home, since playing in those Games, have you kind of been recognized as an Olympian, do you feel like?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah. I've been thinking about getting the ring tattoo, but I haven't done it yet. But I -- yeah, it's very special to me to think about that, like a tattoo. I mean, that's like permanent.

THE MODERATOR: And just last one from me. After winning in your home country and then having the chance to represent Thailand, does that make it that much sweeter to be able to represent?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah. Yeah, especially playing in front of my parents, my best friend was out. And on top of that, the fans. I feel like I gave them a little bit of like happiness, to see another Thai player win that event.

And it was a lot of pressure. You know, like everyone was out supporting. After the bogey on 15, they were cheering me on on 16, and that gave me an extra boost of like, okay, like I can do this, like I'm going to do it for everyone.

THE MODERATOR: What was going through your head during that last chip on Sunday?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Nothing really yet. I feel like it went by so fast. I just really focused on like -- I just looked at where I wanted the ball to go kind of and like come into these next couple.

THE MODERATOR: I'll open up for questions now if there are any.

Q What's the mindset like this week?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: You know, like after coming off of a really good start, I feel like everything has been kind of going -- it wasn't easy, but easier than a lot of times out on the golf course.

And then I tend to get very -- like I fall back to being a perfectionist of I can't -- like I don't like mistakes. It don't like flaws. I don't like little blemishes.

But I feel like I'm at the point now in my third week in a row, my body is not at a hundred percent like when it was my first week.

So the mindset going into this week is probably embrace like the difficulties of the little things that's coming along and just hold my head up high and just accept the challenge.

And also have fun. Like, I really want to have fun. This is one of my favorite weeks to play in.

Q (Indiscernible)?

PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah, I mean, like I said, it's not at a hundred percent. But everything is just between the ears. I feel like if I tell myself I'm not tired, then I'm not going to be as tired, in comparison to like, oh, my God, I'm just so tired. It's just really how you talk to yourself.

I am working on staying fresh. I kind of moved around, get my body going and feeling a little bit more athletic throughout the week.

So, I mean, two weeks ago it was amazing, something that happened to me, but it's also in the past now and I have a lot more golf to look forward to for this week and the rest of the season. So I feel like I'm back to work.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Patty. Good luck this week.