THE SOLHEIM CUP

September 17, 1998

Meg Mallon

Judy Rankin

JUDY RANKIN: I tried to go with eight players that I thought complemented each other that I thought could take the heat. I believe Friday morning is tough. I've been happy with my choices for 48 hours.

JUDY RANKIN: That's very true. That's very true. So, I mean, go from there.

JUDY RANKIN: Well, I just think that the hype for the matches has been building, clearly, for a couple of months, but it builds through this week. And any and every player will tell you that the foursomes matches, the alternate shot play, is the most difficult to play. It's the -- it's when you're most aware that you are playing partnership golf, where there is someone relying on what you do in a different way than the way you play professional golf all year long. And I just really believe that these players, they get into the swing of what they're doing and everything -- as difficult as everything might be Friday starting out, as they get into hole after hole, match after match, day after day, they become more and more comfortable. You should let Meg --

MEG MALLON: That would definitely be easier, yeah, but what's the fun of that? Might as well start out with the whole shebang right off. It is. It's the hardest format. We don't play it very often. Fortunately, to have -- the Europeans are older, so it's been a while since they've played it in their amateur days. It's the best way to get started. Right off the bat from the first tee shot, everybody has been talking about who gets the first tee shot, and just that build-up alone will make you throw up all night (Laughs).

MEG MALLON: No. I mean -- it's the first hole odds and evens based on who. So I'm not sure who they decided was going to go first in that group. That's a tough one.

JUDY RANKIN: I think I know, but we should wait and see. (Laughs).

MEG MALLON: Can I tell them my group? Brandie is going to hit first. Brandie gets the out holes in our group.

JUDY RANKIN: Dottie, Pepper and Juli Inkster were so very successful in the Diner's Club matches. They make terrific partners. I would say their games are not -- their games are similar. Their games are not exactly alike, but they certainly compliment each other. They think in much the same way. Dottie's intensity is balanced by Juli's great humor and they're a good team. Meg and Brandie are together because they both play alternate shot golf very well. Their golf ball issue worked out well. And they both have the right amount of experience, I thought, to be in that slot. Kelly Robbins and Pat Hurst hit the ball a similar distance. They get along very well. Their games are both a little explosive and I thought that they would be a pretty exciting alternate shot pairing. Donna Andrews and Tammie Green play a lot alike in the sense that they both hit a lot of fairways. They both hit a lot of greens. They're steady. They're solid. They might even feel like they're playing their own ball all day long. So that was, at least, some of the thinking behind all of these.

MEG MALLON: Why, yeah, we do. Actually, we both tried each other's golf ball for the last two days and both of us came out and said to each other and said: Okay, I'm playing your ball and she said: No, we're playing your ball. And I said: No, we're playing her ball. And that was our biggest decision so we decided to go play with my ball just about a half hour ago. It really didn't matter, both so similar.

MEG MALLON: She plays a Strada and I play a Diamond Wing.

JUDY RANKIN: Laura and Trish have played together before. I would say I'm somewhat surprised at Trish out first tomorrow morning. I sincerely hope she is 100 percent because I know she has had a tough week. Helen and Alison might be a new match-up.

MEG MALLON: Yeah, actually, Helen and Ali said in the Nicheiri Tournament that we have in Japan and I think that's where that came out of. You can ask them, but I think they got along so well on that and really played well, they may have decided that one together.

JUDY RANKIN: Lisa and Liselotte Neumann are new matches and Catriona Matthew is playing the matches for the first time. So actually, they shook it up a little bit from there.

KIRSTEN SEABORG: Any more questions for Judy or Meg?

JUDY RANKIN: It's very important to get started out well tomorrow morning. It's also very important to keep going well. We learned last time that starting well is just the beginning.

JUDY RANKIN: Yes.

JUDY RANKIN: I won't say that I will not play anybody all five matches. It is not a set part of my game plan.

MEG MALLON: Kelly was the only one who had played all five last time.

JUDY RANKIN: Yes.

MEG MALLON: And it worked pretty well for us going into singles.

JUDY RANKIN: Right.

KIRSTEN SEABORG: Anything else? Thank you.