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THE EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIPSeptember 9, 2015Gwladys NoceraKarine IcherEvian-les-Bains, France THE MODERATOR: It is my great pleasure to introduce to you the world's top two female French players, Gwladys and Karine Icher, who are not only playing on home soil in the Evian Championship this week, the final major of the year, they'll also be representing Europe in the Solheim Cup in Germany next week. Ladies, thank you for joining us and congratulations on making the team. We'll start with a couple of questions in English and then we'll switch to French. Gwladys, how proud do you feel to have qualified for the fourth time to play for Europe? GWLADYS NOCERA: Well, I don't know if there is any words to express it. I'm obviously very proud of coming back to the top and making the team. It was a big goal for me, and to achieve it is even better. So it's an honor, and I can't wait to be there next week. THE MODERATOR: Same question, Karine. How proud do you feel? KARINE ICHER: Yeah, I think every European awaits this event every two years. It's not even every year, it's every two years, so it's more exciting to be in the team. There's a lot of people who can be in the team, and it's only 12 players, so I think the 12 players should be very proud to represent Europe. THE MODERATOR: With two huge tournaments, a major followed by the Solheim Cup back-to-back, how did you physically and mentally prepare for this stretch? KARINE ICHER: It's two good weeks, two good events, and I don't think you need to make something any different. It's just like stick to your routine and be focused for sure a little bit more then usual and try to play your best. I mean, like we do on Tour, like every week in a row, we try our best. It's not because it's two weeks like very important in the season we have to make more. Obviously everyone wants to play their best, but it's going to be tough, so stay focused and work, and we'll see. THE MODERATOR: Gwladys, how will you stay focused and relaxed and pace yourself this month? GWLADYS NOCERA: Well, I decided not to play last week to rest and to get ready, so I stayed home, which was nice, and I worked out, I worked my game, and I just tried to take as much rest as I could. After all the focus, the focus you get once you're on the golf course, and you have to be focused anyway, so there was no real choice, you just have to do it. THE MODERATOR: What sort of expectations, if any, do you have for this week's major championship? KARINE ICHER: We win. THE MODERATOR: Gwladys, how are you feeling? GWLADYS NOCERA: Do my best and win. Q. Juli Inkster was in here yesterday and she was saying that the Europeans have got a lot of heart and that she seemed to suggest that they had a bit more than the Americans. Somebody said that the Europeans seemed to have the hex, which is obviously an American saying, over the American team, and they talked about the magic ingredient that the Europeans have. Can you elaborate on the magic ingredient? GWLADYS NOCERA: No. KARINE ICHER: Keep it secret. Q. But is there something? GWLADYS NOCERA: Obviously there is. I mean, to win two in a row, I guess there is something going on. I can't say what it is because I wasn't there when they won. Maybe you should ask Karine. KARINE ICHER: Well, match play, it's a different game, and I think we were like two years ago more united as a team than maybe Americans. Then why, I don't know, you have to ask them why they're not super strong together. But on the European side, for sure we were like really, really strong together, and maybe that makes a difference at the end. Q. And you genuinely felt they were not super strong together as the Europeans, bearing in mind how well they play normally, the Americans? KARINE ICHER: Well, on the paper, when you take the paper, for sure the Americans are better than the Europeans. When you take the World Ranking, there is no doubt they are much better. That was the case two years ago; on the paper we were like way behind, and finally we won. So it's the magic of the match play. You never know. You can play No. 2 in the world against No. 100, and No. 100 is going to win, and you don't know why. I mean, we all have the same skill to play on the golf course. We all drive in the middle and make putts. Then it's more probably mental and how you can create like a spirit together, and it's just about being a team and being able to put on the side every personal thing about the other player or whatever, because it's amazing, you play against this player all year long, and for a week you have to make a team. It's not like you play in the team all your season. So we probably do better than the Americans to do that. Q. Have you got anything to add, Gwladys? GWLADYS NOCERA: No. Q. Nothing struck you while she was talking? GWLADYS NOCERA: No, she played the last Solheim Cup and I missed the last two, so I guess things changed in so many years. I don't know. What I know is that the Americans are better, and we fight really hard to do our best, and I think it works. It has worked, and it will work. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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