NW ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP

September 27, 2026

Yuna Nishimura

Pinnacle Country Club

Press Conference

MATT JESUS: Okay, very pleased to be joined by the winner of the 2026 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G Yuna Nishimura. Yuna, first win on the LPGA Tour. How would you kind of summarize your emotions now that the final putt has dropped, you've been sprayed with with champagne. How does it feel to be in a winner's circle on the LPGA Tour.

YUNA NISHIMURA: I missed a lot of cuts this year so for me to win this tournament is a surprise, but it's a dream come true.

MATT JESUS: You had a ton of Japanese support from fellow players, friends and family. What does it mean to have that kind of support out here on Tour?

YUNA NISHIMURA: So some of the Japanese players who started early this morning, they all stayed out late and waited for me. It feels amazing for all them to stay out and wait for me to watch this event.

MATT JESUS: You had a pretty big lead coming into today's final round. What was the mindset come into today knowing what you had to do in order to hopefully win?

YUNA NISHIMURA: So my ultimate goal was 20-under, and after the sixth hole I was struggling a little bit, but I kept my mind in the game and went for 20-under and I was able to do it.

MATT JESUS: Were you aware after maybe your front nine where you stood and that Aki and some of the other players had caught you? What were you telling yourself on the back nine?

YUNA NISHIMURA: So I found out on the 8th hole on the green and I was strangely comforted by the leaderboard, and it kind of motivated me to be even more aggressive.

And I did it, yeah.

MATT JESUS: Just describe the emotion sitting over that final putt knowing you probably had the win in place, and what were you thinking in that moment over your birdie putt on 18?

YUNA NISHIMURA: So I was embarrassed if I shot -- if I had a three-putter on the 18th, so I was focused to make that putt.

Q. Congratulations, Yuna.

YUNA NISHIMURA: Thank you.

Q. On hole 15 you make an eagle. You just hit an unbelievable shot into the green in two. What was the mindset going into that hole and how did that help you play really well on your last three holes of golf?

YUNA NISHIMURA: I knew it was a hole I had to be aggressive on. It wasn't an option to play up, so, yeah, I told myself to be aggressive from the start and that's what I followed all the way through.

Q. You shot a 63 on Saturday. How did that set you up for today to give you a five-shot lead going into today?

YUNA NISHIMURA: So five-shot lead is pretty tough situation, but I believed in myself and just kept going until the end.

Q. Yuna, Ai Miyazato won this tournament in 2012. What does it mean to you to have your name in the line of trophies as the winner of this tournament alongside your hero, Ai?

YUNA NISHIMURA: She is the reason I play golf. She's somebody I look up to and I just -- when I was struggling I would call her and she would be my shoulder to lean on, and so I can't wait to call her and tell her that I won.

Q. That was going to be my next question, when are you going call her. So congrats.

YUNA NISHIMURA: Thank you.

Q. What went through your mind when you made the bunker shot on 11, and did that kind of help relieve your kind of anxiety knowing that you were being pushed at that time? Because you had people that were within a shot of the lead of you, and now you were going to take the lead, take control, and get back control of the tournament and go on and get your first win.

MATT JESUS: Did making the bunker shot on 11 ease any worries you may have had knowing some of the players behind you were going to come catch you?

YUNA NISHIMURA: I was able to practice that exact shot from that bunker, and I actually love bunker shots, so I wasn't stressing at all about it.

I kind of just took my opportunity and I already knew I practiced it, so it came easy to me.

Q. With you having a five-shot lead and, you know, people trailing you, what did you learn about yourself today by finishing the job and earning your first LPGA victory?

MATT JESUS: Do you need help? What did you learn about yourself throughout this round, players catching you and retaking the lead again?

YUNA NISHIMURA: Last nine holes was the key holes for me, and so I just believed in myself and then I just went for it until the end.

Q. And lastly, with you winning this tournament, you now become the third Japanese player to win this event. What will you remember about Rogers, Arkansas and the fans at Pinnacle Country Club and the feeling of winning your first LPGA victory in this event?

MATT JESUS: What will you remember most about your win here, the city, fans? What will you remember most?

YUNA NISHIMURA: So this is one of the tournaments that I feel the most love from the fans, and especially on No. 18. It's a lot of fun. I love the energy and so, yeah, the fans mean a great deal to me.

MATT JESUS: Perfect. Congratulations again, thank you so much.

YUNA NISHIMURA: Thank you so much.