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RICOH WOMENâ€™S BRITISH OPEN

July 31, 2018

Ariya Jutanugarn

Fife, Scotland

MODERATOR: Welcome Ariya Jutanugarn to the Rico Women's British Open Media Centre. Before I get started, I just want to do a quick snapshot of your year so far. You've already heard it, but I'll just go through it quickly. You're a three-time LPGA Tour winner. You've made 19 of 19 cuts you've played in. Also won the U.S. Women's Open and of course last week's Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open. Welcome.

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Thank you.

MODERATOR: It's your first time here at Lytham. What are your impressions of the course so far?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I was really impressed. You know, like I just played today. I didn't play yesterday. So I start on 13. And the course is amazing. You know, like it's so hard. Like the fairways just like pretty narrow. The bunker just like a lot of bunker. So it's really deep. I think this course going to be really, really challenge and really need to be patient because I feel like even with no wind still going to be very tough course.

MODERATOR: Have you sought any advice from your fellow professionals who played here in 2009?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: No. No.

MODERATOR: You haven't spoke to anyone about how it plays?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: All they played here in 2009. So I didn't know that.

MODERATOR: Okay. So you won last week at Gullane. Obviously it's an old links course, links-style play. Did you learn anything there that's going to help you this week?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I learned a lot, especially last week when my caddie yell at me. So I learn a lot. So you know, because I have trouble play with like really windy because I try to hit the ball so hard. And even like when the wind blow really hard like right to left, I'm not going to aim right. I'm just going to go at the pin and miss like 30 yards left^ . And I got yelled from my caddie last week, so I try to be better. So I hope I learned something that is going to help me this week.

MODERATOR: But so by the end of the week were you hitting it softer or were you continuing to hit it hard and just put up with it?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Sorry?

MODERATOR: Were you hitting it softer last week?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Oh, yeah. I did. I think I get smarter, so I aim more right, go more left, you know, play with the wind a little bit.

MODERATOR: Okay. So three wins this year already. What's the secret to your success?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I think like before I start my season my goal is just like I don't want to think about the outcome. You know, like because I know when I'm getting closer, my ranking, everybody started talking about that. And it got me, so I'm not going to play good with that, you know, being thinking about that all the stuff. So this year I just feel like I want to get better every day and I want to make sure every tournament, like after final round I have something to be proud of myself. And I did. I mean I've been playing a lot of good weeks, even like not win the tournament, but I'm really proud of myself.

MODERATOR: Okay. Let's open it up to questions.

Q. Ariya, do you feel more comfortable with the No. 1 ranking now than you did when you had it before and why so?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: To be honest, this time not really to anything much. Maybe because last one year of my goal I told my caddie I'm like I want to be No. 1 one time in my life. I don't care how long it be, but I want to be. And I did last year. So now especially right now I know everything can change. I never know, I might not going to be No. 1 after Monday, next Monday. So I think that is not the one I'm thinking about, like No. 1 or anything. So right now I feel okay.

Q. Ariya, brilliant year. Your team, you have quite a few people around you now. So you work with Lynn and Pia. Is it still Gary Gilchrist, Gary Sefluski (ph). Who gets the phone call first after a round? Who do you talk to first or are you on a group WhatsApp chat or do they all talk to each other about your game?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: To be honest with you, right now I've been working with Pia and Lynn and Gary, my short-game coach. And of course, the three of them talk to each other all the time with my game and everything. But last week Gary work with me on the course through like nine holes, and he helped me a lot. I got a lot of bunker shots, like good tips from him. So he helped me a lot.

Q. And what's been the best tip that Lynn and Pia have given you this year? I know they talk about the think box and the play box. But is there anything else? We know about your smile before you hit every shot. Is there anything else that you're working on with them in 2018?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: This year, because like one of our goal is just like I want to be able to play golf without thinking about the future; like, you know, not worry about the future. So I told them just like help me. So they helped me to be able to just like focus and keep everything under control because the outcome and the future is not under control.

Q. Just one last question. If there is a chance they're so good on the mental side. Do you think they could coach you to put a driver in your bag for a tournament? Will you take driver this week?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: No, not this week. But I've been hitting my driver a few tournaments. Maybe you didn't watch. But I did.

Q. Recently. Okay. All of the girls on the LPGA, there are so many good young players and when I ask them, you know, who is their hero, about 99 percent say yourself. I begged them to say someone from a different nationality. But they all say you. They have great dreams. If you had one piece of advice you could give a young Thai player back home, what would it be?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: First thing I'm going to say, should have your goal, like why you're still living in this world. Like me, I just want to win as much as I can. So that's why I still play golf. So just like have you go and go out and have fun, be happy with like every moment.

Q. Links golf, you weren't really a fan of links golf before. What was it that you didn't particularly like about it?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I think I have to hit a lot of different shots. And you know, when it's windy, play -- even when it's no windy still have to hit half wind shots. But when the wind pick up it's getting stronger I have to hit a lot of half shots. I have to decide like what I'm going to do and I have to hit a lot like defend shots. So that's what I'm not really like about that.

Q. So did you tell yourself I'm going to like it? Did you make yourself think differently about it?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I didn't too much tell I'm going to like it, but I feel like I should try to find something that I can play on the links course.

Q. And then last question. Do you think about the Hall of Fame?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Not much, but a little bit, yeah.

Q. Is it a goal?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I just want to win as much as I can so that's my goal right now.

Q. You said last week, and Bethann just touched on it there, that you don't like links golf. Do you like it now?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I feel more -- I mean I feel more comfortable. I feel better. But I think this type of golf course it might not going to be the one that say, oh, I love this one. It might not going to be that way. But I'm getting better.

Q. And I know did you go and watch Kiradech play or did he come to see you or you went to see him, which way around?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I went to see him and he came to see me^ .

Q. He's got this love for shoes and fast cars and things like that. Have you got -- I mean you had a nice win again last week. Do you get to spend your money like Kiradech or would you rather keep it?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Not really. I already have car in Thailand, because I have home in Thailand five years ago. And I think that was enough for me. And in U. S. I'm not going to buy the car because I'm not going to be back to my house a lot. Maybe like one month a year. So just keep with the car.

Q. So no Ferraris like Kiradech then?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I would love to but maybe not any time soon.

Q. And what car is it in Thailand? What car do you have?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I have a Honda.

Q. During the U. S. Open you got a bit of criticism. People thought you might not be competitive because you were congratulating your opponents? How do you swear that up? You're very hungry clearly.
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Yes.

Q. You were very nice on the course at the U. S. Open. So people might mistake that for being too friendly and not hungry to win. But you have won and you've proved that you can win. When you congratulate other players, some people might think that you're not as competitive, but you clearly are. So how do you live with that?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: You know, after years of ^ playing, I feel I have pretty good chance to win. Of course I want to win. But when you saw player hit a good shot, I feel like I can't do anything. I just too happy for them because like if I want to win, I want to win by like other people play well. I don't want to win by like they play not good and then I won the tournament. So when I feel happy with like anybody hit a good golf shot because I can't do anything about that.

Q. I think it was the same last week with Minjee Lee as well on 18. When she hit it so close and you said the similar, that you actually weren't fazed by it because you thought you needed get up and down to get into the playoff. Right?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Yeah.

Q. You had two weeks off in Bangkok and you're having a lovely time and then last Saturday after 11 holes, you were four over par in the wind. How much did you wish to be back in Thailand in that moment?
ARIYA JUTANUGARN: No. I didn't think about Thailand because I still had to play a lot of golf. I feel like if that's halfway done -- even it's windy, but I feel like I still fight every shot. Even it's so hard for me to hit a good drop shot there, but I fight and I really happy about what I've been doing.

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