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SOLHEIM CUP

September 16, 2015

St. Leon-Rot, Germany

MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, it's my pleasure to welcome three members of Team Europe. To my left, Azahara Munoz, making her third Solheim Cup appearance, having been a member of the winning teams in Ireland and Colorado.

Next to her, Caroline Hedwall, from Sweden, also a two-time Solheim Cup winner, and the first player to win five points from five matches two years ago.

And from Scotland, making her eighth Solheim Cup appearance, Catriona Matthew, also a member of three winning teams, including the last two.

Thank you very much for being here, ladies.

You all played a practice round in heavy rain this morning. Can you start by telling us how wet the course is, how it was playing, what you can expect this week.

AZAHARA MUNOZ: It's pretty wet, but still it is playable. We just hope it stops raining and we get a bit of sun and dry the course up a little bit. I think if it keeps raining, it's going to be borderline. I don't know, we'll see. The course is in great condition, it's beautiful.

I played all 18 yesterday and 13 this morning, and I really like it. It's in perfect condition, the greens are rolling super nice, and it's going to be a great setup for us.

CAROLINE HEDWALL: Well, it's obviously going to rain quite a bit tomorrow. But I think it's in great shape. The greens are really nice and it's been playing quite long the last few days. But I guess they're going to move up a couple of the tees. But it's a great course and I'm looking forward to the challenge.

CATRIONA MATTHEW: I like the golf course. Like the other two have said, it's in great shape. The greens are really good. A few of the fairways are beginning to get a little bit wet. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate a little bit tomorrow. The fairways are fairly generous, but if you do go in the rough, you know it could take you three or four minutes to find your ball. It's pretty thick in there.

MODERATOR: How is the atmosphere in the camp? We saw a photo of the three of you together on Twitter last night, which was very amusing. Perhaps you could tell us a bit more about that Catriona, and have your kids seen it?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: Well, I don't know about that. They'd probably like the glasses. This was our winning team yesterday. Azahara was giving me some Spanish lessons. Yeah, it was just fun. We're just trying to have fun to week, a bit of fun.

MODERATOR: Are you having fun, Caroline?

CAROLINE HEDWALL: Yeah, absolutely. We did a couple of exercises on the course yesterday. And then we won, and that was our prize. It was a lot of fun. We have great team spirit.

MODERATOR: Can you tell us a bit more about this?

AZAHARA MUNOZ: As they say, we had these exercises on the course and that was our prize. I don't know if I want to win again, though. But it was fun. We always have a great time in the locker room. And those diners are fun, and we had a good time. And we know how to make fun of each other, so that's good.

Q. For those of us who don't live on Twitter, I mean, what was your prize and what were the exercises?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: There was chipping and bunker shots from the sides of the green and just two got the cumulative closest in your team, groups of three.

Q. What did you win?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: It was a booby prize, to be honest, kind of a fancy dress.

Q. Catriona, this is your eighth, can you describe the feelings you have for this Solheim, as opposed to your first? How different are they and what are your feelings?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: In a way actually they probably get more special. I think the first time you play in it, you don't perhaps know what to expect.

But once you've played in two or three, you realize what fun they are, so you're very keen to try and get back on the team. So, yeah, obviously delighted to be playing. It's just one of my favorite weeks every two years.

Q. Catriona, you've had eight of these, what are the big changes between the first time or is it much the same?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: I think obviously there's a lot more hype about it, more media coverage. I think when I played in my first one, I felt as though it was huge. But when you look back, they have got bigger and bigger, just more -- bigger crowds, stands are bigger. There's just more media attention. So you just try to not get too hung up on all that and just concentrate on what you're doing.

Q. Having gone to the first tee this morning and seeing how that is set up, where you walk through the tunnel, the lights are there, it's like walking into a boxing ring. I know you've played in some big tournaments, played in the majors before, but is that something -- Lizette Salas was sick a couple of years ago. Do you think that could possible happen, the nerves get the better of you on Friday?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: I think nerves will always be a part of it. If you're not nervous -- I mean, I watched Serena's interview, I can't believe she wasn't nervous or the pressure didn't get to her.

If you're not feeling that, I don't think you perhaps perform at your best. But, yeah, walking through it, I felt like I was walking on to a stadium yesterday when we walked onto that first tee. I'm sure there will be a few jitters. Maybe I'll play the evens, if I play foursomes.

CAROLINE HEDWALL: Well, it's always special walking on to the first tee, and I remember that from Colorado. It was a lot of fun and hopefully it will be really loud, too. I'm sure I'll be really nervous, but it's just a nice feeling. It's supposed to feel like that.

Q. You seem to be a player that really likes the pressure. That seems to set you up for playing your best, looking at how you played in the Solheim Cup two years ago. Will you be itching to play the odd holes, if it was foursomes? Is that the arena you really thrive in?
CAROLINE HEDWALL: I'm not scared of the nervous feeling. I really enjoy it and I think that's the challenge, that's why I practice. I've always felt that way. So I could definitely play the odd ones.

AZAHARA MUNOZ: It's amazing. We had the same setting in Colorado, but the grandstands weren't quite as big, so I can only imagine how loud it is going to be on Friday morning. But it is such a good feeling. I always felt everybody on the team, as Sophie Gustafson told me when I was a rookie, just enjoy it. Everybody is going to be nervous.

Catriona has played eight, she gets nervous, as well. It's never going to change. And that's part of it. You're always going to get nervous, it's so special. Just have a good time. When people are singing, just sing along with them and just enjoy the moment because it's only hopefully once every two years, but not many of them. So you just want to make the best of them.

Q. Catriona, can I ask the question about sort of the new generation that's come in the last two Cups. The rookies were very strong again two years ago. What do they bring that is so special and how have they done so well so quickly?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: I think it must be the guidance they get from the older players (laughter). They're such accomplished players. They've played all over the world. They're rookies to this, but obviously they've won tournaments and played in all the big tournaments.

But I think -- I mean, just in the time I've been object on Tour, the players coming up are far more ready to come out on Tour and win. I think the rookies on this are ready to come out and play well.

Q. All of you seem very proud of playing for Europe and also playing for your nations. Are you looking at the Olympics or looking forward for that, as well?
AZAHARA MUNOZ: Definitely. I think every athlete grows up watching the Olympics, and finally golf got in again. And it's such an opportunity. It's only once every four years, so you just never know -- I don't ever know if I'm going to be even playing in the next one. There is nothing like representing your country and your continent. We're all super proud to be from where we are. And the Olympics, it would be something super special, the same as this week.

Q. Could I just ask Caroline and Azahara what Catriona brings to the team with all her experience, maturity?
AZAHARA MUNOZ: Catriona, if you just look at her, how calm she is, like how she presents herself. My rookie year I got to play both foursomes with her, and I was the one hitting the first shot. And I was shaking, I could barely tee it up. Just being paired with her and with her husband, too, I was really nervous on the first one and they gave me a talk on the fairway, it just really helps to have someone that you look up to. And you see that you are so calm -- they are so calm, sorry, and you really trust them.

So I know if I mess up they're not going to say anything and they're just going to be there for us. I think the good thing about our team is even though we have people like Catriona, they've won majors and they played Solheims eight times and they are super experienced, they don't act like it. I think that's one of our strengths that we don't get caught up in silly things. And you know they're there for when we need them, but at the same time they don't act like they are the leaders and follow me or do what I do. So I think that's really good to have people like Catriona on the team.

CAROLINE HEDWALL: Yeah, I agree with Azahara said. I feel the same way, Catriona is calm, and just looking at her makes me more relaxed.

But it's great for our team spirit. Catriona is kind of a silent leader, I would say, she's been on the team so many times and she's always there if we have questions and stuff. She's a great leader that way.

Q. Caroline, is your sister caddying for you this week?
CAROLINE HEDWALL: Yes.

Q. What role is Fanny Sunesson playing?
CAROLINE HEDWALL: She's team leader. I brought her on my team because I think she has a lot of knowledge and experience. For me she's been a huge help and it's just been interesting and fun working with her.

Q. Caroline, what kind of shape is your game in at the moment? Because it's been a little erratic over the last little bit.
CAROLINE HEDWALL: Last year I'm hitting the ball really well, but I just haven't putted that well.

It kind of was the same situation when I came into Solheim in 2013, I didn't make many putts and all of a sudden all works. I'm kind of hoping for some magic this week, too.

Q. Caroline, I was wondering if there was a certain putt or something that got you going that you remember in 2013 that just flipped a switch for you?
CAROLINE HEDWALL: Well, that was Saturday, I think, but I made a really good putt in the foursome, with Anna, on 8, in Colorado. So I remember that one. But it just worked that week last year.

I'm hoping it will be the same. It is different when you're playing match play. I'm kind of an aggressive putter, I think it can be more aggressive when it's match play compared to stroke play.

Q. Is there one specific thing that she's told you going into this week on the stage that's going to help you mentally?
CAROLINE HEDWALL: Well, not really. I think we're just talking about how match play is different. And it's been more about bringing match play into my stroke play lately and that's what we talked a lot about. But then that's easier said than done. And I think when it's match play, I actually trust my game a lot and my putting, as well. So I'm just going to hope that I'm ready for Friday. It feels good.

Q. When you evaluated the teams on paper, as I think the bookmakers do, and the Americans are still the favorites made by the bookmakers. What are they missing when they look at matches and how things are different when it's not stroke play and it's a team event? How different is that from what they're evaluating on paper?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: I think obviously World Ranking-wise, their average would be certainly a lot higher than ours. They're going to go in here as favorites. They pretty much every year go in as probably the bookmaker favorites.

We're on home soil this time. We've got a good team, pretty much the same team we had in Colorado. I think we have a very good team spirit. We all get along with each other. We just try to enjoy it. Obviously you enjoy it more if you win. But we've been lucky the last couple. We just need to go out there and give it our best.

CAROLINE HEDWALL: The Americans, they have a great team. I think the team spirit for us has been the key the last two times, and hopefully we can just help each other and help each other play great golf.

AZAHARA MUNOZ: The Americans are always going to be the favorites, but as they said we have such a good team spirit and we grew up playing as a team. We always play for our countries in the European team championships, so I think that really helps us. We are used to playing foursomes, which is the toughest of the two, I would say. And I think we're just so -- pretty much everybody is so easy going and we don't get hung up on silly things. And we just enjoy the week and have a good time. We don't want to force things. And I think that really helps us.

The captains have been asking us, all of us, who do you want to play with. And I think the good thing of our team is no one cares. You might really want to play with someone, like I played with Catriona in Ireland and I loved it. I might say I'd love to play with Catriona, but I really don't care who I play with. I get along with everybody. That's pretty huge, when you have 12 players on the team that you can just pretty much set them up however you want to. I think that's pretty good for us. And having a good team environment really helps. Our locker room is pretty fun with all the caddies and helpers and captains. Can't wait to get started.

Q. Caroline, going 5 and 0, the first player in the history of the Solheim Cup to do that, coming out of that did you feel a boost of confidence or in some respect did you feel maybe pressured to live up to this unbeatable player?
CAROLINE HEDWALL: Well, for me it was just a confidence boost. The next week I played really well on the LPGA in Canada, and then it was a good season.

And then it was just unfortunate in March last year, I got an injury and that's kind of -- that's been just bothering me since then. And it's been tough coming back. But I still think back about that week. I know I can play great golf. I try to get that confidence back.

MODERATOR: Team Europe, thanks and good luck this week.

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