THE MODERATOR: This is the press conference for the Malaysian players this week for the Maybank Championship.
So these five players will be carrying the Malaysia challenge this week at the West Course. We have Kelly Tan, Ashley Lau, Mirabel Ting, Liyana Durisic, and Genevieve Ling.
I'll start with a couple questions. Coming back to Kuala Lumpur, especially for players like Ashley and Kelly, what does it mean to you to play in an LPGA event on home soil?
Kelly?
KELLY TAN: Always an honor I feel like representing Malaysia. We do this week in and week out, even though we are kind of based in the U.S., and it's just a lot of fun to be able to do what you love and represent your country playing at home soil, playing in front of family and friends, Malaysian fans.
I think Malaysia has really good golf fans. They're all very excited. So, yeah, super excited to play, tee it up tomorrow, and have hopefully a good week.
ASHLEY LAU: Similar to Kelly. I think we are all very excited to play in front of our family as well. U.S. is very far. My family doesn't go out there to watch me play. It's nice to have them watching me play here.
MIRABEL TING: Same thing, what Kelly and Ashley said. It's an honor, and just really excited. Like I played Florida State last two years and my family couldn't be there, and now knowing my mom is coming here this week, it's pretty exciting.
LIYANA DURISIC: It means a lot to be playing on home soil. Obviously played last year; it was nice; good experience. My dad is not here this week, but my mom is coming out, brother, all my cousins are coming out. I think it's a fun week to be shared with them.
GENEVIEVE LING: Yeah, I think obviously I've always wanted to play in this event, so it's super exciting to be able to participate this year.
Yeah, I think this is the only opportunity in the year to play such a huge event, an LPGA event, and I think we all want to do really well. Be really nice if all of us can perform well in front of the Malaysian fans.
THE MODERATOR: You've all played the West Course. What do you think? In a couple sentences, what do you need to do well to score here?
KELLY TAN: I think the West Course is a big championship course. You kind of have to drive the ball well and hit the second shot well and chip and putt well. It's a well-rounded golf course, so I wouldn't bias on one.
Obviously the more opportunities you give yourself on the greens the more birdie looks you're going to get. I think that's all of our plans.
MIRABEL TING: Definitely hitting the fairways, hitting the greens, waiting for putts to drop. (Indiscernible.) That helped me a lot last year.
ASHLEY LAU: Yeah, they kind of covered it all. I think just mostly staying patient and I am sure we're all humans. We all get under pressure, you know, playing in front of big crowds.
Maybe just dealing with pressure a little bit better and, yeah, I think that's more on the mental side though.
Q. Liyana and Genevieve, you're qualifiers. Liyana, you qualified through the same qualifier last year. So did it help that you have good thoughts about this golf course coming back here this week?
LIYANA DURISIC: Yes, definitely. Sorry, what was the question again?
Q. Did it help you have done well here before coming here this week?
LIYANA DURISIC: Yes, it definitely does help, because I qualified last year and it was nice to be able to come again and be able to prove it to myself that I deserve to be out here.
GENEVIEVE LING: Yeah, I think you said something about good thoughts. I don't think I've ever had bad thoughts about the course. I think of course for me, I play out here and practice out here, so I kind of know what I can do. With the conditions as well they're to pure, so it's almost like me controlling myself because I know how I can go out there with great conditions with the way the course is looking. So, yeah, just be patient and one shot at a time.
THE MODERATOR: Questions from the media?
Q. Hi, girls, my question is what kind of prep have you done for this week and your mindset going into the first day, for all of you?
MIRABEL TING: Definitely going to see my coach, working on the range, putting green with him before I went to Stage II, so that helped me a lot. And having to play well at Stage II give me a confidence for this week's game.
But I'm trying not to get so ahead of myself and trying to stay patient, like everyone on the table said that just now.
I'm just trying to get out there and play golf and enjoy myself this week.
ASHLEY LAU: For me, I kind of analyzed my statistics from just this year, what I was weaker in, so kind of working on that. And I think just for this week, I try not to do too much. I know when a big week comes we try to do too much and then we get burned out really quickly.
So that was a big key for me, just not doing too much and trying to keep myself...
(?) GENEVIEVE LING: Very similar to what Ash just said. Obviously playing at home being, you know, you really want to do well. We all really want to do well, so there is enough pressure coming from our own self. For me it's really just trying to do as little as I can. We all got to where we are today because of the work we have put in in the last years that we been playing.
So we know how to play golf. We just got to keep ourself in the right state of mind, calm out there. Everyone will be nervous. The nerves will come, so we know how that feels. It's about dealing with it. Yeah, hang out with family, try not to think too much about the golf, and just let the result show itself.
KELLY TAN: Obviously the same as everybody. I think especially for this week, the prep has not changed. My prep has years long, so I think when a big week comes, we think we need do more, we need to follow whoever else, but there is a reason why we are there and I think we just need to do what's best for ourselves. That's what's going to get us performing the best.
LIYANA DURISIC: Same thing. I've been focusing on my short game a lot this week. The greens a slick and it's important to have a good short game, I think I've been focusing also more just on the mental side of it, talking to my mental coach, and just trying to take it easy this week and not put too much pressure on myself and just have fun.
Q. Two questions. First one will be for Mirabel. Last year you competed as an amateur; this year you're competing as a professional. Is there any way you're approaching this week differently compared to last year?
MIRABEL TING: Nothing really changed at all. I'm still playing the same golf. I'm still trying to hit the ball. It doesn't change anything the fact that I'm an amateur or a professional. I still treat the game the same way. I'm just trying to get out there and do the best I can.
Q. Liyana, fresh off a win a few weeks back. Is there anything you want to carry forward to this week?
LIYANA DURISIC: Last week at the Ladies I just played really well and was very mentally stable. I don't know the word for it, more mentally steady, and I think I'm just trying to bring that into this week as well.
Last year I was trying too hard, doing too much, putting too much pressure on myself.
This week coming from Ladies I should be able to and handle myself much better.
Q. Best wishes. All the very best. Small question for Mirabel actually. You're playing with two young guns. Are you kind of excited kind of about that? Also I heard you got your card for the Q-School. What are your thoughts on that?
MIRABEL TING: I'm definitely excited to be playing with Lottie. We were both juniors in Florida State, so we don't really compete much when we were in school, but I think still going to say the same way. We're both excited to play with each other. I'm really happy for what she has done.
Hopefully we're going to have some fun on the golf course together.
Q. (Regarding Q-School. )
MIRABEL TING: No, I have not. No.
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