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BALLANTINE'S CHAMPIONSHIP

April 21, 2010

Thongchai Jaidee

JEJU ISLAND, SOUTH KOREA

CALVIN KOH: Welcome back to Jeju Island. Obviously you won one of your biggest wins last year on this island. If you can just start by sharing with us memories from last year.
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yeah, I came here, I looked at the forecast, it's almost the same for tomorrow. I hope the next day is going to be better. Right now I'm very comfortable to play this tournament, because it's also in Asia, as well. I hope the weather is going to be better for everybody.
For me, from last year, I remember I won in the playoff last year, and this year, I think is very comfortable for us. I hope to do well again for this year.
CALVIN KOH: Obviously the Pinx Golf Course is a very challenging golf course. If you can tell us and identify which are the crucial holes on this course.
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: You know, this course, I prefer the par 3, very difficult, because the par 3s are quite long. They have a lot of water on the green and it's very narrow on the par 3.
No. 2 and No. 5 is quite hard to play if the wind is going out, like into the wind is very hard to play that hole, No. 2 and No. 5. The par 3 is quite difficult for every player.

Q. Y.E. Yang said yesterday that he was born here and it doesn't give him an advantage. Do you feel like you have an advantage if there's wind?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yes, I learned a lot in Europe. The weather is almost the same, you know. You have to learn something, how to play with the links course. I spent about seven years on The European Tour and the weather is almost always like this. I try to hit better and hit low balls. Many times I practise at home low balls and try to get better every year.
The weather is very different, but I know that last year it was in here, but this year I hope better weather, but I looked at the forecast tomorrow, very windy tomorrow, but it's only one day.
You know, this golf course, if the wind is blowing out, it's difficult to play. I know the par 3s, it's hard to play, like No. 2, No. 5, and 17 is a very long par 3. That's why if you play with the ball on the green, it's not really difficult to play on the green and if you make a good putt, you can have a lot of good chances.
For me, I learn a lot by playing The European Tour on links courses and I'm trying to play with a low ball every time we play. That's why if you play with low ball very good, you can play this golf course very good even with the wind blowing.

Q. And your injury seemed to be improving that week? Is that now better?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yeah, I'm hitting better right now. I have a lot of medicine that we are using. It's like right now I think 90 per cent. I hit the ball very well yesterday. I practised nine holes yesterday and I never been to the back nine. I hope today the weather gives me a lot of good practise and I play tomorrow afternoon.

Q. So my first question is, you just mention an injury. I didn't hear about an injury, so if you could tell me what sort of injury you're talking about?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I heard in the Masters in the second round and withdraw and went to see the doctor in Atlanta. They have a very good doctor that does NBA basketball in America. The doctor said, you have to do the cortisone, injection in my arm. They can give me good four days rest and after that they said you can play the next tournament. But if you have more than ten days, they give me about 90 percent right now. Very good doctor and give me good chance to play last week. If not get better last week, I cancel and go back home.
But last week, I was 50 percent and then when we got to Shanghai, I thought we could play, and start very good the first round and then later not too good. But that's okay, I enjoyed a Top-10 finish last week and this week I hope it's better again. And depends on the weather, it looks very good, the look is nice, and depending on the weather -- anyway, the weather, very windy, it's very difficult to play every hole. The course is in good condition and good layout and very challenging. I prefer this today, and this week, it's a very good tournament and a lot of strong players, Ernie Els, Anthony Kim and Yang and all of the big names for this week. I hope it's a very good tournament this week.

Q. So there's two questions, the second part of the question from the first gentleman was there are two wins here in Korea for you and I'm sure Korea must have a very special place in your heart. So in your first win here in Korea, I'm sure there were some changes that happened, so if you could talk about that. And then last year, you won the Ballantine's Championship, so I'm sure there were some changes for you after your second win, so if you could talk about the changes that came after winning two tournaments in Korea.
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yeah, you know, you have some luck some years. I got lucky last year, because I played good. I hit 17 greens and I missed one 3-putt. It's very good, I love to play in Korea. It's very, very challenging and the course, I prefer the weather in Korea. It's not easy to play the courses.
I come here every year and some days it's very cold, sometimes it's very windy, sometimes raining, but, different. I love to come to Korea. I have not enough time to play many tournaments in Korea, because I play a lot in Europe and sometimes in America.
I win two times in Korea, in 2001, the first event, tournament I win in Korea. And last year, a very good year for me and I'm very happy to come to Korea and play. And the conditions in Korea, the golf course -- I like the golf course, very challenging. And you can have anything happen here.
Korea right now is very improved for golf, a lot of young generation right now, and also the LPGA, right now, I think Korea, it's very good for Asia to see all of the young generation right now playing on the PGA Tour and the LPGA Tour. I'm very happy with that and I would like to see some more right now for the Asian people to come to win majors.

Q. What was your score last year?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: 2-under par, 17 greens, one 3-putt, very good win, but playoff. It was a good putt on the last hole, also, about six feet for par in the playoff.

Q. And the playoff?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: To get in the playoff, four feet birdie putt.

Q. And the question from the gentleman was in Korea, I guess the story that represents Korean golf is Y.E. Yang and I think you are probably the proud golfer from Thailand, you represent Thailand in the golf game, and I'm sure that there is a huge expectation on you. And so what sort of pressures do you feel from that? And we're also very proud of you because we believe that you're one of the heroes of Asian golf, and what do you see in the future for you? What sort of plans do you have for the future?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Thank you. Good question. I notice I tried to get better for my year, this year, Top-50 in the World Ranking is my goal for this year. And I know Yang is playing very well. I would like to follow him and to be able to play very, very well like him. But it's very good for me; it's my life.
We have a good time right now and we are very happy with that. I try to get better all the time. I don't know how to get better than this. I try to make it good all the time, and look forward for the future for what I can do, trying to get better for my life.
My main goal is Top-50 in the World Ranking this year. If I get Top-50 in my ranking this year at the end of the year, that's a very good year for me, as well.
CALVIN KOH: Thank you, Thongchai for coming.

End of FastScripts

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