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SOLHEIM CUP

September 17, 2015

St. Leon-Rot, Germany

MODERATOR: I'd like to welcome in three members of Team Europe. To my far left, Karine Icher, Anna Nordqvist and Sandra Gal. Anna is ranked 12th in the world, making her fourth appearance in the Solheim Cup. Karine is World No. 58, makes her third appearance. And World No. 42, Sandra will be making her second appearance in front of the home fans.

Sandra, if I could start with you, it must be a real thrill for you to be playing the Solheim Cup here in Germany this week?

SANDRA GAL: Yeah, this is a dream come true. I think, if you ask any girl what it feels like to play in the Solheim Cup, it's just very special and a great honor to be playing in front of home crowds.

MODERATOR: Are you expecting a large number of family and friends to come along?

SANDRA GAL: Yeah, absolutely, I expect great crowds to come out. Today it felt a little like a ghost town with all the rain and just a couple of people. But I think there's going to be big crowds and I think the Germans are very good in putting up a good party.

MODERATOR: First time having the Solheim Cup cup in Germany, what do you think staging the Solheim Cup here will do for the profile of golf in your country?

SANDRA GAL: Well, that's my biggest hope with the Solheim Cup, that it's going to change the image of golf in Germany. Hopefully it will get a bit of a newer, fresher look, one that is full of passion and enthusiasm. Because I think that's what the Solheim Cup is all about.

MODERATOR: Anna, you've played in the last two victorious European Solheim Cup teams. What would it mean to you to go out there and win three in a row?

ANNA NORDQVIST: It would mean a lot. I think winning the last two really showed how strong European golf is. And I feel like lucky being on Carin's team this week.

I think we're all excited to be in Germany. I know this is big for German golf and it's great to have two Germans on the team. But it's -- I think we're all very excited to be here and I think Carin has done an incredible job with the team. And team spirit is awesome. So I think we're ready for this week.

MODERATOR: Karine, this is your third Solheim Cup, your first time playing at home in Europe. How different do you think this experience will be?

KARINE ICHER: I just wait for that. I never played a Solheim Cup in Europe, so it will be my first time playing on our soil. So I'm sure it's going to be very exciting. A lot of people are going to come and cheer for us. It's going to be more fun than when we played in America and we hear USA, USA all the way. Maybe lower this year.

Q. You talk about team chemistry and how it differs this year from Colorado. What has Carin done that's been different?
KARINE ICHER: It's almost the same team, so the same spirit, same fun. I think we try to relax at night and think something different than golf and do something else and laughing. And that's why we are united together and we really are a team together. It's not very different from two years ago. We try to play as best golf as we can and do our best, even if it's hard. And we all know that, but we try to do our best.

Q. Any added intensity because it is back on European soil?
KARINE ICHER: More excitement. Probably more excitement because we know people are going to watch us and really want us to win. But it's -- on the same time, it's fun, too.

Q. Do you feel that?
ANNA NORDQVIST: Yeah, I think Carin, she's very positive, and she was part of the team in 2013, in Colorado. And she just makes everybody believe in themselves and makes you feel a part of the team. It doesn't seem like it's a problem for the European girls to come together as a team. It feels very natural. And I think that's why we're all very comfortable and we're believing in each other. We believe in ourselves and just have a good time. Put some music on in the bus. You do everything as a team, and I think that's what makes us so strong.

Q. We just had the Americans in here, and they're taking a decidedly low key approach this year. No face painting, very soft spoken and business-like, as opposed to two years ago, when it was like cheerleaders out there. So I'm kind of wondering, is that something you're aware of? Is it something you're conscious of doing or no?
ANNA NORDQVIST: You can tell, definitely. I think they lost the last two Cups and there is definitely more pressure on them. Because I feel like our team, we don't have to prove ourself with the last two victories. I think they have a lot of pressure.

There's been a lot of talk about who's the underdog and who should win. The American team is definitely stronger in the stats. I think their average ranking in the World Ranking is 24 or 25, and we're 50. So I think they have the pressure this week. Maybe Juli is trying to take a different approach maybe trying to beat us. But I think we really have a strong team and we have a good plan.

Q. People are saying this long and wet course will be a huge advantage for the long hitters. What is your feeling of the long course?
KARINE ICHER: Well, she is right. When you hit the ball farther, it's better on the long course. Well, it's better, anyway. In the meantime, you have to hit straight.

So I think we may be shorter than them, but we're more accurate, and we have a good short game. So it's going to be all about chipping and putting and those shots around the green. They're going to miss greens, like us, anyway.

It depends on the weather tomorrow and Saturday and Sunday, depends also how they set up the course. We're going to have front tees, back tees, we don't know. It's a good test of golf. It's a really good course, good rough. I mean, it's a good challenge.

Q. Charley Hull had a hole-in-one today. What's she going to buy you guys? Drinks later?
ANNA NORDQVIST: No, I guess she's old enough to drink over here, maybe.

Q. Buying you guys a drink, that's more important.
KARINE ICHER: Coke.

Q. You obviously played a lot with Caroline a couple of years ago, and now out on the course you were out there together, I don't want to make assumptions, have you personally had a chat with her about things this week? Because obviously it there must be a little bit of frigidity with her regarding her form the recent weeks?
ANNA NORDQVIST: You'll see. We played together today. I've known Caroline since I was 14, 15, when I started playing golf.

We had a great run in Colorado. It was the first time I played with her. We played at the International Crown last year, together on the Swedish team.

I think Caroline is probably one of the best players I've seen under pressure to handle the situation. She was 5-0 in Colorado. So she's one of those players, if you had a 10-footer for someone to take for your life, she would be the person I'd choose. I really believe in her. I'm not sure if we will play together or not. We'll see. But I wouldn't worry so much about her recent form. She hit it great today. She loves the pressure of the Solheim Cup, and I think I'm very happy to have her on the team. It was a great captain's pick.

Q. But has she come to you at all in terms of chatting about things or is it just something you don't need to be said?
ANNA NORDQVIST: I think it's a lot don't need to be said. It's great to be around Caroline. She's positive. We talk and laugh. She's been in a really good mood this week. She was in a good mood last week. I don't think anything has changed. Maybe she hasn't had her results as of late, like she has done in the past, but it's nothing that I think really worries here. It's a new week. And tee it up on the first tee tomorrow and she'll be ready to go.

Q. Sandra, we've seen a German hole the winning putt in a Ryder Cup. Could you tell us how much that impacted on German sporting society? And also talk about what would happen if you or Caroline were to hole the winning putt for this event?
SANDRA GAL: Well, I think that obviously that rippled through German golf, him holing that putt. But he also obviously has been World No. 1 and has won a couple of majors. So I think he just has a big star status in Germany, more in the golfing world than in the rest of the sports because German golf is still a bit of a side sport compared to Britain or the U.S.

So I think it means more to golf and to him, personally, and for the teams, obviously. And it would be a great honor if that would happen for each of the Germans, especially in front of the home crowd.

Q. Sandra, Lexi hit the opening tee shot two years ago in her home country. And while she said ahead of time that she was fully prepared for it and thought she knew what to expect, when she got on the first tee, she couldn't find any air. And admits later she had no idea. How have you prepared for this moment and do you think that you are ready for that first shot?
SANDRA GAL: That's a good question. Yes, I thought about it quite a bit. But having played the Solheim Cup in Ireland on home soil was a great experience for me.

Q. You're not Irish, are you?
SANDRA GAL: I'm not. But I was very nervous back then. And I feel like this week has been going already much better than my preparation in Ireland, in 2011.

I've played a couple of German Opens in Munich and we had a lot of spectators there. I was nervous and I played well. I really cherish that I had family and friends and all these young German kids there that kind of look up to me.

So as I said long ago, I really hope to raise the profile of German golf. And I'm really looking forward to that first tee box feeling.

Q. Is there a kind of French spirit inside the team? There is two French players. Any chance to see you on the pairing and Gwladys?
KARINE ICHER: Surprise. Yeah, it's nice to be with another player from your country. And I think this year we have two German, two Swedish, two French, two Spanish, so it's pairs. It gives you like the opportunity to speak your language and to share memory. You feel more like really, really home. I mean, we feel at home because we're in Europe. But to have like a French player with me, it's even better.

Q. You played together yesterday. Did you play foursome or something together?
KARINE ICHER: We played fourball. We'll see tonight with the captain what she's going to decide for tomorrow.

Q. Do you see yourselves as underdogs? And if you do see yourselves as underdogs, why?
ANNA NORDQVIST: Well, I think we're always going to be underdogs going into the Solheim Cup just because, if you look at each individual player, we are high ranked in the world and the Americans, I think they have -- on the piece of paper, they are better players. But as a team we won the last two, so I think we don't have anything to prove. And winning the last two, I think, makes us come in maybe as favorites, I don't know.

But I still feel like the pressure is on the Americans just because of their records the last two years. And then I think that's why I see ourselves as underdogs, even though we won the last two.

Q. That's what I'm interested in, because no one wants to use the F word, which is in this case favorite. The Americans want to be underdogs. You feel you're underdogs World Ranking wise. But sometimes it's nice to say, do you know what, we're the favorites, bring it on.
ANNA NORDQVIST: I think we try to cherish that, definitely. Just knowing that we won the last two, I think we have confidence. And I feel like the Americans are maybe -- like they have a little bit of different intensity this year because they have the pressure to win.

Q. Do you want to add anything?
SANDRA GAL: Holy water, it's raining hard. I hope we don't flood away.

Q. Have you seen your outfits for the week?
SANDRA GAL: Absolutely.

Q. Some nice colors?
SANDRA GAL: Yes, very nice colors.

Q. The Americans are restricted with red, white and blue. I'm get it. But the girls, as girls, must get out and go, really, red, white and blue? You girls are more fun.
SANDRA GAL: Yeah, we're not in charge of the outfits. I think Carin and Annika did a very good job choosing the colors this year. I think they're getting better every year. I really like it this year.

ANNA NORDQVIST: Light blue tomorrow and then pink Saturday and then we're going to be obviously blue for Sunday.

Q. When you live in your hotel, do you share rooms? Can you share rooms with your caddie if he's your husband and things like that? Can you tell us a little bit about where you live, what you do?
KARINE ICHER: Yes, this is a scoop. I share my room with my husband. You can do pretty much you want. If you want to share the room with another player, you're more than welcome to do it. But we have so much stuff in the room, like clothing and our luggage from last week, I think if two players are in the same room, it's going to be a big mess. So every player has a room and the caddie has their own room. But we have one side of the hotel for the European team and the other side is for the American.

ANNA NORDQVIST: We want to be miles away from the Americans.

KARINE ICHER: But it's the same hotel.

Q. What about your child?
KARINE ICHER: She's in France. We have no time for her this week. Next week.

Q. I've never been before to the Solheim Cup, like the others, but what's interesting for me was the course in Denver, more difficult than the course here at St. Leon-Rot or is it not possible to compare the courses?
KARINE ICHER: I don't think it's possible to compare because it was really hot. The altitude played -- we had to play like one or two club less because of the altitude, the height. It's completely different.

This week it's long. It's wet. The balls stop on the green. In Colorado, we had to really be strategic where we had to land on the green and the roll and the greens were probably bigger and more slope on the greens, too. It's completely two different courses.

Q. Are there two or three holes that are really tough here?
KARINE ICHER: Yeah, I mean, if you miss your tee shot --

Q. Not the rough. Which are the toughest holes here?
KARINE ICHER: Oh, here? Depends where they put the tee box. But 17 is a good hole. And it's at the end of the course, so it's maybe some matches are going to end up there.

And then some interesting hole, like 13, reachable for some players. 18 is interesting, too.

Q. I'm interested, being German, Swedish, French, when you swear on the golf course, is it in your own language or is it in the language of swearing, which is English?
KARINE ICHER: Usually my own language.

ANNA NORDQVIST: Yeah, it's usually Swedish.

SANDRA GAL: I usually don't swear, but it happens every two years (laughter), usually quite loud and in English, unfortunately.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much for joining us, Team Europe, thank you good luck this week.

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