THE MODERATOR: All right, hello everyone and welcome to the media center at the 2025 CME Group Tour Championship. I'm joined by Jeeno Thitikul, defending champion this week. Can you just talk about the excitement of being back here specifically at this tournament?
JEENO THITIKUL: I'm super excited to be honest. Super excited that only four rounds of golf and then we done. (Laughter.) Right? You guys done, too. You guys might not, but I am.
So, yes, so excited.
Q. Thinking back on last year, what memories do you have that come top of mind for this event?
JEENO THITIKUL: Definitely playing the final round where, you know, I holed the final putts and then I got everyone on my side, my coach, my manager, my caddie, to hold the trophy together. I think it's going to be my last forever memories, you know, to get it done here in like a championship tour tournaments, which is more than I could ask for.
Q. You're the frontrunner for a couple awards going into this week. How much is that top of mind for you and what would that mean for you to clinch some of those?
JEENO THITIKUL: I think all those kind of representing like how good or how consistency you are on the whole year as awards. But I think I trying not to think, but definitely you guys remind me every week, so how not to be thinking about that, right?
I think if that trophy belong to someone else or someone that's do the best, you need to give that to the person who deserve it.
So I have nothing to do more than just 100% out there.
Q. So what are you most looking forward to doing in the offseason?
JEENO THITIKUL: Eating a bunch of good Thai food, hanging out with friends, drinking matcha. Going Hong Kong with my family.
Q. What's the hardest part about this life, about this grind? I mean, you're on top of the game.
JEENO THITIKUL: Uh-huh.
Q. But what are the hard parts of being out here week in, week out?
JEENO THITIKUL: For me I always and always really want to have my university life. I never had it. I never experienced that. I just graduate from high school. And then once I really missed it, but everyone will say you don't have to do to university as you're here, you're a golfer and as you're making lots of money as my friends not graduate yet.
But I will say also traveling, it's hard. I think especially for Asia. Like it's really far from Thailand, really far from Asia. Really far from my family, too.
Q. If you had gone to university what would you have studied?
JEENO THITIKUL: I have no idea. Which one is the easiest to finish? I want to experience like a hangout life, not learning life. (Laughing.)
Q. If you can describe your year, both the good, challenges, everything, how would you describe the whole thing?
JEENO THITIKUL: Well, I think I had four, five time on this question this week, but I think it's still been really like amazing ride this year. Definitely ups and downs. Definitely had a lot of close one but couldn't finish it. Cried a lot for sure on like second runner-up.
But I think like as how often you fall how fast you know how to stand up, so I think that's a really good like life learning experience for me.
Q. You've been through a lot at such a young age still. How have you learned to become so mature so young?
JEENO THITIKUL: Life got me to. Sometime I think golf got me to this kind of position, but sometime I trying to be like a five-year-old kids to doing something stupid as always. (Smiling.)
Q. What was your biggest purchase with the winner's check from this event last year?
JEENO THITIKUL: I think the Disney ticket was expensive, too. (Laughter.) I don't know, the hotels and everything, I was just like, wow. They need to working hard to take their kids to Disneyland.
And then I bought a car in Thailand. Uh-huh. A Mercedes Benz in Thailand. But I planned it before I went. Luckily have the check to pay.
Q. What does the offseason golf-wise look like for you? When do you start ramping up? What will you work on before you get back next season?
JEENO THITIKUL: Everything. Still everything. I think like nothing happy enough for improvement room for sure, so trying to focus on everything, but I think my biggest key is trying to be healthy.
Q. You mentioned the ups and downs. You won twice already, a lot of runner-ups. What have you learned about yourself this year as you reclaimed No. 1 and had a really good season?
JEENO THITIKUL: I think I have learned a lot not just from this year but also from the previous years and coming until now. This is my fourth year on Tour. Still had a lot, a lot long way to go that I have to be learning.
But this year had taught me to be more humbling to be honest. You know, like you're there and definitely one day you're not going to be last forever in my career for sure. So one day -- until you go down you're not losing yourself, and then just being -- you know, you still having to improving yourself even though what ranking are you still.
So I think the world No. 1 position I am in today really teach me to be really humble of everything that I have.
Q. And with that, what has it been like? The first time you had world No. 1 was shorter. Now that you've had it for a little bit, what has it meant to you? I know you talk about being humble with that. What has it meant to you and what's sort of the goal in mind to keep that and continue playing consistent golf like you are?
JEENO THITIKUL: I think golf for me not to keep the position of the ranking but to keep my improvements golf, of the game that I have. Because I might be had this performance-wise of golf, but next year can be someone who has really outstanding performance at like more than me for sure.
So I can't tell about the ranking-wise, but I just can tell about myself why that I keep myself -- I keep my game on, you know, where position that I love to and then where position that I be handling and then can be in contention and like each week that I played.
Q. We see you enjoying all the spoils of success now, but when you were a kid what are some of the things you gave up to get to where you are now in addition to college life?
JEENO THITIKUL: The reason that I play golf is because of my family. My family is only like my first priority why I played golf. So that's why it's kind of reminding me really well every day that I've been here that whatever ranking I am, whatever, you know, position that I finish in each tournament, I be able to take care of them.
So that's already my goal as a young kid.
Q. At what age did you set that goal of taking care of your family?
JEENO THITIKUL: Really early. (Smiling.) Really early. I kind of know that like as 13. That's why I have no college life. (Smiling.)
Q. How heavy did that feel at times for young person?
JEENO THITIKUL: I don't feel heavy, but I feel like I just can't give up. There is a lot of people behind me, so I just can't give up. Yep.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much, Jeeno, have a great week.
JEENO THITIKUL: Thank you.
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