BLUE BAY LPGA

March 4, 2026

Rio Takeda

Ruoning Yin

Hye-Jin Choi

Esther Henseleit

Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Today is 15th day of our Chinese New Year. Wish everyone have luck, fortune, and success in the Year of the Horse.

Today we will have our four outstanding players right here in our prematch press conference.

This is the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac. You were born in the year of the horse. Do you have any special hopes or expectations for this year?

RUONING YIN: I wish everyone a Happy New Year. I don't really have any special feelings that it is my year, but I hope to play well and have some breakthroughs this year.

Q. Hye-Jin, you had a very strong 2025 season; ranked No. 8 in the Race to CME Globe. What have you done particularly very well last season? What do you think is going to be improved in this season?

HYE-JIN CHOI: (Through translation.) So I had a really great season last year and I'm really looking forward to this year, too. I had a lot of chances last year so this season I'm going to focus on my mental and short game, and I'm really looking forward for it.

Q. Esther, everyone knows you (indiscernible) the Paris Olympics. Congratulations again. What do you think of the difference with Olympics, the difference?

ESTHER HENSELEIT: Yeah, the Olympics are just very special. You only get to experience it every four years and I got very lucky to be a part of the Paris Olympics.

Yeah, I would say on the golf course it's the same. You're just trying to give your best, play some good golf, but the whole like around it is just a lot bigger.

I actually stayed at the Olympic Village. I went to some different competitions. I got to watch some other athletes. It's very impressive how everyone is working so hard to be good in the sport they choose to do.

Yeah, it was an amazing week and even better to take the silver medal.

Q. Esther, welcome back to China. At the age of 27 you actually achieved a lot. (Indiscernible) first title and also Honor or Merit and Olympic medal in the age of the 27. Is this what you would like to think about it, 27 would you be like?

ESTHER HENSELEIT: I mean, yeah, I did have a great start to my professional career with like playing on LET and winning both the Rookie of the Year and the Order of Merit.

Yeah, I've had some great years on LPGA as well. Yeah, I don't really like to think about it as like a long time I've been on Tour. I still feel like I can improve a lot, and I'm definitely looking forward to playing the next few years.

Yeah, hopefully another like many years on Tour, and I definitely still have a lot of things I want to achieve.

Q. Congratulations.

ESTHER HENSELEIT: Thank you.

Q. You are the defending champion this week. How do you feel?

RIO TAKEDA: I was happy to play well last year. The win came faster than I thought. I hope hoping to play well again this year.

Q. How do you feel about playing again at Blue Bay as a high-ranked player?

RUONING YIN: I have good memories of playing here in Blue Bay, but I don't put much importance on rankings. I just want to learn from the last two years in Thailand and Singapore and do my best this year.

Q. There were 30 tournaments last year and you won early on. Many of your Japanese colleagues had great results last year, too. What do you think went into that?

RIO TAKEDA: There are many Japanese players on the American tours would perform well and even won majors. Watching them gave my confidence that I could do well.

Q. Hye-Jin, you have really often done well in Asian Swing, especially in Blue Bay. What was your strategy and your plan for this week in particular for you?

HYE-JIN CHOI: (Through translation.) I really had a great result in the Asian Swing. I think it's because if I come to Asia the foods are really good and the environment is really used to me so I really have great results.

Blue Bay, I played here two years before and I played well, so I'm really looking forward for this week, too.

Q. So Esther, the Blue Bay LPGA is the first full field event of the year, so what do you think about yourself? I mean, stress, any pressure or any (indiscernible) competing with so many young and talented players?

ESTHER HENSELEIT: Yeah, it's a great opportunity for a lot of rookies to come here, great opportunity for a lot of the young Chinese players. Yeah, it's great to see so many young people come out on tour and really, yeah, already be on such a high level.

I mean, I still feel like I'm young even though I might not be. It's my seventh or eighth year on Tour now, so I do get kind of old.

But, yeah, I don't really feel any extra pressure. I know that I'm putting in the work I have to and, yeah, I just think it's great to see so many young faces. It's great that they get the opportunity to come here to Blue Bay and enjoy this golf course.

It's a great crowd every year, so definitely a fun first event for a lot of players.

Q. (Regarding experience.)

ESTHER HENSELEIT: Yeah, I always really like coming back here. As I said, it's a beautiful property and so easy with the hotel on site. Yeah, as I said, the Chinese fans are great. They really love golf and it's great to see so many passionate people out on the course.

THE MODERATOR: Ladies would you stand? (Applause.)