FORTINET FOUNDERS CUP

March 17, 2026

Jeeno Thitikul

Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, hello and welcome to the 2026 Fortinet Founders Cup. We are Joined by world number one Jeeno Thitikul. Jeeno, can you talk about being here this week at the Fortinet Founders Cup and playing this new golf course, having this new sponsor this week, what it all means?

JEENO THITIKUL: Yeah, it's definitely means a good sign. I know like all the LPGA staff, Craig doing a hard job to be able to get this done as the new like good news for us to be able to kickoff, kind of kickoff the season for all full field here in San Francisco with the new sponsorship.

I think the purse money going bigger as well, right? Yeah, that's what I thought. And also seeing like west coast for three stretch is really nice.

Q. Do you have a lot of experience playing in this area?

JEENO THITIKUL: No, not at all. I played once for International Crown but it's so different to this one.

But the golf course looks nice to me. I just finished 18 already because I play morning today; yesterday was afternoon.

Q. And what are your thoughts on the course? Is there anything in particular you like about it?

JEENO THITIKUL: The rough still was so rough. (Smiling.) I mean, like I think the rough should be a trouble here if you're not get the ball in the fairway.

And then the green was a little soft to me. I mean, maybe if -- but I just knew from Ricki (phonetic) this morning -- no, her friends, that they just renewed the green, like just a year and a half and then they watering it a lot. That's why. Obviously it looks nice to me and challenging as well. Hilly.

Q. And you won in Thailand obviously; played Singapore. What have you been doing the past couple weeks to prepare for this week? Did you do anything fun to celebrate the win?

JEENO THITIKUL: Not at all. (Smiling.) I mean, after I won then I think I left the course like 7:30 p.m., which is so late at Honda, and I have to drove back home by myself, like alone in my own car, like two hours back home and then pack for Singapore week.

Obviously had a really nice, you know, week in Singapore eating, exploring around, and last two weeks there in Thailand.

Q. That drive by yourself, was there anything in particular you were thinking about? Did you have music on?

JEENO THITIKUL: I try to drive as fast as I can to get home. (Laughter.) I was like, (making vroom noises.) Especially it's not in America. We don't have to be that good good driver in Thailand. So obviously I know exciting when it's happening, just happening in 24 hours, but by that time I want to be fast but I always want to be safe as possible.

Q. You said that in some ways winning in Thailand felt maybe even more satisfying than a major might be.

JEENO THITIKUL: Uh-huh.

Q. How do you think that experience might help you as you're going into a major on a Sunday in contention? Will you draw from what you did in Thailand?

JEENO THITIKUL: Uh-huh. I think every time I went through like a final round in Sunday it's give me a lot of things and it's give me a lot of experience to be able to calm myself down and then calm the games now more than my rookie year, more than what I have in the last couple years.

Obviously have been in the final group in Honda was just going to be so excitement going on, and then all the fans definitely cheering for me, and, you know, like all the -- you know, you're not listening to it but sometime the fans can talk and then you can hear it.

But, okay, you're not like pay attention but obviously you going to hear a lot of -- everyone voice, right? So I think it's good, the confident. It's gain like -- I think every time you get it done on Sunday in the pressure moment, exciting moment, nervous moment, it's give you like, wow, you can beat yourself I guess and you can beat your mindset in there.

Q. Did you say you could beat yourself or you could be yourself?

JEENO THITIKUL: Beat. Beat yourself.

Q. How do you keep yourself from beating yourself?

JEENO THITIKUL: I know. I know. Just, you know, like we are human and then we have a lot of thoughts in a day, in a moment, in like just a second. And definitely 80% it's a negative thought for just human being.

And then obviously playing in a nervous situations, excitement situations, you're just like, oh, what is my ball going to do? What's the worst case it's going to be like?

It's a lot of thought going. But as you get it there, as you calm yourself and as you see just only one shot that can releasing your mind, it's just like, yeah, I beating myself already.

Q. Where does your wisdom come from? You're so young but seem to have such an old soul almost, a wisdom about you. Where does that come from?

JEENO THITIKUL: I don't know. Golf. Golf I think -- I used to be like not reading a book at all. Like I just hate reading books. Just spend all my time with like watching the series, do some stupid stuff.

But once I fails a lot, like you're not going to get it every time that you have a chance. Once I fails a lot and I learning about myself and then I start reading books, start reading like the mentality side, and then talking with some of the people that had a really good mindset on this, I think it's got improve.

Q. Obviously here at the Founders Cup. I know one of the things we talk about on the LPGA Tour is acting like a Founder. You're doing that with the work you do in Thailand. Talk about the schools and the things you're doing to support youth in your country.

JEENO THITIKUL: Yeah, I mean, at my position right now I think I have, you know, take a lot from the people, people like giving a lot of things to me, and I feel like when you receive it you feel fulfil. Once you giving back it's more happier and more like fulfil to your heart than taking.

So I think once I have an opportunity to give it back to my country, to like the people that they don't have opportunities like us, I just, why not? It's just no why at all reason to be not doing that. I know the position I be like now, my why is really important.

So everyone can listening to me right now in my position; not back then. So we do get a lot of attention on that. I just own -- I did with my friend. I did the JK Charity with my friend. They just come and play golf, 18 holes, but they will see us on par-3. And Pajaree was in it as well. I invite her.

We got four professional to standing at par-3 and they do some auctions and then we just giving -- last year we did give to build those like a building for the school, like a classroom.

This year we do the medical supplies for the hospital that they don't have enough like money to be able to get the supplies.

Q. That's powerful stuff. Back to the golf course for a second. I feel like last year you won CME, or in '24, excuse me. Took a second to get through to Mizuho to win. Do you feel like having a win this early in the season kind of sets you up for more wins in a quicker timeline? Does it really matter?

JEENO THITIKUL: I feel like it's definitely going to like gain the confidence, but by the time it's -- it did have some periods of time that golf is hard. Doesn't matter when you win it, but the tough time definitely coming, even during your year.

So I think it not really matter to me that much, focusing on each period of time. When you struggle with things, when you struggle with your putter, driver, and then you figure out day by day I guess.

It's golf, right? And then obviously I did set my goal to want to win like every year, but I just delete it already. I feel like it's not that easy to be -- because I think '23 I did that one and after I delete it; I set myself kind of free.

Well, better than what I set it.

Q. What have been the most impactful books that you've read?

JEENO THITIKUL: He's called Good Vibes, Good Life maybe. The cover, it's gold.

Just explaining how you can think positive by doing just small things, like from the small things. Then you just put yourself on the people, on the position that's -- with like positive people, with positive like situations. Like everything can be involved in you, but you're not notice.

Everything in your life just involved, and then sometime when you help people it's going to drain your energy as well. So I think that one is -- I read it twice. I think last year and this year again. I'm not a quick reader at all, so to me it's a lot of time to be able to finish one book.

Q. Is there a retired player, Hall of Famer, someone that is from the Tour that's made a big impact on you?

JEENO THITIKUL: I think the one that I always look up to is Lydia Ko. I took her to dinner in Honda and we talk a lot. And then the things that I like her is obviously inside the course, but obviously outside the golf course she seem happy all the time as well. She got really great personalities.

Everything that I saw, every interview, everything she done for the Tour, it's matter than what she just achieve inside the course.

Q. Did you ask her any specific questions that you remember?

JEENO THITIKUL: I think I did ask her like what's motivating you to do it still? She's just like, she want to be good in everything that she do. So she's really competitive she said like in a golf way, so that's why she's just not notice about the win at all, but like she want to be good good on what I'm doing, not just golf, but everything.

So I was like, that's true because you be just all right, like I said.