OLIVIA McMILLAN: Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon and welcome to the 2024 Women's Amateur Asia Pacific here in Thailand. I am delighted to be joined by some of the stars of our championship this week. We have world No. 4 Minsol Kim; our defending champion from Thailand, Eila Galitsky; we have Australian amateur champion, Mamika Shinchi; and playing in her fourth Women's Amateur Asia Pacific Championship, Avani Prashanth.
Ladies, thank you very much for joining us this week. Question for all of you. Avani, start with you. You've all competed in the WAAP before. Can you talk to us a little bit about how important this championship is to you in your development as you become an elite golfer?
AVANI PRASHANTH: This tournament is a bookmark event for all of us in our calendars. It gives us exposure to play against the best in Asia, so that is definitely one big advantage.
And just what the APGC does for all of us we're all so grateful for it. And not only do we get to play with the best, but also making lifelong relationships that will become useful when you start playing on the LPGA or LET together.
And I think once you win I think it's great because that gives you a head start as a young amateur and what you should and should not do. So, yeah.
OLIVIA McMILLAN: Mamika?
MAMIKA SHINCHI: This tournament is very important for me because I can try my skills on a very high level.
OLIVIA McMILLAN: Thank you. Very well done.
Eila?
EILA GALITSKY: So just what Avani said. It is great exposure, and the opportunity to just make friendships from around the world, around Asia, and the opportunity to get to play majors and compete with the top pros in the world is truly amazing.
OLIVIA McMILLAN: Minsol?
MINSOL KIM: My first international tournament in WAAP, in this golf club. I'm very happy.
OLIVIA McMILLAN: Very happy to have you here. Eila, you just touched on the majors, as did Avani. You just spent the past year competing in three of them. Please explain to us what that experience was like.
EILA GALITSKY: Yeah, it was absolutely incredible. Just to practice next to Lydia Ko and Nelly Korda was just -- I mean, I didn't even get to play. That was just enough for me right there.
I mean, it's just really great to see how they manage everything, their schedules, what's it like. It's like what life was really like on tour, so it was great to see that part.
OLIVIA McMILLAN: And Eila, what would you say was the best part about being the WAAP champion for the past year?
EILA GALITSKY: Just traveling the world really. The opportunity, it was just amazing. This tournament is amazing, so really glad to have done that.
OLIVIA McMILLAN: Avani, I heard you say a lot about your mental game and your aggressive approach to the championships that you compete in. Can you talk to us a little bit more about that? When did you develop that mindset and how has it helped you?
AVANI PRASHANTH: I've honestly had it since I was probably seven years old. So I started playing golf like that. I always wanted to win. It can be literally anything besides golf and I always want to win. It's definitely helped me.
It obviously has been very helpful, but I've got to control it at times because I got to know when to play aggressive and when to play smart.
I figured that out so that should definitely help me this week, because it's a tough golf course.
Q. I often speak to you, but this is one thing I've never asked you before. You know, in Japan, Thailand, Korea, they have a very rich legacy of women's golf and golf in general, especially at the junior level. But coming from India, to be able to get to the world level, what does it mean and what does it take for someone like you?
AVANI PRASHANTH: It would definitely mean a lot, because I think that would just increase the belief of people back home that if I can do it a lot of other people can do it.
I think what it takes a following your process, trusting the experts, and just believing in yourself that you are really good and you will be able to get it done.
Even if things go bad, just always having the confidence in the back of your mind that you will get it back is very important. This sport does crazy things to you, especially when you're not doing well. I think just having that belief and confidence is extremely important.
Q. (No microphone.)
OLIVIA McMILLAN: You want all the girls to answer that?
AVANI PRASHANTH: Okay, the game feels pretty good. I've been playing quite well. Did a decent job in Australia as well. I like this golf course. It's a long one. Decently wide fairways as well, so it's everything that I like.
Yeah, if I just get my putting together I think that will be pretty -- it'll be a good week for me then.
MAMIKA SHINCHI: I want to play aggressively for four days, and I think there will be experience and excitement waiting for me at this tournament; so I want to enjoy this tournament and do my best.
EILA GALITSKY: Yeah, the game feels pretty good right now. I actually played a men's event last week, a men's pro event. I didn't make the cut but I was pretty close, so I felt really good about that.
Heading into this week I'm striking it really well. Maybe work on my putting a little bit. It was an All-Thailand event. It was at Rancho Charnvee last week, yeah.
MINSOL KIM: I try really hard, and it brings me more confidence on my game. So I wish and I'm looking forward to having a better result from the last year.
Thank you.
Q. Eila, talk about the great relationships, friendships that have been forged over the short year you had. In the short career that you've had -- I know you're only 16, 17, 18 -- we saw you for the first time last year. What kind of relationships have you had? (Indiscernible) has spoken to me about what a great friendship, but can you just tell us what you think.
EILA GALITSKY: I mean, great is a strong word. Yeah, I mean, it's like we're all friends here. Minsol, we're friends, right?
MINSOL KIM: Yeah.
EILA GALITSKY: It's great. Just to see so many faces from different countries, and I know if I go to other countries they're going to welcome me. I'm welcoming everybody here, so I am just really thankful for all the friendships I made along the way.
Q. Eila and Minsol, you guys over last year is winner and is runner-up. What if you guys compete again in this tournament?
EILA GALITSKY: I mean, we had a great match last year. I mean, we both did really well. I just felt like my putts dropped more than what she did.
Minsol is a great player. Really, really amazing. I did lose her on the 11th hole when we played match play last year, so I was just really happy we got to play together honestly, yeah.
MINSOL KIM: I cannot imagine right now, but it would be fun if we play again like last year. But since the last year I got a chance to get close to Eila. If that happen again this year, it would be very fun and we would enjoy.
Yeah, thank you.
Q. (No microphone.)
AVANI PRASHANTH: Definitely I think I just started putting a lot better. Became much more consistent than what it was. I had a good stretch of events last year starting from the Indian Open. Made a couple of changes and I think that's what has been helping.
Game-wise and strategy-wise I don't think anything has changed. If everything comes together, I think I'll have a pretty good week.
OLIVIA McMILLAN: Mamika didn't compete in the WAAP last year, so she is going to give us a general overview of how her game has developed over the past 12 months.
MAMIKA SHINCHI: So as you know, I didn't play last year, so I think mentally I probably strong enough to compare this year. And also, I can (indiscernible) better score, especially more than like 12 months ago, and I can...
EILA GALITSKY: As I mentioned, I practiced like when I was on the range before, every single round, what the top players, their caddies, went out to the range and place the targets at like 20, our 30, 40, 50 yards. They're pitching is absolutely perfection.
What I've been working on this year is just to like get better from 100 yards and in.
MINSOL KIM: I talk to my coach about my swing.
Yeah, swing motion more better, okay.
OLIVIA McMILLAN: Minsol, can I ask you, you are the highest-ranked player in the field this week. Does that put any extra pressure on you?
MINSOL KIM: I'm good, but interview is very hard, yeah.
OLIVIA McMILLAN: So the interview puts extra pressure, not the game?
MINSOL KIM: Yeah.
Q. (No microphone.) (Regarding picking out one or two holes.)
AVANI PRASHANTH: I mean, I think the 16th, 17th, are the holes I don't really like too much. I've just got to figure out my way around them.
Otherwise I think just taking advantage on the shorter par-4s is important because not all the par-5s this week are gettable.
I think that will definitely be key.
MAMIKA SHINCHI: I think front nine is important in this course. Maybe the chance will come, so if I can wait I think I can get a low score.
EILA GALITSKY: For me the difficult holes will probably be 8 and 9 because there is a lot of water right and I fade the ball.
So I think those are pivotal holes for me to do well on. I mean, putting obviously is key on this golf course. The year when I played here I hit a lot of great shots but none of my putts dropped. I think the important part on this course is putting.
OLIVIA McMILLAN: Minsol?
MINSOL KIM: Me too, 8 and 9 hole.
OLIVIA McMILLAN: Ladies, you've all done a wonderful job. We wish you the best of luck on the golf course this week and look forward to watching you. Thank you.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports