＜Photo：Matt Roberts/Getty Images＞

Suzuki won LPGA Championship Konica Minolta Cup in 2014, when she was the youngest of any other winner of this tournament ever lived. Now 23-year-old front runner Suzuki,who won again last year, is going to play as a Defending champion. What did she learn last year, and what is her goal now?

It's been two years since my first championship win, which I remember vividly. I held the same title in 2016, so I'm going into this year's tournament as a defending champion.

What did Ai Suzuki—now, at the youthful age of 23, having grown into a fine top pro—achieve in last year's tournament, and what is she heading for this time?

----How about last year LPGA Championship Konica Minolta Cup? What do you remember, in particular, before opening round?

I didn’t make the cut the year before last,so I hoped not last year. In those days shots were not so bad,but putting was bothering me. I didn’t expect too much. Actually the game before last championship, I missed some 1 meter putts in crucial hole. I spent more time practicing putting and then tried many other things. For example,I usually grip in traditional, but tried cross hand grip. In championship I putted in cross hand until the third round and only the final round was traditional.

During the previous week's match, I had somehow failed to score by a considerable margin, putting from a distance of about one meter. Therefore, in the week of the championship, I devoted quite a bit of time to putting practice. I usually prepare with an overhand grip, but this time I tried practicing cross handed and worked it out by trial and error. Even when I was playing matches, I made it to the third day playing cross handed, and I only reverted to overhand on the last day.

----Does a player so often change her grip in putting?

No, we don’t always change it, but as for me,when I don’t feel well, I sometimes change to cross hand in practicing. It is challenging for players to change it during the tournament in general. I felt uncomfortable in putting so much.

----You started at 1 over par behind 5 shot from the leader on Thursday. Did you feel like failing in the first round?

No,Even par would have been better for me with long rough and rainy condition. So even 1 over par wasn’t bad. I probably started from back nine and just birdied No10 and 11. Both holes were potential birdie opportunities but No10 was in and No11 wasn’t. After that, more or less than 1 meter were in easily but just 1 meter wouldn’t cup in. There was no way I could do. Why? I had been doing much more practice….I might have thought too much.

The first day certainly got off to an inward start, then suddenly, on the tenth and eleventh turns, I got a birdie putt of one meter, with the tenth going in and the eleventh not going in. After that, I could get it to go in by making the putt a little bit longer or a little bit shorter, and I just needed to get it in with one meter. Although I had practiced doing that, I was worried that I would not get it to go in from one meter. I think I was overthinking it.

----You couldn’t improve your score (1 over par) on the second round.

I could have made the lower score.But I wasn’t nervous at all because it was still the second day. For me, the third round is the most crucial in the case of 72-hole tournament like this LPGA Championship. I like 72 more than 54-hole tournament, because even though I don’t make a good score until Friday, I can rally on the third round. But in the case of 54-hole, I have no time to rally, as the third round is the final round.

I like competitions that last four days. If there are four days, I feel that I can take it at my own pace. In three day competitions, if I don't get a good score on the first or second day, I won't make it on the third. When there are four days, I can perform averagely on the first and second days and still improve on the third. If there are four days, I can putt comfortably.

----However, on the very third round you dropped on 4 over par, behind 5 shot from the tournament leader. On Sunday, you started in the third paring from the last.

I didn’t think I could win in those situation. By 5 shot is actually too many to close a day. In addition, the last group Teresa Lu, Jiyai-Shin and Miki Sakai ware all steady players. But I believed that not a good condition, such as long rough would be my potential to win. I wished I would close at least total 3 under par in case I shouldn’t win.

Even if I didn't win, I really just wanted to return three under par. I thought that if I managed that and still didn't win, that would just have to do.

----On Sunday, you first bogeyed on No2.Did you feel shocked?

Early bogey worried me but it had just started. I had more time and holes to play. I didn’t care about that. Then next Par 3(No3) long putt for birdie rolled in. That was definitely crucial for me .That made me change my mind completely.

----On closing hole you left a putt for birdie breaking to the right. Did you know your position then?

I saw the scoreboard around No12 and found myself co-leader or behind 1 shot. I never dreamed that other higher ranked players had dropped down. I got quite nervous and next hole(No13) missed the tee shot. After that I tried not to see the scoreboard. So I was surprised to see other players didn’t come and I myself had the opportunity to win on the No18 tee. In addressing on the final green, I was sure of making it firm,

----Did you read the breaks clearly?

Yes. I was sure of birdie. I wondered whether I couldn’t make it firm. And if I did so, I could make it, I knew. I had practiced putting harder than any other. That brought me much confidence. Mental strength is crucial.

----How about the last moment when you birdied on the 72th hole?

I had to wait for other players playing on. I wasn’t sure of my winning. But I closed at 3 under par that was my goal on the very day. So I was really happy with my performance. In addition, I was able to make it firm under considerable pressure. That was rather important than whether to win or not. Whenever major tournament, I longed for winning. But last year the failure of the week before made me relaxed. If I had won. I would have got more nervous and not improved my score on the final round of the LPGA championship on Sunday.

When it's a major tournament, I get a strong feeling of "I can do this! I want to win!" but last year, when I struggled and failed to win the week before the tournament, I wonder whether that might have had a good effect on me. When it's your first championship in a while, that might mean you're under pressure and you overdo it, and when you've won your last game, you have a lot of self confidence, and a strong desire to win again. Having lost recently, I'd lost some of that spirit, but in a good way, and I reached the last day without worrying too much about winning, and was able to focus simply on improving my score. I think that was connected with me getting a positive outcome.

----Your first win was the same LPGA Championship Konica Minolta Cup in 2014 What is the difference between the first and the second win?

I had got better, I felt last year. The first time I won, I wasn’t able to make a lower score. In the last I bogeyed on No16 and the closing hole.But last year I never bogied on the last three holes and on the contrary birdied at the very last hole. I really played my heart out to the end,

----You will face the potential of the third major title opportunity.

I’m not going to think about defending the title. Too much practice or doing something special in order to win the big title would lead me to the failure. I will prepare for the tournament as usual. I will take it easy.

----This is the tournament for the 50th anniversary of founding of LPGA. In addition, this is held in Iwate for restoration assistance following the Great East Japan Earthquake. Could you kindly give all the golf fans your message?

For the first time I made a donation this year to the victims of the Earthquake that occurred in the middle area in Tottori last October. Some of my prize money I donated as I had attended the high school in Tottori. I will make a contribution for golf fans living in Tohoku. I will be glad to do something for them. I surely show them my best play and if I win, I will donate some of my prize money to them.

---How about your goal in the future? What kind of player do you want to be?

A player of ability and one everyone loves and whose performance excites all the people. My golf features putting firmly. Putting short never reach the hole so I am always seeing it as important thing. Many birdies will excite fans even though I made many bogeys.I will always play aggressively.

----You have the potential money leader this year.

I haven’t thought about it but these days I hear that very often. Actually this is the good opportunity for me so I will head for it. The other day Ayako Okamoto, person in charge for the setting of this course, encouraged me to win the money leader. She rarely speaks well of me so I was very happy to hear that. I want to return her favor. There remains a lot of tournament, some of whose course I like very much to play. I will do my best.