ANNIKA MAYERS: Joining me today before the HSBC Women's World Championship is Jeeno Thitikul.
You have never finished outside the Top 10 at this event. Could you just talk a little bit about how this course suits your game?
JEENO THITIKUL: Thank you for the pressure, Annika. No worries. I always love Singapore. I think I always said that I want my WAP here, Woman Asia Pacific, to be able to get into the majors, like the Evian and British Open, when I was like 15 here in new Tanjong. And then the week after that, I played as an amateur here and finished in Top 10, which is kind of really impressed to me. And then I think that's giving me a good sign, good memories with this golf course.
ANNIKA MAYERS: And then you obviously won in Thailand last week. It's been a few days. How has that settled in, and did you get outreach from anyone really interesting?
JEENO THITIKUL: Still need more sleep still. The adrenaline still going from yesterday but obviously today it settled down already because we had to play. I feel like, you know, you want just only that day, and then yesterday was, you know, like another new day that the trophy was in wasn't there anymore. It a new week and it's a new journey. It's new themes that you have to focus more because you want the day that you putted in the hole, not the other day.
ANNIKA MAYERS: Coming down the stretch at that event, how did that pressure compare to pressure you've experienced at other events?
JEENO THITIKUL: To Honda last week, I think it's kind of -- it's not that feel pressure, pressure. Because my friend told me, you to the extent want a couple years ago whenever you got sick and you got third on Honda, you never can complain.
But whenever you got second on other tournaments, you're always complaining to me.
I was like, oh really? I never remind them of that.
But obviously wasn't that pressure-pressure because whatever's happening there, it's always going to be good memories and good memory at the Honda. I never expecting about the result there. I only expect that the fans get the best because they come to watch us play.
ANNIKA MAYERS: And then this week at HSBC, we have nine of the Top 10 in the world in the field. What is it about this event that you think players enjoy playing in it?
JEENO THITIKUL: I would say that's why they call HSBC as a Major Asia, right. I think we all love the golf course, how it's set, how the conditions are right now. Whenever we came to play here, it's always in good shape.
And then, also, I think because of HSBC have been helping us a lot, and then partnership with LPGA for a long, long time.
But for me, it's food, and the city. The hotel is in a good condition. Just keep it there, please.
ANNIKA MAYERS: I will open it up to any questions in the room.
Q. Just seeing the young fans out there this week, looking up to you, quite the inspiration, are you happy with the distribution of golf particularly for women at the moment?
JEENO THITIKUL: Definitely, yeah. I mean, like I just spoke with my caddie's, like, friends, that do you think Thailand got the most, like, crowd and spectators in Asia event? And they are like, a hundred percent agreed with that. I was like, me, too.
And I'm so impressed. Impressed and, you know, excited what holds in the future for us. Golf in Thailand got bigger and bigger. Right now, not just we've got more golfers but also like amateur golfers came to try golf more and to get to know what golf is more.
So I think in this position in Thailand, we definitely are going in a really good way.
Q. Congratulations on your win last week. You finished tied second at the HSBC Women's World Championship last year. What do you think is needed for you this week on this golf course to get the job done this week?
JEENO THITIKUL: I think for this golf course, last year the pin was so tough. The pin was so, so tough for the, like, last two days. So we'll see. I think you need to have really good, like, first shots, the driver has to be on the fairway because the rough was kind of really, like, test your game.
So I think if you had a really good driver and putter for this week, you should be better and be on the top.
Q. Just one more question, just a follow-up to the question of pressure which was asked earlier. You're the world No. 1 and won last week. Obviously expectations are really high for you. How do you live up to the pressure of living up to world No. 1?
JEENO THITIKUL: I think I always stay grounded. Like what I have, world No. 1, the win, whatever it is, I just set it out on my side, and then what I have to do is doing my job because like new week, and every reset. Everyone has equal opportunities to be able to win the tournament, right? How many players, like 70-something players, we all have the same chance right now to be able to win the tournament and to be able to do the things on four days that's going to come in.
I think just your job. What I really want to do, I want to be good at it. Good at the shots I have. Good at each day that I have in a tournament, that's it.
Q. How did the pressure come down the stretch from Sunday compared to other big moments in your career?
JEENO THITIKUL: At Honda, right?
Q. At Honda, yes.
JEENO THITIKUL: It's so exciting, and it's nerves, pressure, not just the last hole but also 16, 17, 18. I know 16 and 17 was tough. Like to able to get par and even birdies, but obviously I think a lot of experience got me to a good position. The nerves is always going to be there but you have to beat the nerves, and sometime you get more, you know, worried about the future, about, oh, what next shot I'm going to do.
But like as I told myself, this is the time that you need to enjoy with it, need joy with excitement. Need joy with the nervous moments. That's why I kind of try to dance in the rain.
Q. And how do you think that experience will help you down the stretch at a major?
JEENO THITIKUL: Yeah, I mean, it's helped a lot. It's just not from last week but I think it's just from a previous year that I have been on tour for a long time. Obviously when the pressure moment, when the nervous moment coming, you're not going to get it every time. Not just for the win but obviously you have ten times, you're not going to get it ten times. You're obviously going to fall for sure.
But I think the times that you fall, then you learn what's the next time you're going to do. But if you fall, that's fine. Because you have the 11th time coming again.
Q. And just lastly, you were also out on the green with nine of the world's Top 10. How is it to come back here with HSBC sponsoring it for 18 years, and what do you like so much about this week?
JEENO THITIKUL: Yes, like I said, HSBC always kind and a big supporter for the LPGA for a long, long time. And then you can always see by the field of the players how they like to come here in Singapore and competing here as, like, I think HSBC always got the best field of Asian events because the organisation of the tournament is so nice. The golf course is always good.
And, yeah but for me, like I said earlier, the food, the hotel, the shopping area was there. So just keep it there. Everyone will be here for every year for sure, I promise.
Q. Does winning last week, as well as doing well this week, which is a very strong field this year this week, how would it help you in achieving your other career goals, which I'm assuming would be many, many majors?
JEENO THITIKUL: Yeah, be able to win last week kind of taught me just a lot of things. Because to be honest, last week, before the tournament day, I was worried, and then I was stressed about my iron shots a little bit.
Like would I be performing well with this type of shot that I have, not really accuracy irons that I have? And then to win the tournament kind of proved to me that sometime you don't have -- you don't need perfect shots. You don't need a perfect hundred percent. You can be 50 percent this week, you can be 60 percent, but you'll be able to get it done, and then be able to bounce back whenever you're not in a good position of your games.
So I think for the goals for the majors, for whatever, I think that's kind of always going to be with me. That's obviously if I'm not a hundred percent of my game, but I have to show out there and be able to bounce back. That's the improvement of my game already.
Q. So this is the second time that you've topped the World Rankings and you're world No. 1. I'm just wondering, how do you feel that you've grown from the first time that you were world No. 1, and is there anything different about the way you handle this week of being the world No. 1 this time around?
JEENO THITIKUL: Yes, I think I could remember the last time -- like the first time was in '22, 2022. I was just 19 years old. That was so young. But that was so quick, I think for two weeks, and then I dropped down to No. 2 No. 3.
It's definitely different to my perspective of seeing things. Seeing perspective of, like, every way of seeing that because at that time, I think I was so young, and then I just put a lot of pressure on myself. Even I know a lot of people already had eyes on me and they are already expecting me but obviously I'm not have that much experience, and I don't have much time with myself to see and reflect things on each day.
But right now, I think what I do have my balance with golf, and then myself are better than at that time. Obviously I things not seriouser. At that time I see things so serious. Even if I miss one shot, I felt that was bad.
Right now, when I have a bad shot, it's okay, you have another one. I think it's more relaxing. It's small thing to handle, I know. But I just told myself, I really enjoyed it to be where I am right now and then I'm not going to be in this position forever. There's going to be more top players coming up but I want to perform and enjoy this position as best I can.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports