HONDA LPGA THAILAND

February 18, 2026

Jeeno Thitikul

Siam Country Club Pattaya, Old Course

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, joining me here today before the 2026 Honda LPGA Thailand is Jeeno Thitikul. Jeeno, this is your first time at this event as world No. 1. Do you feel like that impacts your experience at all?

JEENO THITIKUL: I mean, I feel like it's kind of, you know, to be honest inspiring all the next generation for sure. I mean, Honda is the one that just only one tournament that we have in Thailand, and then I pretty sure it's a lot of kids coming to, you know, like watching us play.

To be able to play as a world No. 1 in my hometown, which is kind of meaning to not just me, but to be honest for the teams and then for all the Thai people that can be proud. It's just an example to all the kids that it's nothing impossible. Everything is possible for you to be able to play alongside all the other countries, other players, and you can be there on the point that you never thought about.

Q. You played in this event for the first time as a sponsor invite when you were 14. How do you feel like this event has impacted your journey over the years?

JEENO THITIKUL: I think it like impacted me since before I started as well. I mean, like since I was nine, I was eight, because I always came to watch all the players. I think all that time Michelle Wie is still playing and Ai Miyazato is still playing.

I mean, like my grandfather took me to walk and see how they do out there on the course since I was so young, and then it just such a dream come true as 14 years old to be able to be inside the rope with same players with the top of the players, to be able to play the biggest tournaments in Thailand.

It's kind of, I don't know, it's just like time flies. I feel like 14 and now going to turn 23 soon, almost ten years. And then I think I really similar to the course, I really similar to all the staff here, which is kind of make me, you know, like warm welcoming for the LPGA like 2026.

Q. You've been doing a lot of charity work in Thailand recently. Can you talk about that and what it means to give back to your community?

JEENO THITIKUL: Like I always said I have been on the position that I need to like earn everything by myself, and that I know like not everything has come easily, and then since the day I have been successful I took a lot of the people. I mean like everyone, oh, do you want this, do you want that, like they pleasing me a lot and I feel like I take a lot now.

At this point I am in a time that I can give it back, so obviously I'm so happy that I can see all the people that they don't have enough opportunities same like us to, you know, like one day they have hope in their eyes. Once I was there they got -- we built the building for the school and then the hope in their eyes when they got the buildings and then be able to have an opportunity to study, which is really fulfills my heart.

So I think it just really things that -- little things that I can give it back to the community, you know, like Thai socials and something. I was really happy to do that.

Q. Welcome back. You finished second in the Honda once before. You've been third twice, including last year. Do you feel that maybe this could be your year?

JEENO THITIKUL: I obviously feel like it's always been -- I mean, like to be honest, everyone wants to win the tournament for sure in every tournament that we play.

I would say I already think this is my year to, you know, play in front of them as the world No. 1. I think it's already answer the questions of me doing it out there.

But talk about the result, I'm not -- I don't know who is going to be. Like sometime I just can control myself but I can't control any other else.

I will say I give it my best and hopefully it's my year.

Q. What about the state of your game at the moment? Start of the season are you happy where you are, and are there any particular parts of your game that you're working on?

JEENO THITIKUL: I think I have still been working on a lot of stuff. I mean, like I would say to be honest, I'm not really been 100% confident with my iron shots that much compared to like end of last year, but I still work on it. I know the problem is, but the point is I have to kind of like fix the problem by the process because I know golf take times.

But we'll see. I think it's just you know -- it's a time of you're not hitting good as always and then you have to fix it and then you have a process to fix it and then do it better and better, so...

Q. Can you share with us what that problem is or what specifically you're working on?

JEENO THITIKUL: I think my shaping shot of irons right now. Like my stock shot was a little too over fade, and then the distribution is a little wide, so I think if I can make it narrower compared to last year, should be better.

I have been working with my coach a lot in the past, you know, three, four weeks before coming here. And then also I think because I got injured of my wrist, I mean before CME that I have been talking about, before CME.

So I took like December kind of off because I have to prevent my wrist. So I feel like I don't have enough time to like put the work on that much, so that's why I think like this kind of time, three, four weeks before Honda I have been working a lot on the swing and sequencing.

Q. Can I ask you as well about the they've changed round the two nines this year. Does that affect you in any way, how you approach the course?

JEENO THITIKUL: You mean the first two hole, right? They swap.

Q. Yes.

JEENO THITIKUL: I don't think it's matter. I mean, like I they did it because they want the spectators to be walking past -- because 9 to 10, the original one was kind of far. Then they have the players teeing off from 10 which is kind of interrupting them a little bit.

So I don't think it's matter to us.

Q. Jeeno, you said you are happy to come back here. I remember covering the LET when you were a very young player. Pattaya must be your lucky city.

JEENO THITIKUL: I would say Thailand should be my lucky city. And, yeah, especially Pattaya. Obviously everyone love being in their hometown. Like we get used to it. I think I get used to the heat, hot weather compared to like kind of cold or windy, breezy.

So I mean, hopefully it's going to be my lucky charm again this year in Pattaya.

Q. Last year I believe 55,000 people attended the event. Would you say this is one of your busiest events of the year crowd-wise?

JEENO THITIKUL: Yes. I feel like we play in Asia, right, we play in Malaysia, we play in Korea, we play in Japan; obviously next week it's Singapore and China. Then I feel like if I compare to other country that I played, I would say Thailand should be on top of the most spectators coming out. I mean like in Asia.

But compared to America, definitely more than America. But U.S. Open, similar. But I definitely think Top 3 in the whole year season.

Q. We hear that you've been doing quite a bit of camping in recent months. There was some rumors that you might put up a rent on the golf course here and stay overnight.

JEENO THITIKUL: I saw a tent. Saw someone do the tent. I think it should be Thai staff. Yes, I love camping. I think when you played golf for the whole year, when you spend your work the whole year, sometime you need like a time when, you know, life and balance.

So I think to be able to went out with friends, hang out, you know, in the mountain which has no signal at all, phone signal, so we just escape from all the kind of busy stuff, busy city and social media as well.

I think it's just really quality time that we spend on present, on what have we do right now, not just on phone.

Q. Whereabouts in Thailand was that?

JEENO THITIKUL: It's called. Is it T-A-K?