Honda LPGA Thailand
Siam Country Club, Pattaya Old Course
Chonburi, Thailand
Wednesday Pre-Tournament Notes
February 25, 2015
The LPGA Tour returns to the Siam Country Club, Pattaya Old Course this week for the ninth edition of the Honda LPGA Thailand. Anna Nordqvist returns to defend her title against a field that includes 16 out of the top-20 players and nine of the top 10 in the Rolex Rankings. Past winners of the event on hand are Inbee Park (2013), Yani Tseng (2012, 2011), Ai Miyazato (2010) and Suzann Pettersen (2009).
Defending champion Nordqvist is excited to come back to Thailand and defend the first of her two wins in 2014.
“I think the course is in fantastic shape,” Nordqvist said. “Just a lot of fun to come back. Obviously had a lot of great memories from last year. So the course is playing good; greens are fast. I usually like that, so I can’t wait to get started.”
Inbee Park comes in with some unfinished business after a runner-up finish in 2014. The No. 2 player in the world is a fan of the Siam Country Club, Pattaya Old Course.
“I think it’s just the golf course here is great,” Park said. “They are always in really good shape. I had good results here in 2013 and ‘14 obviously with the win in 2013 and the runner up finish last year. I just feel comfortable with the golf course and the atmosphere. And the food and the people they are just so nice here. I just love to coming to Thailand.”
COMING IN FRESH
Prior to her win at the 2014 Honda LPGA Thailand, Anna Nordqvist was considering walking away from the game. She hadn’t won since her rookie season at the 2009 LPGA Tour Championship (95 events between wins). She spent that offseason working hard to get to where she needed to be and that resulted in two wins last year.
This past offseason, Nordqvist took more time to relax and come in fresh.
“This is one of the first years where I don’t feel like I have done any major changes,” Nordqvist said. “I did a lot of changes coming into last year, so actually felt like a little less stressful in this off season. I took a lot of time off and just kept the same team and, you know, been working on the same things.”
She’s hopeful that she’ll have just as fast a start this year as she did in 2015.
“Had a really good beginning of last year, so I’ll just be trying to do the same.”
GRADING HER PERFORMANCE
Michelle Wie was asked today to grade her performance to start the year and her acting debut on the television show Hawaii Five-0. With a T24 finish at the Coates Golf Championship and a missed cut at the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic after getting strep throat, Wie is ready to get back to playing good golf.
“You know, I played okay in Ocala,” Wie described of the season-opening event. “I was just a bit little rusty. Very up and down. I had brief flashy moments of brilliance and then just moments of pure stupidity. Unfortunately I got really sick in the Bahamas, so that was that. So beginning of the year. Just working out some kinks, having fun. Really happy to be back in Thailand and back into the rhythm of playing again and being on the road with these great ladies.”
As for her acting debut on Hawaii Five-0 where she played herself, she gave a mixed review.
“Hawaii Five-0 was so much fun to shoot,” Wie said. “It was so weird. I hate watching myself on TV, but definitely watched it. I was like, ‘Am I really that awkward in real life? What am I doing with my head?’ But it was actually really fun. They made me feel really comfortable. It was definitely an experience. I kind of wish I was the arsonist at the end, the villain, but maybe next time.”
WORKOUT BUDDIES
Stacy Lewis and Michelle Wie live close to each other near Jupiter, Fla.. and the duo happen to share a trainer in David Donatucci. As a result, they find each other in the gym at the same time and joked about it being a motivating factor.
“Our workouts are pretty similar,” Lewis said. “There are days in the gym where we have the same workout. Michelle is trying to keep up with me usually. But it’s cool. We have been able to motivate each other. I think we’re both kind of checking each other, seeing what the other person is doing. I think it’s been good for both of us, both of our games.
Wie joked that she brings a smile to Stacy’s face whenever she shows up in the gym at the same time.
“I think I bring great entertainment to her day when I workout,” Wie said. “See a smile on her face for sure.”
Lewis agreed and added a final, joking dig to her workout buddy.
“She’s really tall,” Lewis noted. “She just can’t jump very high. The whole awkward thing, it’s very true.”
STRESS AT HOME
Pornanong Phatlum resides in Bangkok, Thailand and the pressure of playing at home in front of so many fans may have gotten to the No. 28 ranked player in the world.
“In the beginning, yes I was so nervous and stressed out,” Phatlum explained. “I had to go see a sport psychologist to get myself to calm down. Now I am ok. I will just play my game. I want to do my best for the fans here. I hope to win this tournament but if not I will be happy to finish in the top 5.”
This is her sixth time playing in the Honda LPGA Thailand, with her best showing thus far coming in 2011 with a T13 finish.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
0- Number of times a player from Thailand has won an LPGA event
7 - There have been seven different winners of the Honda LPGA Thailand. Only Yani Tseng has won the event more than once (2011-2012)
6- Number of countries represented within the top 10 of the Rolex Rankings
9 - This is the ninth edition of the Honda LPGA Thailand, which began in 2006
15- The total number of countries the LPGA holds events in
16- This week, 16 of the top 20 in the Rolex Rankings will play at the Honda LPGA Thailand
22- The average age of the three LPGA winners (Na Yeon Choi, Sei Young Kim and Lydia Ko) in 2015
34- The number of combined wins by the five International players participating in today’s press conference (Stacy Lewis, Inbee Park, Michelle Wie, Anna Nordqvist and So Yeon Ryu)
| TV TIMES THIS WEEK Golf Channel airtimes of the Honda LPGA Thailand are as follows: (All times listed are United States ET) |
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| Thursday 2/26 | |
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1:00am-5:00am ET |
Round 1 Round 1 (re-air) Round 1 (re-air) |
| Friday 2/27 | |
|
1:00am-5:00am ET |
Round 2 Round 2 (re-air) Round 2 (re-air) |
| Saturday 2/28 | |
| 1:00am-5:00am ET | Round 3 |
| Sunday 3/1 | |
| 1:00am-5:00am ET | Final Round |
| Monday 3/2 | |
| 11:00am-1:00pm ET | Final Round (re-air) |
QUOTES OF THE DAY
“I had brief flashy moments of brilliance and then just moments of pure stupidity.” -Michelle Wie describing her play thus far in 2015 during a press conference at the Honda LPGA Thailand
“Really great to see all my friends hold up the trophy. At the same time to be honest a little bit jealous, so I want to be next one.” -So Yeon Ryu explaining how it’s felt to watch three winners with ties to her native South Korea with the first three LPGA events of 2015
SE RI PAK PARTNERS WITH VOLVIK
Se Ri Pak, considered by many as the pioneer of golf in Korea – men or women – agreed to a new sponsorship with Volvik. The #1 Korean golf ball manufacturer Volvik and World Golf Hall of Fame member, Se Ri Pak, announced the sponsorship on Monday, February 23, 2015 in Pattaya, Thailand, the site of 2015 Honda LPGA Thailand. The partnership will see Se Ri Pak using Volvik’s S3 – premium white color golf ball – as well as carrying Volvik brand on her golf bag.
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