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SIME DARBY LPGA MALAYSIA

October 25, 2017

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

THE MODERATOR: We're delighted to welcome our Malaysian Angels, this is just seven of our eight Malaysian nationals competing in this week's tournament. Natasha Oon is not here because she is doing an exam, but we are, however, delighted to have the seven with us.

So going down the line, Zulaikah Nurziana, Nur Durriyah, Michelle Koh, Kelly Tan, Winnie Ng, Liyana Durisic and Aretha Pan, a very warm welcome to the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia. We wish you the best of luck this week and hope you're feeling well and prepared.

Without further ado, I'll hand it over to our friends from the media here, so first question from the clubhouse.

Q. Can I ask a general question to all of you? What's going to be the biggest challenge that you think personally this week, Aretha?
ARETHA PAN: I think it's the weather, because it's been really hot this week. So to stay hydrated in this weather is really important. You have to drink more water. I think that's the biggest challenge.

LIYANA DURISIC: For me, I would say playing with the pros, because I've been really nervous about this week. So yeah, like staying in the game and enjoying.

WINNIE NG: For me, to be under pressure, to be able to play with the professionals, I'm excited and nervous.

KELLY TAN: For me, I think it's more about staying patient. There's a lot of expectations out there this week for all of us Malaysians. Everybody is expecting us to do well and we want to do well.

I think that's the biggest thing for every single one of us sitting up here to want to do really well and I think that's because so much of result-based, concern, so for us, it's more that we start to do our thing. We are good enough to be out here and it's just one shot at a time and stay patient.

MICHELLE KOH: I think the biggest challenge for me this week would be to stay focused. Just keeping focused on what I'm here for this week. There are a lot of things going on out there with the weather, the media, the event itself. It's a great week to be out here but sometimes it's a lot of other things going on.

So the most important thing and the biggest challenge is for me to focus on what I'm supposed to do, and go and do it.

NUR DURRIYAH: For me, the weather is very important. It's very hot. To stay focused and be patient, yeah.

ZULAIKAH NURZIANA: For me, to get my nerves under control and be focused and think of everybody and playing with the pros.

Q. We've heard a little bit about nerves. Aretha, Michelle and Kelly, you've been here before and competed a number of times in this tournament. What one tip would you give some of the younger members of the team around you? Kelly, what advice might you give to some of your compatriots who are here competing this week based on your experience?
KELLY TAN: I would just say, again, you are good enough to be out here and you deserve being here because you already qualified for the spot, and obviously you want to do well. All I can say is just got to go out and trust with everything that you have. You're a good chipper, good putter, good driver. All you have to do is stay in the moment, stay patient and hit the shot.

MICHELLE KOH: My coach told me, everyone has nerves when you play. It will be unnatural to not be nervous and not feel anything. It's probably a good thing but everybody gets nervous.

I think the most important thing you've got to do is embrace it. Embrace that you're nervous. It's all for a good cause and a good reason. Just like Kelly mentioned, it's a great event and a great event to be part of. Embrace your nerves, stay focused on what you're supposed to do, and keep your game plan and your warmups and your routines and everything, and try to stay away from distractions. I think that's the most important.

Q. For the amateurs that have recently gone through the development program the last few weeks, could you just perhaps tell us a little bit about that and how it's going to hopefully help you this week?
THE MODERATOR: Who has been through the full Sime Darby LPGA Development Programme this time around? I know some of you stepped in for a few weeks here and there. Zulaikah, let's get a perspective for you, how that was, the coaching both on and off the golf course.

ZULAIKAH NURZIANA: I was in this programme two years ago. From my point of view, it's a really good programme. It really helped me a lot with my mental and my skills. The programme for me focused on mental and that's a good thing for me because, yeah, I'm not really confident in myself. But yeah, it gave me a lot.

THE MODERATOR: When you say "mental," is that sort of game strategy or is that more literally just keeping focused?

ZULAIKAH NURZIANA: The more I start believing in myself and keeping yourself calm and focusing during the game.

THE MODERATOR: Let's get a perspective from one other player.

ZULAIKAH NURZIANA: Like I said, for this programme, we learned a lot of mental skills inside the course and outside of the course. A few days ago, I learn to stay calm on the course. Even though you are playing with big names, you have to treat it like you are playing in the other tournaments that you play, normal tournaments, and then just hope for the best.

NUR DURRIYAH: I joined the programme two years ago, and I joined the programme for like a week the other day, and it was with -- he's a really good coach and he's helped a lot. I've improved on my short game and long game.

Q. Aretha, making your pro debut in such a big event, maybe you can say something about that?
ARETHA PAN: I'm really, really nervous up here today.

THE MODERATOR: When did you turn professional? When did you announce?

ARETHA PAN: I just presented like last week.

THE MODERATOR: A week ago, so this is your professional debut.

ARETHA PAN: It's a good opportunity for me because this is my first tournament as a professional. Hopefully I enjoy my game.

THE MODERATOR: Does it change your approach? You obviously played in the tournament before as an amateur and you're now playing as a professional. Does that change how you approach the game?

ARETHA PAN: Actually no, but I keep thinking of that and it's not a good thing, so hopefully that I can enjoy my week.

Q. Question for Michelle and Kelly and probably Aretha. Is there an element of more serious goal-setting this week of what you would like to achieve this week?
ARETHA PAN: For me, this week, it's a big event and all I want to do is just one shot at a time and then enjoy playing with all my friend here from Malaysia.

MICHELLE KOH: For me, there's a little bit of different approach. Previous years it was only to enjoy myself. But I've been working on my game for quite a bit now all year. My game is coming along but golf is golf. I'm not trying to set any specific goals but definitely looking forward to a much much better finish this year, as compared to previous years.

KELLY TAN: Yeah, I think for any of us three here, it's the biggest event. Even though I've done everything in the region, coming home it's a big event. There's a lot of expectation from the home crowd and media wanting us to do well. I know they meant the best.

For me, it's that I get to enjoy myself out there. Obviously setting a result, trying to want to win, trying to want to finish in the Top-10 is not going to help any of us here.

So again, we are back to basic. We are going to go out there and go through our routine and stay in the bubble, one shot at a time and I'm sure if you do that, the result will come. That's how I'm going to approach it this week.

THE MODERATOR: Does the increased expectation help your game or is it just a distraction that you would gladly do without?

KELLY TAN: Obviously you want people to have expectation in you. It's because they believe in you and they know we can do it. I look at it as -- it can be negative or positive but I try to look at it as a positive thing. Everyone is wanting us to do well and they are cheering for us. I take that as a motivation that, you know, I want to do well, as well. So that would be motivation for me.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you all very much indeed for your time.

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