Jutanugarn Gains Confidence, Learns From Mistakes
Three months ago, Ariya Jutanugarn was still in search of her first win on Tour. In April she nearly captured her first major championship, but stumbled down the stretch, closing with three consecutive bogeys to finish in a share of fourth at the ANA Inspiration. While it wasn’t how Jutanugarn wanted to come away from the season’s first major, it proved to be a teachable moment for the Thai player, who has since bounced back with a break through that has grabbed the attention of the golf world, winning all three events in the month of May on the LPGA Tour.
“I mean I have a lot of mistake, and I just learn from that and especially on the ANA, it teach me a lot, like how to play under pressure,” Jutanugarn told the media. “After that I just feel more and more comfortable to play golf and when I’m nervous I know how to deal with it.”
Jutanugarn’s work with Vision54 has helped Jutanugarn learn to play under pressure, and she now enters the season’s second major with an opportunity to win her fourth consecutive event on Tour and her first major title.
“They teach me how to be happy before I hit the shot. And I think it’s really important to me because especially last year I never happy to play golf,” said Jutanugarn. “But right now I really happy, no matter what the result I’m just very happy with it. Only key I have to do is I have to be nice to myself. So not complain about every single shot. I just be nice, even hit a good shot, I just tell myself I hit this one good.”
Jutanugarn has been hitting a lot of good ones of late, the long hitter taking driver out of the bag to improve her accuracy off the tee. She’ll take the same approach this week at Sahalee Country Club, which is known for it’s towering trees that create narrow landing areas off the tee and around the greens.
“The golf course so hard for me. I play yesterday and I fee like the course too narrow. But great golf course, great shape, the greens are so good. But a lot of trees and big trees, pretty hard for me because I have to share my shot a lot.”
Jutanugarn is currently ranked No.133 in driving accuracy.
Click here to watch Jutanugarn's pre-tournament interview.
Ko Can Make It Three In A Row At KPMG
Lydia Ko enters the season’s second major with a chance to make history. One year ago Ko had yet to win a major championship, now this week she enters the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship with an opportunity to win her third consecutive major title after winning both the 2015 Evian Championship and 2016 ANA Inspiration. It’s a pressure she isn’t eager to feel or be reminded about.
“When I think about it as, hey, this is a major, everyone wants to play well at a major, I think there’s just too much pressure,” Ko told the media. “So I think I just have to kind of least expect it and just enjoy it.”
Ko missed the first and only cut of her career at the 2015 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Westchester Country Club where she posted 72 – 76 to miss the weekend. With a win this week Ko would become the first to win three consecutive majors since Inbee Park in 2013, a likely feat on a track like Sahalee that reminds Ko of Vancouver Golf Club where she won the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.
“I obviously have played well at Vancouver. I don’t know, something about the West Coast I really love it. I would love to live on the West Coast later in my career. And maybe that’s the thing that kind of brings it out,” said Ko. “But obviously coming here and realizing that it’s a lot like Vancouver I think it gives me a confidence and I think to give me the confidence to trust my game and just enjoy it and say that I can play well at these type of golf courses.”
Ko is a two-time winner in 2016 after winning back to back at the Kia Classic and ANA Inspiration.
Click here to watch Ko's pre-tournament press conference.
Piller Poised For Victory At Sahalee
Gerina Piller is playing some of the best golf of her career.
Since helping lift the U.S. Solheim Cup Team to victory at the 2015 Solheim Cup, her confidence has soared along with her game, posting six top-10’s in her last seven starts. Piller has now climbed to No.16 in the Rolex Rankings, sitting on the bubble just one spot removed from qualifying for the U.S Olympic Team in Rio.
“I think that this year, especially after Solheim it gave me a lot of confidence,” Piller told the media “And it would kind of come and go after Solheim, but I think this year with playing really well it just really confirms that I belong out here and not just to make a cut on the weekend but to be in contention at the top, week in and week out.”
Piller finished in a share of sixth at the season’s first major, the ANA Inspiration. This week, her game will be tested on a course that sets up well for her and puts a premium on ball-striking
“I feel like this week you’ve got to kind of dumb it down, and just go back to the basics of hitting fairways, hitting greens, and just start with that,” said Piller. “This is the kind of course where you can’t really stray off from your objective because it could definitely bite you in the butt.”
Piller ranks No.43 in driving accuracy and No.5 in GIR.
Click here to watch Piller's pre-tournament press conference.
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