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SOLHEIM CUPAugust 17, 2017Florentyna ParkerJodi Ewart ShadoffGeorgia HallDes Moines, Iowa, USA THE MODERATOR: I'm delighted to welcome three members of the European team -- Georgia Hall, Florentyna Parker and Jodi Shadoff. Georgia and Florentyna, you're making your debut this week in the Solheim Cup. And Jodi, you played on the winning team in Colorado in 2013. We're getting really close to the matches now, tomorrow morning, how excited are you to get going? JODI EWART SHADOFF: Super excited. Walking the course, randomly I got goosebumps, and I'm just like, man, tomorrow's like nothing you'll of experience. So pumped to get started. FLORENTYNA PARKER: It's been an amazing experience so far this week for me, the first time playing in the Solheim Cup. I've played two junior ones, but I mean nothing comes close to this. And it's been -- it's been a great week playing with amazing players. And it's a great experience even though I've been pro nine years, I feel like I'm learning new things already. THE MODERATOR: Georgia? GEORGIA HALL: It's kind of a dream come true for me to represent Europe and play in the Solheim Cup. It's my first time, so I'm really excited to get going tomorrow. We've got a fantastic team. We get along really well, and I think it's going to get better throughout the week. THE MODERATOR: Questions? Q. I hear you were out practicing foursomes this morning, had a few matches. Georgia, how did it go? GEORGIA HALL: It was nice not to play our own ball all the time. We already played nine holes. It was a bit of a different golf course today, a bit windy, so it's playing a bit different. But the greens are in great condition. So yeah, it was good fun. Q. How are you playing? GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, I'm playing well. Just got to keep it going really. Putting well, hitting it well. I'm looking forward to the week. Q. You partnered with Anna Nordqvist this morning? GEORGIA HALL: This morning, yes. Q. Is she someone you'd like to partner with tomorrow? GEORGIA HALL: Of course. There's lots of people that I would love to play with. Like I said, we all get along really well. There's a great team spirit in the locker room. But, yeah, we had good fun out there, and she's played in many before. So she's experienced. Q. Both rookies, who have you spoken to and what have you've done to prepare yourself for your first tee shot, because it's going to be very nerve-racking? I just wonder what you expect on that first tee? FLORENTYNA PARKER: I think it's quite hard to prepare for the first tee shot in the Solheim Cup. I mean everyone tells us it's the best feeling ever. But I think we won't really be fully prepared until we're standing on that tee. We obviously know -- we always have first tee experiences every tournament we play, especially in the majors. But I think this is going to be even more special because of obviously all the spectators we're expecting and the fans, obviously there will be more one-sided, but I think we need to turn that into a positive and basically enjoy that first tee. And I think it's something we won't forget. And just hit the fairway. GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, I think all of us worked really hard to get in this position and to be on this team. So when we're on the first tee, I'm just going to take it all in and enjoy the moment, enjoy people clapping for us or not clapping for us. But I'm just going to go out there and play golf the way I normally do. Q. Jodi, with record crowds that are expected and drawing on your experience in Colorado, how important do you think it is for Europe to make a good start and quiet the crowd? JODI EWART SHADOFF: It's always important to get off to a good start, I think. The week's going to fly by. We had, from the Solheim Cup I had, we had a couple of really good afternoons. And it helps being up, like, throughout the week. And I think it's really important to get those early points for our confidence and hopefully we can do that. Q. Jodi, if I could ask how important do you think your experience of four years ago is going to be, not only for yourself but also obviously with the rookies on the team as well? JODI EWART SHADOFF: It's massive. It's literally like no other experience you'll ever have, the nerves on the first tee. You know, back in 2013 I didn't even think I could get the ball on the tee I was shaking so much. But everybody's been in pressure situations, individually and as a team. So hopefully the rookies can draw on that because you need to. It will be fun. Q. Georgia, there's an impression that still in Great Britain golfers growing up play more foursomes than we might over here. Was that true in your case? And how do you feel about the format? It can be awkward if a player is not playing well. How are you going to approach the foursomes? GEORGIA HALL: Foursomes is very tough, because you only hit half the shots. I think it's important who you get paired with. But, yeah, I did play quite a lot of match-play foursomes, four-ball growing up as an amateur, especially for England and the Curtis Cup, and I played Junior Solheim Cup as well. So, yeah, I really enjoy match play as it is. I don't get to play it anymore -- we don't get to play it anymore because -- maybe like once a year if we're lucky. But I can't wait for the week to start. Q. For all three of you, how does the mentality change when you're in a match-play environment like this compared to a stroke play, whether it's one shot on the tee box so on and so forth? JODI EWART SHADOFF: Well, typically I play more aggressive in match play. And you can afford to. One bad hole doesn't mean the end of your round. So it's nice in that respect. You can go at pins. Especially, like, in four-ball you have a partner to rely on, you can both be more aggressive. So, yeah. Q. Jodi, you live in America, play the LPGA Tour, obviously have a lot of friends among the Americans. How would you describe the spirit of these matches as it is? And what would the ideal spirit that the match should be played in? JODI EWART SHADOFF: Like you said, I have a ton of friends on the U.S. side. I've spoken to all of them this week and everything's very chill. I think we all have respect for each other knowing that we're -- both sides are trying to win points and we both respect that. So at the end of the day we're trying to win points for our teams. So I just hope the week runs smoothly without any hiccups. Q. Jodi, what is it like to have all this buildup this week? It's not like any other event given you don't start play until Friday, you have all these galas and speaking engagement and team activities, and so what is this buildup like? How anxious are you for tomorrow? JODI EWART SHADOFF: Most of us got here on Sunday night. We don't start until Friday. It's a long week, a lot of functions to go to, a lot of practicing. It's very tiring. But that's all part of the buildup until tomorrow, and I think everybody is starting to get very excited. There was a little bit of shift in energy this morning in the team room. Everybody is very excited to get out there on the golf course, and I think it will be fun in the morning. Q. Can you talk a little bit more about that shift, because it seems like everybody's still pretty relaxed considering an event everybody's waited two years for begins tomorrow? How did that energy shift happen? What physically was going on? JODI EWART SHADOFF: I don't know really. I think it's the realization that it all starts tomorrow just hit everyone and we're all practicing our four-balls and foursome partners and, yeah, it's less than 24 hours away. It's hard not to feel that. Q. Florentyna, who did you play with today and who have you played with all week in these things? FLORENTYNA PARKER: Today I played with Caroline Masson, Carlota Ciganda and Emily Pedersen. And so far I've been playing with Caroline and Karine Icher. Q. And you knew them of old, did you, all of them? Did you know them before? FLORENTYNA PARKER: I've known Caroline Masson, Carlota from the amateur days and then professional, and we played a few Junior Solheim Cups together. So we've known each other a long time. And Karine, I actually played my first Ricoh Women's British Open in 2009; she was my first pairing. Q. On Tuesday, Mel and Charley both mentioned corn dunking or bobbing for corn. Did you guys partake in that and what was that experience like? It's probably a first for you guys. FLORENTYNA PARKER: We were sitting at the same table and actually we nominated Madelene. So she did that on our behalf, luckily. JODI EWART SHADOFF: I think it was better to watch than to be partaking in it. Q. What do you have lined up for this evening? JODI EWART SHADOFF: I think it's just after the opening ceremony, just very chill, dinner in the team room. Nothing too exciting. Q. One quick thought on the course. With the rain the last couple of days, I know it's going to soften things up somewhat. How much did you guys notice the fairways especially change? Everybody's been talking about the greens being pretty receptive already for the most part. But did it slow down the fairways much at all the last couple of days, the precip, or no? FLORENTYNA PARKER: We came out here in May the first time to practice on the course, and it was quite soft. And I personally was expecting, when we were coming back now in August, I heard it's going to be really hot and humid, and I was expecting firm fairways and firm greens. Obviously this week the weather hasn't been ideal or not what we were expecting. And it is soft. The wind today has hopefully dried out the fairways a bit. But it's not running that much. And the greens are very receptive. Q. Would you prefer the fairways to be running more, in the sense of how undulating the greens are and so forth, running them out if you're accurate? Do you want to be going in there with wedges as much as you possibly can just because of how undulating many of the surfaces are? FLORENTYNA PARKER: Yeah, I mean, the greens are basically key this week; you need to hit it in the right spot to give yourself the best putt. If you have a shorter club in, it helps. But, again, it's the same for everyone; if it's not running out, it's not running out. So I think that's something we know and just have to accept. Q. Jodi, when Mel was in, she was saying that she wasn't very happy that you've got a trace of an American accent now -- JODI EWART SHADOFF: I'm trying really hard now to be English. Q. Does that wind up being continuing all week, or are you giving it as good as you can get? JODI EWART SHADOFF: She's actually been pretty easy on me this week. I think I got it a little bit harder at the UL International Crown last year. But I haven't gotten it that bad this week, yet. THE MODERATOR: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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