THE MODERATOR: Okay, welcome to the media center at The Chevron Championship. I'm joined by Jeeno Thitikul. First major of the year. Can you describe how excited and what you're looking forward to most about being here in Texas?
JEENO THITIKUL: I am just excited to being here in the first major. Be in Texas seem like my second home here. Obviously Houston, not Dallas, but, well, I mean, excited for kind of like sunny weather.
I know it's raining, but like still warmer than last week in California.
Q. And last year, this time last year, you were making your debut for your season after your injury. Talk about where you kind of were last year and how far you've come in a year.
JEENO THITIKUL: Yeah, I remember how like things have going around starting from my first debut from last year. Still remember like how really nervous I am, excited, and also like kind of worry about things because it's my first week back after injured and then I don't know how golf -- how it's going to be like for me on the first week as the first major.
Which is kind of really excited for me at that time. Till now just really nice to be here again, and then just grateful for everything that's happened last year till now.
Not my first debut for this year, but still seem like a debut for me. It's a new major, it's a new like year, first major of the year. Still feel like fresh start.
Q. And speaking of this year, you've been on an amazing streak I think dating back to last year, Top 5 and top 10 finishes. I know Nelly talked a lot about her team and you came to this media center without your team. We were like, wait a second, you're by yourself. How much of your performance do you attribute to your team as well?
JEENO THITIKUL: Uh-huh, I think my team, we not work as like a team-team that's like called like different, not related to anything.
But I think my team work like a family, really family things. I know I came here by myself which is my manager is supposed to be here but he's still eating lunch with pajamas on. I mean, like he seem like -- my manager seem like my second father to be honest. He was -- a lot of players have been ask like is he my dad, but he's not. He's my manager. Seem like my second dad.
Also my I coach who with me since I was 16, 17 till now. But I knew him since I was 11. He feel like my bigger brother and also can say dad sometime, but he's not old as Jack. (Smiling.)
And then my caddie who been with me since I was an amateur. I think like the team that I have, I never change anything. I never change my manager, never change my coach back then, and I never change my caddie. I would say this is not the best team. This is not the perfect team that I have. Even myself. But this is the team that we going to improve together.
Q. Speaking of improvement and on that reflection track, four years ago you were a rookie. All of the accomplishments you had in your first four years as a Tour member, do you think back to 2022 Jeeno and what you would tell her sitting at the first major of the year as probably one of the favorites to win this week?
JEENO THITIKUL: Yeah, before I came here to the media center I read like the golf.com, the book that someone put it in my locker which have myself on that book, too which is nice. If it's not have myself I was like, what have you do?
But I read, and it's a lot of stories that reflecting me, how I became like a rookie on the LPGA Tour till now, what's the thing happening in this four years that I have been on Tour.
I just think like I'm so grateful. I really appreciate everything that's happen. I know it's a lot of ups and downs and kind of rollercoaster life on Tour, which I think is normal. It's just really normal in golf in general and then in life as well.
You know, like the good thing it's going to be good. Your emotional-wise, everything, the vibes going to be good, but like I'm just grateful for what I have on my down times.
When I have my down time or like my slump, I think it just reflecting me, how I can challenging myself and I can overcome all the downside I have in my head.
Also the team and then the people, the real people that I know who standing there for me. The down time, it's the time you can reflect all of that things.
Q. Looking at the golf course, finished 12th here last year. It was a great start to your season after being off with an injury.
JEENO THITIKUL: Uh-huh.
Q. Have you noticed any changes in this golf course from last year to this year? Obviously wetter. Anything else you noticed that you're going to try to adjust this week?
JEENO THITIKUL: I think definitely going to be the rain that we going to have. I just finger cross not to have rain on the tournament days, but I think the greens and the fairway play kind of softer than last year of course because we got the rain.
But other than that, I don't think any big change of all the course have been set up for.
Q. Do you feel like the hottest player in women's golf right now?
JEENO THITIKUL: Do I feel like what?
Q. Do you think you're the hottest player in women's golf right now?
JEENO THITIKUL: Hottest in golf and hottest outside of golf?
Q. The whole world or women's golf.
JEENO THITIKUL: I'm just trying to -- I trying to keep doing good, good, good. I trying to keep seeing your face, Amy, and interview with you every week, which is just a good sign.
So I'm not saying I'm hottest or (indiscernible). I'm not going to say that. I think, I don't know, I just think like a lot of the talented players have potentials out there.
Q. All the money that you won at the end of last year, how has this impacted what you've been able to do? Not everybody can have a team that costs money obviously. How has it been able to help you grow and improve as a player?
JEENO THITIKUL: Definitely helps a lot to not really thinking about -- I think it has some point in my rookie year or maybe some people still thinking about the money, what they going to make on the tournaments, on each tournament.
But like to just for now I'm not really thinking about making money, but I'm thinking about making like golf to be like a good golf and then also make -- for the win, is not for the money.
So I think, yeah, for me it's helpful that I can have all my team. I can hire more like physios, stuff, doing some -- buying GC Quad, which is helpful for golf.
And also buying a membership on the golf course here in Dallas. It's just a lot of the things to do with that money.
Also I love shopping. (Smiling.)
Q. Where do you belong in Dallas?
JEENO THITIKUL: I just joining TPC Craig Ranch where they host the PGA next week.
Q. You have almost 50 career Top 10s at such a young age. I think it's 46, right.
JEENO THITIKUL: Good number.
Q. It's an amazing number. What do you consider to be the reason for your consistency and success in always seeming to put yourself in contention to win a tournament?
JEENO THITIKUL: I just see myself like I don't have really strongest in, you know, what category, but every category, like driving, irons-wise, chipping or putting, I don't think I'm good, like outstanding category, but all the things that I have it's like standard and consistency, which is what I have been like always trying to keep it like this till I retire.
But I think the most key, it just hit where your caddie want you to go. (Smiling.)
Q. That's always important. What about majors? What's your mentality about the majors? Do you look at -- obviously you've played very well in majors. Still looking for that first win. Is it a stressful thing for you to want that major or do you feel like -- I know obviously you're so young and will have many opportunities, but how do you see that?
JEENO THITIKUL: I would see that as like a challenging things. Like one challenge to do. I'm not saying it's like stressful much because I know I'm still young and a lot of opportunity will come forward.
I just answer myself if I'm not winning any major till I retire, if I going to be regret or I'm going to be sad about that I would say I'm not.
I'm thinking all the things that I have been doing out here on the Tour, I have done enough, and then I give it all 100% and I just let it be more natural.
If I get it, I'll get it. If not, it's just more things to do, more than life, more than golf.
Q. Why do you think you have that perspective? So many stress over winning the majors and say they must have one in their career.
JEENO THITIKUL: I just thinking because it had some point that I have been stressful or maybe I put -- I don't want to put more pressure into myself on winning the major much, because I think if you put a lot of pressure on yourself on the golf course I don't think it's a good thing still out there to like performing 100% out there.
Because I knew that if I'm like just hit and then performing out there, I can be able to do it. But like sometimes the mindset, it's also important to do it, too. If I just be more relax and answer the questions that I have been doubts or worries, if I can answer and then it just like I can get all the stuff off of my head and then just be able to be myself and enjoy and play 100% performance out there.
Q. What were your plans? What has your practice schedule been like today? Did you go out earlier today and get some practice in? What was the plan and what have you been able to do?
JEENO THITIKUL: Yeah, I woke up so early. I went off the course like 7:30. No, before that. I hitting the first tee before 7:30 which is still earliest practice round tee time that I ever had in my LPGA career.
I did like eight hole and a half, which is enough. But and then I just drove back home right away. It's suspended and I came back from media and practice after that. (Smiling.)
Q. Did you look at the forecast and give yourself the earlier practice round as a result? Is that why you did that?
JEENO THITIKUL: Yes. If it's not going to rain I going to come early tee time for today anyway because yesterday I have like a late pro-am time, but not going to be this early. Because of the rain. Yeah, that's give me like the earliest.
Q. Piggybacking a little bit on what Jill was asking about your perspective, who do you talk to for bigger picture thoughts? Do you rely on your coach? Do you have a mental coach?
JEENO THITIKUL: I don't have like specifically like mental coach. I have like my swing coach is also he just learning like kind of like mental stuff. So I just talk with him, and then also talk with my friends.
Also learning by myself, studying, seeing a lot of perspective from like a lot of good players here, which is like kind of mix ups together the good thing and then just thinking, like solve it by myself.
Q. Is there a particular player that you talked about this or a quote that you heard from an older LPGA player that resonated?
JEENO THITIKUL: Not particular players that I've been talking about this. If I can set particular example I would say Lydia Ko would be my role model for this kind of thing.
Q. You have a great overall game. When you're on the driving range though, what part of your game do you emphasize the most? And then also during the practice rounds, what are you trying to accomplish?
JEENO THITIKUL: On my practice round I trying to -- I'm just trying to not thinking much out there. I'm just trying to learn the course as much as I can. I know hitting balls feeling good, but like sometime if the -- not the perfect -- like the bad shots coming, I trying to not remember that bad shots.
It's like if you remember it, it's can go into your memories which is not good. I just trying to learn the course out there. That's pretty much the key.
And then at the driving range, I think I'm trying to like -- I focus on my feelings on the swing pretty much. If I feeling good, hitting good, I just trying to stop it, not hit it until I see the bad shots.
And that's pretty much I'm trying to do now, because I used to practice a lot and then like I practicing it good, good, good till I see one shot that's bad and then I just really like angry about that shot.
So I just trying to like keep the emotional vibes going, good vibes or good positive shot, not the bad one.
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