Q. Judy Rankin was marveling at the places you were able to position the golf ball. How do you feel like your distance has given you an advantage here this week?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: I mean, looking at it that way it is kind of a different course. I can get to some of the pins a little easier with shorter clubs. The par-4s all day, just as long as I've had is 9-iron and then 7-iron.
So it's a different course. Just got to still have -- need to hit it good and keep it in the fairway.
Q. This isn't the first time you've opened up a large lead. When you won back to back on the Symetra Tour you won by a combined ten strokes. How do you maintain the focus to keep going?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: You know, today I'm going to leave it behind. It's a great day, acknowledged it, and it's in the past now. All I can think about is what can I do tomorrow, what can I improve from today's round? I was getting a little tired at the end. What can I do to keep my energy level up throughout the day tomorrow? That's going to be my goal.
And just stay calm out there. I feel like I did that pretty well. And just have the golf, so whatever the outcome is I'll be really happy. It's been a good week so far.
Q. You had a chance to compete here also as an amateur. How do you feel like that experience has helped you this week?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: A lot actually. I feel like it was a little, you know, better and also more comfortable off the tee. Obviously with the length that I have some of the lines you had to take it a little different, and seeing it enough, and I've hit it the furthest I've ever hit here. It's a little strange to have a lob wedge in the 1st hole. You know, you just got to adapt and just play your game.
Q. Patty, 54-hole lead, held the solo lead after each round here at the ANA Inspiration and a brilliant 5-under 67 today, including three right out of the gate. How important was that three to establish the momentum for the round?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah, it's always nice to have a good start to feel a little bit more comfortable throughout the day. I was hitting it really good. I'm putting so well right now. Just really pleased with how everything played out.
And obviously it was a little tough today, too, towards the end. It was hot. It was getting windy. Even though like I shot good scores, like the process was still a little bit challenging, yeah.
Q. How did the wind affect your game, maybe your mentality out there, especially with the conditions drastically different from the first two days?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: They were definitely tougher, but the first couple holes we had downwind, so it's a little bit of a help there. I just hit my drive, landed on the downslope, and just kept rolling. So it's been nice.
But it's a little tougher to stop the ball sometimes on the green. Just got to pick a little bit better shots. Got to be a little bit more sharp tomorrow. Overall it's great, so good round for a tough condition.
Q. Were what you telling yourself out there to just keep yourself going? I would imagine you had some thoughts of how well you were playing and maybe the lead was growing. What do you tell yourself when you continue to play as well as you are just to keep the pedal going down?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: You know, I just keep staying with the present, just take it shot by shot, hole by hole. Doing the same thing I've been doing since day one. Stay patient out there. I know it's going to be tough. If I'm going to be able to pull it out it's going to be tough.
I got to be ready for all the challenges out there, which I think my mentality was. I was just like whatever it takes, just us give it to me. I'm ready to play.
Q. Last year when we were talking you had told me that really Tiger Woods kind of inspired you into the game when you were living in Bangkok. He was the ultimate closer. How do you draw on some of that to be the ultimate closer tomorrow?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: I like his style of play. You know, even though obviously it's uncomparable, my level and his level.
But he is a great competitor, and no matter how much lead he has, he's still going to keep pedaling like it's the first day, and I really like that about him.
Q. Do you plan to take that same mentality into the final round?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah, I have that in mind.
Q. What do you plan on doing this evening?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Just relax, take some good rest and recovery well. You know, try my best to sleep early and not think too much about golf and just be by myself, no social media.
Q. Do you have any experience sleeping on a lead like this?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: I think so, but I'm just so tired that like I really want to sleep. I don't think I will have trouble sleeping tonight.
Q. What is the most strokes you've been ahead going into a final round?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Zach, I'm going to have to ask you on that. I don't know.
Q. At any level.
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Well, actually played here when I was like 14 and I had I think like a ten shots lead going into the final round. But that was like a long time ago and that's the only thing I can remember.
Q. And did you say you will not look at social media?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah. I don't -- I'm not really -- I like to keep my circle really small, especially like when I'm playing. Mental health is really important for me because sometimes getting on it I just drifted me away from myself a little bit.
And I'm on it, off it. Just very on and off with it.
Q. So even if people are saying positive things about you you don't necessarily want to know?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah. I mean, I appreciate all the good comments and all the positive words that have reached out to me, but at the end of the day I'm still -- I still have some work to do. It's not my week off of where I can just scroll. I still want to be focused on only, you know, words from people who matter.
Q. Yep.
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Is more important to me.
Q. As you stood on the fairway on 18 were you contemplating at all going for it?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: No, it was in the -- it was in a divot. I wasn't going to risk it.
Q. Got it.
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: My wedge game has been good all day, so why take the risk? I know I can make birdie some other way.
Q. Just kind of reiterate what Karen said, you had a five-stroke lead at the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic in Rochester heading into the final round. That was a four-day event. You shot a 7-under par 65 in te third round to create that. Very similar. Do you remember --
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: I do.
Q. -- what you -- how you approached the final round and the mentality?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: I think I just kept doing my own thing. I remember being really calm and just, again, just keep pedaling, like it's not ever yet, anyone could do anything incredible tomorrow, and so am I.
Like everyone has the capability to go out there and shoot low scores. You can't really be ahead of yourself there. Just there is a lot of golf left. It's 18 holes. Anything can happen.
Q. When we had Shanshan in here she said she learned a lot from playing with you today. She likes to joke that she's not the longest hitter, you are. What was it like playing with Shanshan today?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: It was really fun and relaxing. I feel like I really like her demeanor on the course, relaxed. I feel like that kind of helped me a little bit just be relaxed. It's a final group. Like it's a lot of pressure.
But it's been really fun today playing with her and talking about just, you know, stuff.
Q. Were there any funny moments, something she might have said?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: I don't remember. I don't remember. Sorry.
Q. That's fine.
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: But we laughed a lot, yeah.
Q. Has there ever been a point in your golfing career where you have felt as in control of the golf ball as you do right now?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah, when I was playing -- when I was back in college I feel like I had the same tendencies, patterns, shot patterns. I'm just really confident with my ball striking right now. It's not going to be like I -- just, you know, like, again, I have to commit, and I feel like my commitment is going to be important for me to keep hitting good shots.
Q. Do you have a specific swing thought that you've been leaning on this week?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Not on the course. On the course -- well, it's going back to being -- having a play box is probably feel a bit more laid off because I tend to get across, but that's pretty much it. I'm not trying to force to get it to the position where I want to be.
Just feel it out and feel like in my hands when the club goes through the ball and just feel the whole thing, just a feel type of thing out there.
Q. When you were coming up through the junior ranks and over the years, were you always the longer hitter when you played with other kids?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah. Yeah, I was. I was hitting it the longest probably my freshman year in college. But just hitting it so far and high. Didn't know how to control the flight. Learned that a lot. I lost some distance last year just from losing a little bit of that weight and my swing changes a little bit. So my ball striking hasn't been, you know, the greatest every since my sophomore year on Symetra Tour, which is kind of like it was iffy.
I was hitting a cut and I've never hit a cut in my whole life and I played with it. So I made it work. So learned a lot this year that nothing has to be perfect to play good golf.
Q. So this is playing without being 100%, is that what you're saying?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah, 90. I don't think golf is perfect. I mean, there is always going to be some bad shots out there. Just focus on the good enough, good, and great ones.
Q. And just one quick follow up. How much distance do you feel like you lost from last year?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: I gained from last year.
Q. You gained? How much did you gain?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: 15 at least. I don't know, last year was different. I didn't take care of my body well, too. So everything is different. Feel like I'm hitting it the same I was hit it freshman year. If anything a little further because all those were fat and this is like a little bit more muscle.
Q. What is the greatest challenge for you that triple digit heat poses?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: I could not hear that.
Q. Triple digit heat, the greatest challenge that it poses.
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: I been drinking enough water the past few days. Just going to keep doing that. Maybe take two hydration tablets tomorrow just to, you know, a little bit more. But, I mean, I'm fine in the heat. I grew up in this Thailand.
Q. When you have that hot of a start, obviously you're a great player, how do you just keep the hammer down? How do you keep pushing on the gas pedal to keep going low?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: There is a lot of self-awareness going on out there today. You know, I obviously -- I was getting excited and I know that. I acknowledged that. I did everything I can to keep it a little bit calmer because I know I'm getting excited. Just bring that down to the normal level. Just keep on playing.
I think I did that really well today.
Q. So tomorrow being a final round and being a major championship, if you start to have that kind of happen again do you think you're just going to keep the foot on te pedal or it protect?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Keep on the pedal. I don't -- just doing the same thing, you know. I play aggressive when I can be and you got to play smart golf. It's a major championship. It's pins are tough, tough conditions. Like you got to have the things you need to go out and execute and embrace all the challenges out there.
Q. Today you were making the six- to eight-footers, looking pretty routine. Maybe share your thoughts with us about the putting and how it felt today, any keys?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah, I putted really good. I been rolling really nicely since the first day. You know, some putts didn't drop. I didn't let that affect me. I just kept on, you know, giving it a good roll.
My reads were better today. It was kind of in my system a little bit more. That's why I made more putts. But just got to do the same thing tomorrow. Just keep making good strokes and hopefully go in.
Q. You said that you didn't hesitate on your approach shot to 18. You just decided you were going to layup. Were you able to see your approach shot to the 18th green?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah, it was only 187. It was probably like a 6-iron, but it was in the divot so I wasn't going to risk that. It was kind of like sitting down a little bit, too.
I mean, the chances of it, you know, going left, right, short, or even, I don't know, just some weird stuff could happen there and I wasn't going to risk that.
Q. I was referring to your wedge into the green.
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Oh, wedge into the green. Sorry. There is a little bit of noise right now. Wedge into the green, yes, I could see -- what was the question again? Sorry.
Q. About whether or not you could see the entire shot when it hit the green.
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Oh, yeah, I could.
Q. And I know just asking you about did you have anything going through you mind when you saw it starting to come back down the hill a little bit?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: No. I mean, if it was in the water I was just going to take a drop and hit it again. But it stayed up, and I knew I can make up and down from there for par or even chip in. There is always opportunities from the next shot.
Q. What's your routine going to be tomorrow when you get up and start to prepare for the round?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: The same thing. I've been taking care of my body well, doing some exercises in the morning, going bed early and getting up whenever I get up. Not stress too much about golf. Just, I don't know, don't think about it. I don't usually like to think about golf when I'm off the golf course any way.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports