MIKE WOODCOCK: Good afternoon everyone. We'll make a start to our second preview press conference. Delighted to be joined by the world No. 2, Jeeno Thitikul.
Jeeno, coming into this week at AIG Women's Open on the back of two top 10 finishes in the last two major championships. Does that give you added confidence going into this week that you can get it over the line?
JEENO THITIKUL: I mean, last two events I feel like I kind of find my game better than in kind of middle of the season, so, yeah, definitely feels better. I spent my two weeks off in Thailand which is kind of, you know, charging my energy. Saw my parents after a long stretch of golf; make it special, too.
MIKE WOODCOCK: Feeling refreshed going into this week and the challenges of links golf and readjusting to playing off the tighter fairways and the windy conditions?
JEENO THITIKUL: Yeah, I know, links always. But it's just really looking forward to come back here. I play here 2018 as my like second time in British Open as an amateur and really looking forward to beat my amateur score here. (Smiling.)
MIKE WOODCOCK: You don't have to say what your amateur score is. We'll take questions from the floor.
Q. What do you enjoy the most about links golf and what do you find the most challenging?
JEENO THITIKUL: I think we enjoy how can we escape the bunker. I mean, because like especially here every hole that we play, like par-4 or either par-5, we really had to escape it. Like I don't know how can they having that much bunker on the way that we play every hole.
So I think enjoy of challenging how we have to handle mentally and physically the balls. But, I mean, it's fun to have it once a year, only once a year.
Q. First two appearances in the event in the tournament here. (Indiscernible.) What advice would you have for the (indiscernible) playing here this year?
JEENO THITIKUL: Yeah, I mean, have a chance to play in, you know, a top level of professional golf, it's really huge experience for me. I mean, I remember first time in links course was Kings barn Kingsbarn with all the top players. It was like brutal, my score, my everything, my shots, it just like seem really far away on what I played.
And then I think when I came here Royal Lytham it's got better. I mean, I was luckily enough to made the cut and then I just got win whatever. I think I finished like last, but I got the win because I'm the only amateur who made the cut.
But for all the amateur, I mean, the experience really important for them. I know they play kind of like carefree. They can do whatever they -- they don't have to care about anything, right?
But I think to be able to learn how we can play because if not, one day you going to be on the LPGA Tour and you have to see once the course every year.
So it's just really great memories for me as a young kids, and then be able to be here as, you know, professional is really different, too.
Q. The majors come so fast, so two-pronged question. How important was it to give yourself that break to recharge the batteries? And also, does it feel like it's all too quick between April and now, four, five majors that have happened so fast?
JEENO THITIKUL: Yeah, I think the schedule this year kind of like feel like back to back to back majors like every week, and then I feel like if you're in a good run you might have a good chance in every weeks that you play.
I know it's a lot of adapting playing on some of like Evian course which is like so like uphill, downhill; playing here, which is like windy, pot bunker.
But I feel like if you're in a good run you might have a really good result in the major. As you can see, Nelly and Haeran had a really good run on the stretch.
So I feel like be able to have last two weeks off in Thailand really, you know, kind of settling my mindset down. You know, like relaxing moment, and then not really thoughtful about just golf but like related to life. Having a, you know, good time with family and friends, but I mean, still had to working on because majors coming.
Yeah, but I feel like if we can spread it out a little bit between the majors should be better for like fan, for every players.
Q. (No microphone.)
JEENO THITIKUL: I think it's really depend on the wind. I think this year play -- like the wind play kind of easier than last year, because last year we like right by the beach and then it's nothing, but here we kind of like more in town and then like the wind kind of not really blowing as last year.
And then, you know, definitely the ball kind of runs wherever it's want. We can't expect things like the ball is going to stop, but like the low shots definitely in play and then some of the bunker -- weird line bunker shot definitely in play on your golf game here, too.
Q. This is the 50th year of the AIG Women's Open. Obviously you're still very young, but in the time that you played in this championship how have you seen it develop over the years?
JEENO THITIKUL: Yeah, I mean, after the AIG step up to be our title sponsor and then have more opportunity for all the, you know, European side, I think a lot of like more amateur from Europe come to play with all the pro, which is, you know, how we can see the girl in the golf.
And then I think like all the fan need to see how good we are compared to the men, too. Because like some of the men said when I play with Tom Kim and then he said, you guys hit state straighter than the men. I was like, definitely yes.
I do know how women's golf is going right now. You can see example, like last year we had 24, 25 -- not 20, sorry, ten something like different faces on the winner last year.
And then I feel like it's grown and then definitely the prize money has increase, which mean what we are really looking forward to. Then hopefully more fans, you know, watching us play how straight we hit and then how smooth our swing is. (Smiling.)
I just love to see how AIG developing women's golf in European side, too.
Q. You and Nelly are world No. 1 and two respectively. How much do you enjoy competing against her week in and week out, and what do you think she brings to women's golf?
JEENO THITIKUL: Nelly, she's dominant like year by year. A lot of fans ask me what happened to her last year. I was like, it's golf. She's playing great. She just not win one. It doesn't mean she is playing bad golf.
For me to have, you know, a high level, like competition, not just with her but with all the players in the Tour, it's really challenging me every week that I can't stop improving on my game and I can't stop improving what I have to do and I can't just think like, oh, I'm the top players and I don't have to do anything right now.
I feel like it's kind of like put I think more work than I have ever in my life. That's what I need. But we just not like facing each other and then, hey, let's have a competition. I feel like every day that I like been there on the golf course I beating myself, my inner side. The negative side not going to overcome me, so that's why I -- if the negative side overcome me, that's when my highest performance is showing on.
So that's really like my strategy of, you know, hitting and then playing on Tour.
Q. Thoughts on starting with a par-3 and what is your strategy on that hole?
JEENO THITIKUL: It actually really good memories because I think my first shot on the first day in 2018 I hit it like this close. (Indicating.) I know it's weird par-3 but I rather start with par-3 than end up with par-3, like finishing 18 with par-3.
I rather like number hole par-3 than 18 par-3.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports