THE SOLHEIM CUP

September 12, 2003

Patty Sheehan

NEAL REID: Captain Nilsmark has 10 more minutes before she has to get her pairings in, so we're not going to have pairings to talk about. But we can talk about what happened today, Patty, and a day kind of reminiscent to the last year's Solheim Cup.

PATTY SHEEHAN: Last year's and it seems like every other year. We're always behind after the morning session.

NEAL REID: Going into tomorrow, the difference from the morning to what happened this afternoon, explain that.

PATTY SHEEHAN: We always seem to struggle in the morning session. Why that is I'm not really sure. The only thing I can come up with is that we just seem to try so hard for our fellow players, our fellow teammates we sort of get in our own way. Because we're not used to playing this type of format, we don't play it very much in the States, so therefore I think they just feel a little bit uncomfortable, and they try too hard and they just can't seem to get it. I'm hoping tomorrow will be a different story. I've switched around a few pairings here and there. I'm hoping that it will work. I have no idea. I don't even know who is playing who, so it's hard to even talk about tomorrow. Today was just so reminiscent of almost every other Solheim Cup that we've had. We don't do well in the morning. We do pretty well in the afternoon. Players like to play their own balls and they feel more comfortable playing their own balls, so therefore they do a little bit better. I was very proud of my team this afternoon. It didn't look very good early in the afternoon round. Cristie and Kelli first off I think lifted everybody. I think that gave them a shot in the arm, and we all felt like these kids have brought some excitement to us. They're winning us a point and we need to bring it, too. So it sort of lifted everybody. Halfway through the round it looked a little bleak and people were playing sort of flat. Then they sort of came to life. It was fun to watch. I actually have watched more golf today than I think I watched all of last year. It was fun for me. It was nerve-racking. There's a lot of golf left, and I'm just so proud of my team that they were able to bring back three points this afternoon.

Q. I wonder if you could speak of the Inkster/Daniel match and the significance of two Hall of Famers going up against Europe's best and the way they pulled that out and what that did probably for the rest of your team.

PATTY SHEEHAN: That was huge. They've been telling me for the last couple of months that they've never played together in the Solheim Cup and they've always wanted to play together. This is my last captaincy and I thought if they've never done it what better way for me to honor them than by putting them together. A Hall of Famer being the captain and putting two Hall of Famers together, I felt that that was very much appropriate and I was happy that I was able to be able to do that. They were thrilled to be able to play with each other. It just so happened that they played against the best team that they have. It was a great match. I'm sure you were out there watching. It was outstanding golf. It was huge for the team, and it lifted us, I think, even farther. It's not easy to beat their best team, and we were able to do that today.

Q. You've done a couple of other things, too. You defeated Carin Koch.

PATTY SHEEHAN: For the first time.

Q. For the first time.

PATTY SHEEHAN: It took two Hall of Famers to do it. I had to put the buggywhip --

Q. You almost certainly made sure that Laura's run of playing in every series of every match would have ended. We don't know for sure, but I would think that based on the way she played this afternoon, she won't play tomorrow morning.

PATTY SHEEHAN: I have no idea what they're thinking. It's kind of the fun part about me putting my pairings together is you sort of try to think about what they're going to do tomorrow, but there's no way you can read their minds. It's almost the luck of the draw where they come out together.

Q. Psychologically, Laura Davies is an important figure in the European team?

PATTY SHEEHAN: Sure, she's an important figure on the European team. She's been there every year. I'm sure she would love to play both morning and afternoon sessions tomorrow and carry on on Sunday. I have a hard enough time putting my teams together rather than to try to figure out what they're going to do.

Q. Have you submitted your team?

PATTY SHEEHAN: I have.

Q. Can you tell us who the --

PATTY SHEEHAN: No.

Q. Just who the groups are?

PATTY SHEEHAN: No. They haven't put theirs in yet. Sorry.

Q. What if we promise not to tell.

PATTY SHEEHAN: No way. Good try.

NEAL REID: It should be any minute now though.

Q. You gave Kelli a huge hug at the 17th green. Did that feel as good for you as it did for her?

PATTY SHEEHAN: Well, she went 0 for 4 last year. She is just a great young gal. I was so happy for her to finally win a point. It meant so much to her. Being one of my picks, I know that it puts a little bit of pressure on her, and she was just absolutely over the top with emotion. It was great. That's what I love about the Solheim Cup and the emotion that you can get out of these players that you never get in a regular tournament. This whole team unity situation is so special to these players and really to me as a captain and all the other captains before me. It's something that we don't experience very often, and we really really enjoy those particular moments.

Q. Was it a late decision to get all 12 players playing today?

PATTY SHEEHAN: A late decision? I wouldn't think so.

Q. You didn't make any changes this morning based on what happened this morning?

PATTY SHEEHAN: No. I don't think I did.

Q. Had you always planned to play all 12 on the first day?

PATTY SHEEHAN: I like to play all 12 on the first day, get them out there. I think it's important to play them all the first day. I don't want anybody to feel left out. They all are part of the team, and I want them to feel that they are part of this team.

Q. Did the Bowie/Diaz pairing change your mind about your plans for the rest of the week?

PATTY SHEEHAN: My plans have completely changed for the rest of the week.

Q. Go on. Had you had a --

PATTY SHEEHAN: I had a game plan, but it's gone now. It's all changed.

Q. When did it go?

PATTY SHEEHAN: When did it go? Probably about when I was sitting on the 16th hole in the afternoon. I don't remember which group was there, but I started thinking what I had planned is just not going to work.

Q. All four pairings tomorrow are different than what you planned?

PATTY SHEEHAN: Yeah. I think so.

Q. Why did you decide it's not going to work?

PATTY SHEEHAN: Because I can't tell you.

Q. You don't have to name names.

PATTY SHEEHAN: There's situations that happen, people are tired, people are ready to play. It just completely changed.

Q. We talked about golfers' performance all day. What about your performance? Are you happy with your performance today?

PATTY SHEEHAN: My performance?

Q. Yes. The captain's performance.

PATTY SHEEHAN: Captains are, I don't know. I don't put a lot of weight into my performance. I think the players are the ones that win the Solheim Cup, not the captain. I appreciate the thoughts, but it's all the players. They're the ones.

Q. Did you make any putts today?

PATTY SHEEHAN: I didn't miss a shot. It was one of my better rounds, actually 36 holes, I didn't miss a shot.

Q. I wonder if you could speak to Beth at age 46 going 36 and going 36 well?

PATTY SHEEHAN: Say what?

Q. Beth at 46 and playing 36 holes today and doing well?

PATTY SHEEHAN: She played 10 holes less than her age. Is that what you mean?

Q. Yes.

PATTY SHEEHAN: She's in the best shape of her life right now, and I had no qualms about putting her out there for 36 holes.

Q. Did the weather break upset your thoughts this morning? Did it upset anything for you or your team?

PATTY SHEEHAN: I think it kind of made everybody feel a little bit blah. Because it was so keyed up. They were so keyed up and ready to go and then they had to stop and then had to try to get keyed up again. I think everyone sort of came out a little bit flat, both sides. And then they sort of gained momentum on the European side. It probably had an effect. I don't know if the outcome would have been any different, but it certainly had an effect on them psychologically. They had to get restarted.

Q. How about the American support?

PATTY SHEEHAN: Tremendous. There's more people here than I thought there were going to be. Certainly the Junior Solheim Cup team has been fun to have on the first tee, but I'm not so sure they're going to be there tomorrow. That's really a bummer for us.

Q. What about tonight? Do you have plans for the evening?

PATTY SHEEHAN: I'm eating dinner and probably going to bed.

Q. Are you going to talk to the players or anything?

PATTY SHEEHAN: Yes. I will have dinner with them and talk to them and let them know who they're playing with, what time and when and where and all that sort of stuff.

Q. Is there a key moment today that you want to remind them about?

PATTY SHEEHAN: There's a couple of things, yes.

Q. Like what?

PATTY SHEEHAN: A couple of things.

Q. Did you ask for a ping pong table?

PATTY SHEEHAN: Did I ask for a ping pong table? Why?

Q. A couple of the girls were saying they would like one and the Europeans have got one.

PATTY SHEEHAN: Is that right? Fancy that. That's a shocker.

End of FastScripts.