home jobs contact us
Our Clients:
Browse by Sport
Find us on ASAP sports on Facebook ASAP sports on Twitter
ASAP Sports RSS Subscribe to RSS
Click to go to
Asaptext.com
ASAPtext.com
ASAP Sports e-Brochure View our
e-Brochure

OMEGA DUBAI LADIES MASTERS


December 7, 2013


Pornanong Phatlum


DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

BETHAN CUTLER:  We'd like to welcome the winner of the 2013 of the OMEGA Dubai Ladies Masters, Pornanong Phatlum from Thailand.  So exciting watching you play the 18th hole today.  Can you start off by telling us how you feel now and how you felt as you hit that third shot on to the green?
PORNANONG PHATLUM:  Yeah, now I'm very excited.  When I'm on the course, I just play on my game and I didn't think about to win or like just don't want to pressure myself.  Just be calm and play on my game and enjoy on the course.  Yeah, everything like going well and that happened.
BETHAN CUTLER:  How did you keep calm under that pressure.
PORNANONG PHATLUM:  I think I got a lot of experience, like playing on the LPGA and everything like I learned everything a lot this year and just like my personality is pretty calm myself, plus I'm very much satisfied with my performance on the LPGA Tour.  The whole season has been great for me, so it's nothing that I worry about.
Also, my experience really helped me to be really calm today.

Q.  The back nine that you played today, including the shot on the 17th and before that, some of the birdie putts that you made, was that one of the best stretches of golf that you've played in your career?  You were fabulous on the back nine today?
PORNANONG PHATLUM:  Yes, actually I made some excellent shots on the back nine but however since I have some experience before and definitely this year, I was on the leaderboard a few tournaments, and then I already had the confidence on each shot.  Plus, I didn't think much about winning or losing, so that keeps me calm, and just play my own shot, my own game.

Q.  What does this mean in the greater schemes of things?  How important is this win to your career, this specific win?
PORNANONG PHATLUM:  It really increases my confidence and inspires me to move forward from the season, and also, once I have this, I'm looking forward to have more victories.

Q.  How was your first year on the LPGA Tour and will you go back next year?
PORNANONG PHATLUM:  I won one unofficial tournament, the Brazil , and this is my third season on the LPGA Tour.
BETHAN CUTLER:  You celebrated your 24th birthday on Wednesday, so happy birthday and congratulations.  This must be a very nice birthday present for you.  So how will you celebrate this victory?
PORNANONG PHATLUM:  This week is such a special week for me, December 4 and the Kings of Thailand birthday on December 5, this week is such a special week for me already.  That's why I feel very special for the event, and plus the national birthday for UAE.  I have my mother and my father and my brother who caddied for me this week, and I'm definitely happy for representing Thailand this week, as well.

Q.  There have been quite a few Thai golfers who have done well, but quite lately, in the last two, three years, quite a few Thai female players have also started playing very well and doing well on the LPGA Tour.  Can you tell us how things have changed for Thai lady golfers back home?
PORNANONG PHATLUM:  It's definitely not myself, there's a whole group of young stars helping the whole Thai golf industry right now, and I feel like this could be pretty much inspire the newcomers to look up to the success.  This is a good example for them to see that we can do it.

Q.  What's your brother's name?
PORNANONG PHATLUM:  His nickname is Wow.  (Laughter) He's also a professional golfer for the Asian Tour, as well.

Q.  So how important is it to beat someone like Stacy Lewis, of her standing in golf, how important is that today and how does it make you feel to overcome that?
PORNANONG PHATLUM:  I didn't think who I'm going to win over or beat anyone.  Definitely Stacy Lewis, the big name right there, we cannot deny it, but for myself, I didn't think I cannot beat Stacy.  I just think my game.  It's nice to win but for me I didn't think I beat Stacy Lewis.  I just won by myself with my game.

Q.  Stacy seemingly blamed a camera flash going off on the 17th hole for her failure to putt.  Just going to ask, did you notice the camera flash, was it that obvious and how disappointing is it that it happened as you were going head‑to‑head against each other?
PORNANONG PHATLUM:  I didn't look at that‑‑ well, definitely I'm trying to prepare for my routine and putting.  But I noticed after Stacy Lewis putt, after her putt, why they are still having cameras flashing around, I heard Stacy saying something about a camera flash.  But I didn't see it before that.

Q.  Obviously you're very calm now and you seemed calm the whole way through.  Is that something that is just naturally the way you are, or is it something that you've specifically worked on because there's a lot of pressure out there today and yet you didn't show it and maybe Stacy looked at if she kind of succumbed to it slightly.
PORNANONG PHATLUM:  First of all, this is myself, but I definitely have been working on meditation, as well.  I have been doing meditation with my brother, and her brother has also really helped her today to be calm, helping shot by shot and under this huge pressure today, definitely my brother is the one who keeps me calm today.

Q.  Can you just tell us about some of the shots that you hit on the back nine, or which clubs did you use?  For example, the birdie putts that you made?  I think it was‑‑ 13th or 14th where you made a long birdie putt and what you hit for the second shot on 17 and 18.
PORNANONG PHATLUM:  14, I used a 4‑iron.

Q.  How long was the putt?
PORNANONG PHATLUM:  I think about seven feet.  It's a long put.

Q.  17, the second shot?
PORNANONG PHATLUM:  17 is like 100 yards, just pitching wedge.
18,54 degree.  Just like 75 yards.

Q.  How far from the pin?
PORNANONG PHATLUM:  Very close, yeah.

Q.  Your first time in Dubai, can you tell us your experience of the tournament and how you liked the city?
PORNANONG PHATLUM:  I feel great, especially the hotel that I stay in.  Thanks for the tournament, and I felt very welcome, everywhere I'd been.  And especially the weather, it's close to Thailand, which helps a lot to feel comfortable like home, and it's been nice here.

Q.  Will you come back?
PORNANONG PHATLUM:  Of course, defending champion.
BETHAN CUTLER:  Once again, congratulations.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




About ASAP SportsFastScripts ArchiveRecent InterviewsCaptioningUpcoming EventsContact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297