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SOLHEIM CUP

September 15, 2015

St. Leon-Rot, Germany

MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to welcome three members of Team Europe. To my left, Gwladys Nocera from France, making her fourth Solheim Cup appearance.

To my far left, Melissa Reid, making her second Solheim Cup appearance, having been a member of the Victoria's Team in Ireland, in 2011.

To my far left, Caroline Masson, making her second Solheim Cup appearance, after also being a member of the winning team in Colorado, in 2013. Thanks for being here.

I'd like to star with Caroline, because this is a special tournament for you, obviously taking place in your home country, Germany, how does it feel to finally be here?

CAROLINE MASSON: Yeah, it's still a little unreal, to be honest. Yesterday, I was still trying to convince myself that we're here for the Solheim Cup. It's just unbelievable. And obviously having a chance to play Solheim Cup at home, it's just really cool and I'm just really excited for a good week. I just try to enjoy every moment and soak in every moment and all the experience that I can make and just really have a good time.

MODERATOR: Melissa, four years since Ireland, how does it feel to be back on the European team?

MELISSA REID: It feels good. It's been a tough couple of years for me. So it's nice to be back and part of a team again, be part of this team. And, yeah, I'm very, very excited for this week. Excited for Friday to kind of kick off now.

MODERATOR: Gwladys, you've been having a great year and I know you're thrilled to be representing Europe again. What does it feel like?

GWLADYS NOCERA: I don't know, it's hard to explain. I guess it's the best feeling when you play golf, you just want to get in the team with your friends. And you want to represent Europe the best you can. So it's the best feeling, really.

MODERATOR: The golf course has been getting rave reviews from both teams. Caroline, you know it quite well, played here quite a lot. How do you assess it?

CAROLINE MASSON: It's probably in the best shape I've ever seen it. It plays great. It looks great. Everything I think is pretty much perfect. Obviously I've played it a lot of times, mostly from different tees, I think.

It's a little different because it just plays a little longer, especially today after the rain. And the course is not as firm as we saw it a few weeks ago. It's pretty soft. It's plays pretty long. But the greenskeepers, I think, did a great job the last few weeks getting the golf course in that kind of shape. It's something we don't see very often in Germany. I'm proud of them that they did such a great job.

MODERATOR: Melissa, what are your thoughts on the course?

MELISSA REID: It's good. It's immaculate, I think, apart from obviously playing yesterday, there wasn't a divot on the course. The rough is thick, but it's fair. I think they've done a fantastic job. I think Caroline said it right, they should be very proud of themselves here. They've set it up magnificently. It's playing long. I think they might shorten a couple of holes, but as a team we quite like it long. It's changing, but it's very fair.

MODERATOR: Gwladys, do you agree or do you think we're going to see a lot of birdies?

GWLADYS NOCERA: I think the course is playing really long today with the weather condition and the fairways being so soft. But the course is great. It's in great condition. It's a great match play course. And I think, yeah, as they said, the course is just in awesome shape. So it will be special.

Q. Melissa, the girls have all been wonderfully supportive to you over the last few years, to be in a team environment, do you feel a well of support? What's it like in your situation to have all these people with you?
MELISSA REID: Yeah, the girls have been great, not just in recent times but from two or three years ago, all the girls that are on the team now. It's just -- it's always been a tough place for me to come back to. I haven't come back, really. I twice played Germany a couple of years after, and didn't want to be here.

This is the week to make fresh memories. That's why it's important that my dad came out. My dad is coming out on Thursday. And my brother and sister and their families are coming out tomorrow, and a few of my friends. I wanted as many people here as possible to kind of help me through this and obviously Kevin is going to be here as well and his family. It's not just going to be a special week for me, but a very special week for everybody else that's been involved in the recent times, I guess, and be part of this whole journey. And hopefully this will be a week to remember and positive memories being here.

Q. I don't know which of you use would like to answer this. Juli talked about cutting out some of the razzmatazz or whatever, they're not going into the tutus. No time is being wasted polishing nails or not in Juli's time, anyhow. So has your team ever got sort of carried away down those lines or have you never been painting faces and tattooing?
MELISSA REID: Stopped doing that when I was about 12, I think (laughter).

I don't think as a team we've been -- even in like junior stuff, not really, did we?

CAROLINE MASSON: Not as much as the Americans. I think it's more an American thing, anyway.

MELISSA REID: It's just an American thing. It's nothing against what they do. We just don't -- I would just look ridiculous with a ribbon in my hair, personally, so I just don't choose to do it. It's just something the European team has never really done. It's just something they've always done.

Q. Not even the girls that have been to American colleges, did they not pick up any ribbons and bows?
CAROLINE MASSON: Do you see any in my hair? I think in general, you know, there's nothing wrong about doing that. I think it's no problem.

I think what Juli is trying to say is we've got to -- from the American point of view, we've got to do something, here, we've got to concentrate on their golf. If somebody has their nails painted, it doesn't matter. It's not like they don't pay any attention to golf. It's just a statement that should show their players they have to get going now.

And I think for us it's cool, too, because we know they're going to be ready this time. They don't want to lose again. It's probably good for them, but it's great for us, too. We're not going to underestimate them. We know that they're going to come out and play, especially with a captain like that. It's not really the point of, you know, face paint or painting nails or whatever, it's just a statement that they're going to be ready to play.

Q. Caroline, it's your home Cup. Is it bigger pressure for you than for the others?
CAROLINE MASSON: I don't think so. I don't see it that way. I think there was more pressure for me leading up to the tournament, obviously the last two years, really wanting to be on the team because, yeah, it's the only chance to play in the Solheim Cup in Germany for me, probably, I believe so. It was more pressure for me personally to really make it on that team.

But like being here now, it's just super positive. It's a lot of energy. I think that's going to come from the spectators, playing in front of me family and my friends, seeing people that I've played golf with maybe ten years ago and haven't seen them since. So it's a lot of positive things for me. And like I said, I'm just trying to enjoy every moment. And there's no pressure, really. It's just really excitement. Yeah, I'm just ready to play in front of my home crowd. I'm just super happy to be here.

MODERATOR: Team Europe, thank you very much for joining us today and best of luck for the week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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