HANWHA LIFEPLUS INTERNATIONAL CROWN

October 22, 2025

Angel Yin

Jeeno Thitikul

Minjee Lee

Ruoning Yin

THE MODERATOR: We are back with our top-ranked players from pool A. We have here Angel Yin from the United States, Minjee Lee from Australia, Jeeno Thitikul from Thailand, and Ruoning Yin from China.

We are going to start with a question for Angel. Angel, how has the team-building been this week? You always see each other weekly individually but now you're here as a team. How's that been this week?

ANGEL YIN: It's been great. We actually had a team-bonding dinner on Monday. We call it team bonding, but it was just nice to get together for everybody because a schedule for this week is quite hectic so we don't really get to see each other until today.

Yesterday we had a pro-am, so it was really nice to get together in the beginning of the week and then obviously we're going to be seeing each other more starting tomorrow. Today first.

THE MODERATOR: Minjee, the Australians who always look like so much fun, our runners-up two years ago. What is your team dynamic like on the golf course and as you strategize?

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, like you said, we all have a really great relationship. We always like to have fun and are always cracking jokes. We all really get along with all our caddies, as well. We have such a fun group of us.

Hannah and I are both the oldest, so I feel like we're leading the younger two in our group, but we all love each other's company and really get along. I think it will be a really fun week.

THE MODERATOR: Jeeno, you were on the winning team in 2023. What is the experience like to win representing your country, and what advice have you given to your teammates?

JEENO THITIKUL: Yeah, I think I just only one team member who's here this week from the last two years. It's great. It's great to win as a team. It's more of like a pride representing our country.

I think I have nothing to advise anyone on my team because I think honestly I'm close to the youngest one on the team as well, and I think the team just only wants to have fun and just hanging around and making a lot of good memories together.

THE MODERATOR: Ronni, you've had the chance now to see this golf course a couple times. What are your thoughts on this golf course and what it will present for the fans this weekend?

RUONING YIN: Well, I think this course is in good shape, and the greens -- I think the toughest part will be the greens because you just always have to keep below the hole. If you're past the hole, it's going to be pretty tough to come back.

But I would say this course is very quality. It's a quality course. I would say we're going to put on good matches for the fans.

Q. Minjee, obviously the Australia team is one of I think a few teams or the only team to have three members returning this year. How much does that kind of momentum that you all took from '23 apply to this week, and does that help to have so many players experienced with this format?

MINJEE LEE: I think to be honest, it really probably wouldn't have changed if we had a totally different team. We're all really competitive. We love the match play format. We all kind of motivate each other to do well if we're out there on the golf course and some things are not going our way.

We're all really -- well, I'm not, but I think the others are a little bit more fiery. It's just nice to have that kind of energy going into an event like this, and I think it really helps that we all get along and we can all play with each other regardless of our skills, I guess.

No, I think it will just be a great competition for our team, and yeah.

Q. Ronni, obviously you took an extended break from competition to get ready for this week and just to rest and reset. What did you do on your break, and are you feeling refreshed coming into this big team competition?

RUONING YIN: Well, I did a lot. I did cycling and rock climbing, and I played some basketball with my coach.

I think I just thought I really needed a break after AIG, and I believe I'm mentally and physically ready for this week.

Q. Minjee, I'm curious, you were obviously on that team back in 2014. What do you remember about playing alongside one of your heroes in Karrie Webb, and how have you seen this event evolve over the years?

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, so then it was when I was an Am still. It was just kind of a great experience for me being able to obviously play in the event and just professionally with Webby at that point in my life I guess, or in my career. It was nice to be able to see her play competitively up close, and it was just nice to get a little closer to her, I think, just outside of golf, and spending time with her I think -- I didn't get too many times that I could do that, I guess.

At the time, it was just really nice to get to know a little bit more, and even the whole team, because I think it was Beck and maybe Lindsey? It was just nice to spend time with them because obviously I was the youngest, and I didn't know them too well.

It was more outside of golf I enjoyed than playing the event, I guess.

Q. Angel, what's kind of the strategy for who's going to play with who, and did you figure that out at dinner on Monday, or is that something you're still talking about?

ANGEL YIN: I think we have an idea of how we're going to go about the pairings. We kind of started talking about it even previous to dinner. I think we have a pretty good idea.

Obviously we're going to have our first practice together at 1:00 coming up just to see each other's game and talk about the golf course, our knowledge with each other and the caddies and what they see.

But yeah, I think we have a really good idea. Angela actually called us, which is the next year's Solheim captain, and she shared her thoughts. It was greatly knowledgeable and helpful, so we're going to take that and then we're going to take what we think and put it all together. Overall we have a really good idea.

Q. Who do you think is the winning team? Who will be the winning team?

ANGEL YIN: I think we all have to say our own team, right? Are we answering this? I mean, Team USA.

Q. In your mind who has a really great chance of winning?

ANGEL YIN: Oh, who's a rival?

Q. Why don't you share who you think is your biggest rival.

ANGEL YIN: All seven other teams.

MINJEE LEE: Yeah, I'm not really sure. I think this year it's really, really close, so it's hard to say one team. I feel like everybody is pretty -- they're all in pretty great form, so yeah, I'm just going to say what Angel said.

JEENO THITIKUL: I think the same. Like Minjee said, everybody has opportunities, but in my mind, Australia and Japan is really strong.

RUONING YIN: I'll say my answer is pretty similar. I think golf is the result. It's not based on the ranking. I'll say we'll know on Sunday.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much. Good luck this week.