KRAFT NABISCO CHAMPIONSHIP

March 26, 2002

Naree Wongluekiet

Aree Wongluekiet

LAURA NEIL: Welcome back to both of you. Just for clarification, Aree is on my right and Naree is on my left. Maybe you guys can start with telling us a little bit about coming back here for the third year. You are veterans now even though you are only 15.

AW: I am excited to be here. This is my third year, past two years have been very fun. I am excited and grateful to be back.

NW: It feels good to be back. I see lots of players out here that I admire. Just excited to get started this year.

Q. You guys came here two years ago. Can you tell us how your practice routine have altered; how much more are you doing now?

AW: A little bit. We're practicing smarter now than we used to since we have grown up and we're more mature now than we were two years ago. Just we spend more time around the greens now than we used to. So our swing has involved, but it is much better than it used to be and easier to maintain so we're spending more time around the greens.

NW: Well, I know the course a lot better now this year and I am just practicing more out of the rough, around the greens, and putting and just keeping the ball in the fairway.

Q. Jack Nicklaus said that golf is 90% mental. I am wondering as you are talking about your practice if you have been doing mental practice also or how much energy and attention do you give to the mental game?

AW: We're working with a sports psychologist right now at the academy and see her once a week. Just basically we get to know ourselves better. We go through our routine when we practice, just trying to stimulate for tournament play.

NW: Just I went through my routine at the beginning of this year, just I changed my putting routine a little bit and just starting to get more involved in the shot and focused and visualize more.

Q. I was wondering you have elevated your game significantly the last two, three years. Will you do more AJGA stuff this summer or will you be looking at bigger tournaments?

NW: We're done with junior tournaments. We're just focusing on the Futures Tour and LPGA events and mostly amateur events.

Q. Why is that?

AW: We have got to play against players who are better than us in order to get better instead of the players who are at the same level. I achieved both of the things that I wanted to achieve at the junior level. Now it is time to move on.

Q. Whose decision was that that you should move on?

AW: We both discussed it at the end of last season and we figured to get our games to the next level we have got to play against players who are already there, just better than us.

Q. What would there be gained by playing AJGA events? Do you feel there is anything you can prove there?

AW: Not really. Confidence and just experience, we feel we can find more of that on a high level of competition.

Q. How much event will you play on the Futures Tour and this Tour this year?

AW: We're not sure yet. Just hopefully play a few LPGA events this summer and most of the Futures we're doing in the summer; there's still school again.

Q. If you finished in the Top-10 in the future will you turn pro?

AW: We're playing Futures as amateurs so, we're not going to accumulate any money or anything like that, so we're not going to be on the money list.

Q. When will you turn pro?

AW: I don't know. When I get my braces off. (Laughter).

Q. Any date for taking the braces off?

AW: No date yet.

Q. Can you talk about your expectations now. Obviously you are past the AJGA level now. You are out here. You both made the cut last year. You were in the final group last year or two years ago it was you, I believe. What does that do to your expectations in these tournaments now and challenging for Top-10s and maybe even victories and even making the cut?

NW: Well, my expectation is a little higher this year for most of the pro tournaments that we're playing in. I know I can win out here but it just takes some time and experience and I just have to try to play my game in the real tournament day, really. I know I can win.

Q. Did you think you would be in the final group two years ago and do you almost expect that now?

AW: No, every tournament, you know -- a new round. You have got to take it one shot at a time and one round at a time and if I put too much pressure on myself on any tournament; especially this tournament where I have done well before, just my goal is to play as well as I can obviously, and more importantly just have fun.

Q. Even though you have been out here for a couple of years now, do you feel like there's no pressure on you at all because you are still only 15 because you are still not a professional?

AW: I don't think -- no, it shouldn't be more pressure than, you know, we're not favorites to win for this tournament or any tournament out here, so you know, just I am comfortable playing out here.

Q. Do you suppose that would be different the day that you ever do decide to turn pro or do you think it will be no different at all?

AW: I don't think it will be different. I treat every tournament the same way or I try to treat every tournament the same way with the mindset. All I can do is do my best and that's what I plan to shoot for.

Q. Is making the cut, is that the basic goal or --

AW: It would be nice. It would be nice to play four days, but yeah, that would be the first step.

Q. As twins did anyone ever advise you that you should be playing in different tournaments and not going to the same things all the time?

NW: Well, some people asked us sometimes why don't you play in different tournaments, but then it is kind of hard to travel to different places, and you know, a lot easier on our parents also and I think, I don't know, it not a big deal, I think.

Q. Did you ever find yourself trying to beat each other in a tournament?

NW: I think there's a lot of people out here and I am not trying to beat her. I am just trying to play against myself really and the course.

Q. Did you ever go through a stage where one of you felt slightly peeved if the other did well or have you always been very generous towards each other?

AW: No, I am always -- I don't know about her, but I am always happy when she beats me or when I beat her.

NW: Are you happy when I beat you? Can you repeat that? (laughter).

AW: Well, obviously I want to win tournaments, you know, anyone wants to win the golf tournament they are in, but you know, the next person whoever wants to beat me if I want someone to beat me, I would like it to be my sister. At least the trophy is sitting in the house. And I know I can beat her. (Laughter).

Q. Do you have different heroes out here or heroines rather; who do you both like best of these women players?

AW: Well, I like Annika and Karrie. I think -- I like to watch them play on Sunday, just sitting at home when they are on top of the leaderboard it is always fun to watch them compete and I learn a lot from them just watching them play down the stretch and see how they handle the pressure.

NW: I don't really have a favorite player. I just like watching top players play.

Q. Besides the LPGA events, the four, I guess, and probably the U.S. Open, what other events might you play, like U.S. Amateur and --

AW: Yeah, U.S. Amateur we're not sure about the U.S. girls yet, but mostly the amateurs and Futures, amateurs, the Western Am, the North and South.

Q. Have you played on the Futures yet this year?

AW: Not yet.

Q. How many can you play?

AW: We've got our cards through Q-School so we can play in as many as we want.

Q. What grade are you in now?

AW: 11th grade.

Q. How are you doing at school, what are your best subjects?

AW: History and math.

Q. What about college? Are you thinking about that yet?

NW: We're talking to a few college coaches right now. We don't know what we're going to do yet. It's still a long time from now, so.....

Q. Ballpark figure, how many college coaches have talked to you?

AW: I don't know, we get lots of letters. We get letters everyday, probably an average of five letters a day. In the beginning. Now since we don't apply to most of them, probably down to three a day, two a day.

Q. Have you visited any college campuses?

AW: Not yet. We're planning to next year.

Q. How is your brother doing these guys, what stage is he at?

AW: Good. He's a freshman at Georgia Tech, doing very well. He they just won four of the five last tournaments they played in.

Q. If you don't play AJGA and realize you are only 15, do you think there would be worthy competition or enough competition at the college level?

AW: Yeah, there's competition in college, of course, Lorena is playing well, there's always competition. College may be the next step, but we have got to see where our game is.

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