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SAFEWAY CLASSIC PRESENTED BY COCA-COLAAugust 19, 2012Mika MiyazatoNORTH PLAINS, OREGON KELLY THESIER: We'd like to welcome the 2012 Safeway Classic Champion, Mika Miyazato into the interview room. Congratulations, first win of your LPGA career. You become the sixth Rolex first‑time winner so far this season, joining a bunch of other players who have been fortunate enough to capture that first win. First off, tell me what was that experience like on 18 as Ai and Momoko came down and helped you celebrate this first win? MIKA MIYAZATO: I saw before the chip in Ai and Momoko, and I'm so much nervous. But I tried to focus on my game, and then I chipped in very well. I got to two or three inches. So overall, I played so much well. And the back nine I was so much nervous because I don't know, maybe pressure, but I feel so very good right now. KELLY THESIER: I saw tears coming down your face as you walked off and hugged everybody. How emotional. This is your fourth year on Tour, and you've been close a number of times before. But to finally capture that win, it had to have been emotional for you. MIKA MIYAZATO: Like everybody say you're very close to the win, but I don't think the win, win because more pressure on me. So it's couple like six, seven events I played and like more confidence in my golf game. So I think I need to get a chance, so maybe this week I got more confidence in my golf game. So that's why I played well. KELLY THESIER: You're the third player from Japan to win this event, joining Ai Miyazato and Ayako Okamoto, joining pretty prestigious Japanese players in winning this event. What's it mean to you to join those two and be linked to them here at this event? MIKA MIYAZATO: It's my dream to play and win on the LPGA Tour. It was very fulfilling for me to be able to win along with the very famous Ai Miyazato and Ayako Okamoto. KELLY THESIER: As you said, the nerves on the back nine kind of came into play. But how did you keep yourself steady to stay up there and carry it through until the end? MIKA MIYAZATO: My inside heart like so much‑‑ KELLY THESIER: Beating? MIKA MIYAZATO: (Laughing) But my caddie was very helpful. I focused on one shot at a time, so that's why I was more focused on my golf game. Q. You had a share of the lead all three rounds. How hard was it to win? Was that tough to have to keep up and being up at the top of the leaderboard all three round rounds? MIKA MIYAZATO: I'm not too much thinking of the result. I tried not to think of being the leader the whole time. I just concentrated on playing well. Q. I know we talked a lot about this this week. But you've been playing so well coming into the week. You've had so many Top 10 finishes. Did you gain a lot of confidence, and I guess, experience of being up there in contention having been so close so many times in these recent events? MIKA MIYAZATO: Yeah, my golf game is getting better. Like my short game. At the beginning of the season, my short game was no good. So I got more practice in the short game and more confidence now so I can do it. So I believe in myself. Q. Your shot on 17, was what were you trying to do? Did you know where you were? MIKA MIYAZATO: On number 17? Yeah, I think that was after the 16, but always of the tee boxes moved on Sunday. So I practiced in the practice round, so I know the situation is much more comfortable. Q. (Indiscernible). MIKA MIYAZATO: After the 10th hole I was so disappointed in my chipping shot, so I'm so much a little bit angry with myself. But the 11th tee shot I went to the right side. I thought like the water hazard. Then it's maybe lucky today for me. So I tried to make par, but, again, chip in shot was like a missed shot about 25 feet. So I made the par, so lucky. Q. What were you thinking about when you had those long waits on 17 and 18? What was going through your head as you had to sit there and wait so long to hit your shot? MIKA MIYAZATO: I'm not much thinking, but I tried more straight, and tried‑‑ I just wanted to make sure because it was only the last two holes that I wasn't going to make any errors. And that's what I was concentrating on, to not make any errors. KELLY THESIER: Thank you very much, and congratulations. MIKA MIYAZATO: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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