THE MODERATOR: Please welcome back to the interview area Wichanee Meechai. Walk us through your round a little bit.
WICHANEE MEECHAI: It was great today. I made a lot of safe par putts. I didn't tee off pretty good today. Just I feel so tired, to be honest. But just have to be positive and then have fun on the course.
Q. Can you talk a little bit about the fan support?
WICHANEE MEECHAI: Yeah, I was so excited this morning because all the par-4s, two sides of the hole, it's like filling with all the crowds. I'm just so excited this morning.
I'm glad that people come and watch the women's sport more. It was really good experience for me.
Q. You talked a lot about your confidence yesterday, and I noticed on 12 you kind of had a moment where you left the putt short and then you kind of stood there by yourself for a while and you were looking away. I was wondering, was that something you were doing to try and regain your confidence? What were you thinking about in that moment?
WICHANEE MEECHAI: To be honest, I just feel so hot and tired at that time. The club that I hit, I think it's perfect, but it just end up like very long. The first putt, the thought that I have in my brain is like you're not going to put that in the water. That's it.
I feel like the bogey, it's not bad in here. The par putt that I made, I just feel like, okay, it's going to be very downhill, and you just give the break and putt it. Just focus on it, and I made it. I'm glad that I made it.
Q. The round could have gotten away from you there because you bogeyed 10 and then a good solid par on 11, solid par on -- then you made the putt on 12. You kind of raced off the tee there. What were you feeling after you made that one?
WICHANEE MEECHAI: Which hole?
Q. 12.
WICHANEE MEECHAI: I think we got timed on that hole, so I didn't think -- to be honest, I didn't think anything except I'm just going to go and then play faster and catch up with the group in front.
That's what my game and just trying to play faster, but it doesn't work for me, so I feel like I need to calm down a little bit. Yeah, I didn't think anything about my game at all, just trying to play faster.
Q. What's been the reaction in Thailand that you've heard back home from family and friends and strangers?
WICHANEE MEECHAI: Because I feel so nervous and I don't like the pressure at all, my manager told me to lockout on all of my social media. But I got a lot of texts, but I didn't answer any one. Just called my mom, and she was hoping that I could be patient on the course. That's it. I'm trying not to look anything on my phone because it's going to put pressure on me, so I turn off everything.
Q. That's a lot of discipline. Well done.
WICHANEE MEECHAI: Thank you.
Q. How did you sleep last night with the ghosts?
WICHANEE MEECHAI: It was fine. It was fine. Nothing happened. If it's a ghost, I don't -- I'm not going to say I'm not afraid of it, but I will get along pretty well with the ghost. I'm trying not to say anything if I hear something, so I'm just like -- like act normal.
But it was fine last night.
Q. You talked a lot about nerves and confidence yesterday. What are you most proud of how you handled the situation today?
WICHANEE MEECHAI: I think my focus on the game is pretty good today. I hit a lot of bad shots, but, you know, like I don't have any bad thoughts about my swing or about the result at all. I'm just staying in my zone and trying to keep going and then be patient.
Q. It looked like you and Piano had a moment on the first tee this morning, Arpichaya. Did she stop by and say anything to you before you teed off?
WICHANEE MEECHAI: She was just saying good luck, and we have a practice round together, and I just talked to her that you have to be patient on the major course, something like that, so she kind of said good luck and hope I do well. Yeah.
Q. How much support are you feeling from your fellow Thai players?
WICHANEE MEECHAI: Oh, I feel so proud. I feel so glad that I'm the oldest, kind of oldest in the group right now, like Thai people, and they have a lot of respect on me. So I'm trying to act pretty cool, to be big sister for them, so I'm kind of proud.
I'm so glad that -- they are so great. They are really good players. She's just 19, 20 and hits it so good, putts it so good. I'm so proud of them to be this great.
Q. You qualified into this tournament. If someone had told you on Monday that you would be tied for the lead heading into the final round of the U.S. Women's Open, what would you have said to them?
WICHANEE MEECHAI: Not at all. To be honest, yesterday I thought about missing the cut because I used to be in this position. Like the first day I shot pretty good, and then the second day I just like 80s and missed the cut by one. I cried a lot.
I never think that I'm going to be on the leaderboard or something like that. But it's great. It feels really good.
Q. I was interested to hear you say that you don't like pressure, but when it happens, what does it feel like to you, and why don't you like it?
WICHANEE MEECHAI: It makes me cannot focus anything. My brain just stop working. It just like go outside and then just flat. I don't know how to stay it in English, but it's like blank.
It's like when you have a lot of pressure you cannot think about anything. You cannot feel your body. You cannot feel your brain. You cannot feel your hands. So I just hate it.
But you're not going to be able to get rid of it. I think the best part for the three rounds for me, it's like I kind of managed to get along with the pressure. I think that's the best part of the three rounds.
Q. A lot of people laugh when people talk about ghosts, but I know a lot of people sincerely believe in ghosts, too. I'm curious if you've encountered ghosts before?
WICHANEE MEECHAI: I'm Buddhist, so we believe in ghosts. We believe that have another world is it?
Q. Shadow world?
WICHANEE MEECHAI: Yeah, kind of like that. So yeah, we talk about it. Actually KP told me -- asked me do I want her to sleep with me in the house because it's so scared, but I was like, I'm going to be okay. I'm going to be fine. I have like superstition thing that I put it on, like protecting, from my mom, so I think it'll be fine.
Q. Is that a Buddhist thing?
WICHANEE MEECHAI: Yeah, you have like a monk or something that you respect and you just put it on your neck, and I put it on my neck when I sleep, so I think it should be fine.
Q. Is that a necklace?
WICHANEE MEECHAI: Yeah, yeah, it's a necklace, exactly.
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