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SOLHEIM CUP

August 18, 2017

Des Moines, Iowa, USA

THE MODERATOR: We're now here with Danielle Kang and Michelle Wie, who took a 3&1 victory in the afternoon four-ball. You never trailed. Led off, looked like with an eagle from you, Michelle, on hole No. 1, and the hot putting hand of Danielle as we got down the stretch. Let's start out with No. 1, it's got to be a good feeling to start out a match that way.

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, for sure. I hit the chip, and it just felt good. And it took a while for it to reappear. I was kind of doubting myself for a little bit. But it felt good.

THE MODERATOR: Danielle, 2-0 today. I don't think there's any question that you're the star coming out of today. The crowd loves you. Everyone loves you. Tell me how you're feeling, your rookie time here on the Solheim Cup -- two victories and your hand was on fire there at the end.

DANIELLE KANG: My rookie debut today was -- I couldn't have asked for better partners today. I got to play with my big sis and we killed it out there, and we have such good chemistry.

I played with Lizette, my long-time friend. And it was really fun playing alternate shots, having each other's back. By the second 18, I got kind of tired and she knew that so she keeps feeding me.

It was just amazing. I couldn't have imagined what everybody was talking about because I was never here. But now that I've been here, you're right, it is down right one of the best events ever played.

THE MODERATOR: Everyone is still talking about you on the first tee, raising it up. What was it like for you right at the very beginning, taking the swing with the crowd just roaring for you.

DANIELLE KANG: I loved it. I hit the drive as far as I could hit it. And I just ride on their adrenalin and their vibe and their happy. And I want it to be loud. I like that crowd. I like being, I like having that attention.

MICHELLE WIE: She's a princess.

DANIELLE KANG: Princess, yeah. I want to hear the crowd, I want us to have those fans maybe in the future. It's incredible.

Q. Danielle, it's not very often that a rookie kind of assumes a leadership role, but your happiness has been kind of infectious throughout the team. Do you feel as though you have assumed a leadership role out here?
DANIELLE KANG: In my team?

Q. On the team.
DANIELLE KANG: No, everyone's team. Angel is always bright. She's always taking care of us. And Lizette -- you know, everyone is always taking care of each other. And I don't think it's just me. I think us as a team have a good balance and chemistry.

Especially our pod mom Pat, Pat Hurst is just so awesome. I think just overall our team this year, with Juli and everyone else, just has really good balance and everyone complements each other. So I don't know about leadership. But I like our team.

Q. Danielle, both on the broadcast and other of your teammates have both come out and said how it just seems like you're such a natural fit for this type of golf. No one could know that until today, but it certainly seems to be true, at least after one day. Why do you think your personality and your game just match this environment? Because it seems like it's an instant connection from where a lot of us sit out here.
DANIELLE KANG: Like Michelle said, I'm a princess. I like the attention. I love the vibe. I want that crowd.

And that's what we play for. That's what we practice for all our lives, to have that moment. When you win, I mean, I promise you that crowd was unreal. KPMG crowd was unreal.

I think we just -- I don't think it's just me. I think it's a lot of people that just want to feed off of the fans. And it's just magical basically. I absolutely love it.

Q. Michelle, that putt on 6 that took a backward hop off the hole and went in, what does that do for your confidence as you move forward and around, especially when they had a short birdie putt left to win that hole?
MICHELLE WIE: I thought we, in the beginning of the round, you know, there was a lot of putts like that. A lot of putts that Danielle made as well. I thought that putt was pretty huge as well, because they stuck it in really close and I knew I needed to make it. So it's fun. It's fun when you make putts that you need to make. I think we both walked it in kind of on the same line.

DANIELLE KANG: I was so excited.

MICHELLE WIE: That was a pretty great moment for us.

DANIELLE KANG: I almost threw my putter, I was so exciting. That was incredible, that putt was --

Q. Danielle, did you know going into today that you were going to pump up the crowd while you hit? That's such an unusual thing, the Bubba Watson thing. Lexi did it. Was that spontaneous?
DANIELLE KANG: I don't think I planned it. But I like the roar. I like the noise. I wasn't kidding when I said be so loud that I can't hear people. I like it like that.

Because I just feed off of the high energy. I'm a very upbeat person. So the mellow golf doesn't really fit me very well. So if you want to scream, go right ahead. I like it. Other people might not, so we have to quiet them down. But, yeah.

Q. Michelle, I can't help but notice that your uniform is just a little bit different than the rest of your team. Is there a reason? And what are you going to wear on the day where you are supposed to wear what you're wearing?
DANIELLE KANG: I didn't want to mention it.

MICHELLE WIE: I went all day not knowing or noticing. I was blissfully oblivious I was wearing the wrong outfit. I just found out 20 minutes ago. I looked down and I was like -- it was kind of in the back of my head: Her skirt looks different, maybe because she's wearing a skirt and I'm wearing shorts. And, yeah, I'm wearing the wrong outfit and this is not my first Solheim and the rookie is wearing the right outfit.

I mean, I thought it was weird we only had one outfit for today. We usually have two outfits. And I double checked in my closet. I honestly did not know until 20 minutes ago.

DANIELLE KANG: For me, when I saw Michelle, I thought because I'm a rookie, I don't know what the rules are. Because I wore this in the morning. I thought you wear the morning outfit if you haven't played in the morning. Okay. I realized, no, she's just in the wrong outfit. I'm not going to mention that in the middle of the round.

MICHELLE WIE: I honestly did not know until 20 minutes ago. Yeah.

Q. Who told you?
MICHELLE WIE: (Pointing to Danielle).

DANIELLE KANG: By the way, you're not wearing the right outfit.

MICHELLE WIE: I was like, oh, no.

Q. Which outfit is that -- that's the morning?
MICHELLE WIE: That was this morning.

DANIELLE KANG: I wore this this morning, too.

You have to change; this is the afternoon.

MICHELLE WIE: I was feeling slo-mo from this morning so I wanted to wear the outfit.

Q. Danielle, but at any time today did you feel overwhelmed?
DANIELLE KANG: No. I did not feel overwhelmed at all. I loved it. Seriously, I really love it. I did get tired a little bit.

I didn't realize how much golf we played until Michelle over here was like, hey, you need to keep your energy up. You can't hit a wall. I'm like, yeah, yeah, but then I have a sister like her looking out for me for the back 18 and constantly feeding me, giving me energy bars, food. And I think that just kept up everything. No, I did not feel overwhelmed at all, to answer the question.

Q. Michelle, how was it sweeping the Europeans for the first time in Solheim Cup history?
MICHELLE WIE: I mean, it's a pretty great feeling. We have a lot of work left to do in the next two days. But as far as first day goes, I'm extremely proud of my team. They showed a lot of gut out there, especially in the morning. Lexi and Cristie coming back from 2 down to win that half point. I think that was huge.

I was practicing when that was happening. And it was pretty exciting. It got me pumped up for this afternoon. And I'm just so proud of everyone. Danielle played amazing. Lizette and Angel did amazing as well. So we have a lot of work to do in the next two days, but as far as day one goes, I'm feeling pretty good about it.

Q. How do you guys maintain that focus? You know all too well what can happen over the course of the next two days. How do you keep your focus heading into day two?
MICHELLE WIE: We just have to do the same thing we did today; just go out there and not think big picture but just win point by point, shot by shot, hole by hole.

I think when you look too far into the future, you look too big picture, I think that's when things can get lost. We did a good job today of -- we didn't talk about any other matches out there today. We just really focused on each of our shots.

And I think that's what the entire team did, is just take care of their match. And that's just what we gotta keep on doing.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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SOLHEIM CUP

August 18, 2017

Michelle Wie West

Danielle Kang