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SOLHEIM CUP

August 20, 2017

Des Moines, Iowa, USA

THE MODERATOR: I'm delighted to welcome the Europe Solheim Cup team captain Annika Sorenstam and members of her team. Annika, we know it wasn't the result you wanted today but there were a lot of positives to take. Can you just give us your reflexes on the week, please?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Absolutely, you're right. There were a lot of positives. And I just kind of look back at the last 18 months, and I look at this week, just to kind of sit here as a part of the team, it warms my heart. They played so hard. They were so courageous. And coming in this morning we all knew that a small miracle needed to happen.

But they fought to the end. I cannot tell you how deep they dug to get to where we did. So I'm very, very proud of them.

And overall it's been a wonderful week. Great memories. And sometimes it's not about the results; sometimes you just have to look at the journey and the memories that you build together.

And we have lots of gear to get home with, suitcases and extra, but the biggest memory I have is the memories with my team. And that's what I'm proud of.

Q. Annika and Beany, I know it's disappointing at this stage, but are you able to look beyond this to the incredible show that both teams put on and what that's likely do for women's golf in the future?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think so, absolutely. We were just walking here from the bus, and I think Caroline said it best. She just said, it really doesn't feel like we lost. And I think that summarizes everything. We've had an amazing week and we just got outplayed.

And sometimes that's, you just have to give the hats to the winning team. Juli captained her team very, very well. I think for women's golf this was an incredible show especially if you watched the last few days. The birdies, the eagles, just hitting it stiff and then hitting it even stiffer or making it.

The game elevated to a level I've never seen. And I think we all should be very proud of women's golf. And I hope people witnessed this because this was a real show.

CATRIONA MATTHEW: I think Annika said it very well. I think we were just talking about that coming in here. We felt like last time in Germany we felt we had lost it. This time we don't feel as we lost it. They just played better than us.

We played well, but they just played some amazing golf. We had a fantastic team, a great captain in Annika. We've had a fantastic week. So I think we've just got to take the positives from it. Annika has been very motivating this week and kept us all going and everything. So I think a huge thank you from the whole team to Annika. She kind of gelled the team together and made it a great week for us all.

Q. Annika, you said a couple times you learned a lot over the past 18 months. I'm curious what it is that you've learned?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I think if I look back at my experience at Solheim Cup, obviously eight times as a player and then as a vice captain, just on the sidelines, you're not really involved in a lot of decisions. But as a captain you have to look at the whole picture.

And sometimes you just get caught up in details. And minor little issues. But as the captain I had to see things from a bigger perspective and really put the puzzle together.

And I could not have done this without the leadership team and certainly the players. I mean, it's been a puzzle the whole time.

And I feel like when we came here, we had a puzzle and then a few pieces fell out. And we replaced it with some other pieces. But so I learned that. Just looking here from a bigger perspective, and I know I will take these lessons with me whether it's my personal life or whether it's my business, how to move on.

And life is all about lessons. And even though we sit here and some people might say that was a failure, I'd like to look at it in a different way: I think every step forward is a progress. And you just got to -- make you stronger.

And I know these ladies here and the other ladies on the team, they might be upset they didn't get the points they wanted, but I want them to walk home with knowing that they made progress, and they're going to take this with them to the next tournament and to the next Solheim in 2019. And they're going to be stronger, they're going to be better. And that's not a bad thing.

Q. What's the most inspiring thing that Annika said this week, maybe in the team room or on the course or something you've learned from her?
CHARLEY HULL: I'm not quite sure, but I think every night they gave the best inspirational team talk. I know it was pretty cool. She gave us these bracelets. Every time she gave us them, it was like gave me goosebumps because it was so impressive.

I think she captained really well. And I can't tell you what she exactly said, but it's just whatever she said it was -- I can, but she said so many good things. But it was pretty inspiring. And it's quite cool. You kind of get into the mind of the greatest female golfer that's lived. And that's pretty special.

Q. Madelene and Georgia, regardless of the results, individually or as a team, can both of you just say a few things about your experiences, being a first-time team member?
GEORGIA HALL: For me, this is probably the best week of my career and probably my life. We had an amazing team, got along really well. Every single day got better.

We couldn't have had a better captain in Annika. She gave speeches every night to us, and it just made us more determined and we played with all our hearts. I've never tried so much to win the points. And this is the reason why me and I'm sure the other team play golf.

MADELENE SAGSTROM: It's like people say, you can't ever prepare for this. And it's kind of what hit me in the beginning of the week. It was different. It was different from anything I've ever played or experienced in my entire life. So it was a journey from my part to get into the whole rhythm of the Solheim Cup.

It's very different from anything else that we do. But the team and Annika just made this entire experience just awesome. It's, like, we play as a team, and we talk as a team, we hang out as a team. It's just so incredible as a golfer to get that team spirit.

And it's been an honor to be part of this team. And I'm really proud of the way I have performed this week. And I played with my entire heart all week. I'm really happy to sit here. And I'm proud of what we've accomplished, even though the score wasn't what we really wanted. But we fought our best. And I'm really proud to be a part of this team.

Q. Picking up on this for Georgia, Juli last night, when it turned out that we were talking about you were going to be the only person to play all five sessions on either team. She just raved, she hadn't seen you very much, and she was so impressed really over the course of the weekend just how much energy and focus and talent that you had. I guess from that standpoint of being the only person to play throughout the entire weekend, did you find reserves that you didn't know that you had? And how did you feel, like, today coming out fifth time? I mean, where did you reach that you hadn't reached before?
GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, I haven't played that much golf since I was amateur. So, yeah, it was tough at times. I felt -- I made sure I ate a lot and drank a lot, especially, a lot of water. I made sure I tried to get as much --

CAROLINE MASSON: Until tonight.

GEORGIA HALL: I tried to get as much sleep as I could. I just wanted to do whatever was best for the team. I was very lucky to have amazing partners in the morning and in the afternoon that made it a lot easier for me.

Obviously it's a little bit easier in foursomes because I was only hitting half the shots. But I think the whole three days I was running mostly off adrenalin. I had to club down a lot. I haven't hit the ball this far ever this week. So, today I just went out there and I tried my best and like all of us did. But yeah, I've really enjoyed the week.

CHARLEY HULL: I wonder how your dad is feeling because he's been carrying the bag for you. He's going to be going home in a coffin.

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, we've done our best.

Q. Annika, is it a one-off for you as a captain or would you like to do it again?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I said coming in this week it's a one-time show. It's been a great journey and so forth. But we have so many wonderful candidates lining up, and it's an honor to do this. And I would love somebody else to get the opportunity to do this.

So it's time to carry the torch on. But, like I said, the European team will always have a place in my heart. And this week will, too. So it is time to move on and it's been a great journey.

Q. Annika and Catriona, the system that's in place right now, are you comfortable with that or do you think the system needs tweaks in regards to how you come up with your team?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I assume you're referring to the qualification system? You know, again, it's not really on my mind right now. I don't think it's on Beany's mind either. Right now we're just going to kind of enjoy this evening, have a good time, finish this up. And once we get our stuff together, you know, I think the European Tour has bigger things to worry about than the point system at this time.

CATRIONA MATTHEW: I think Annika said it perfectly there. We need to digest this result first and let things settle and perhaps in a few months they can look into different things.

Q. Catriona, you've made it sort of known that you're quite keen to captain at Gleneagles but following your sterling efforts here, would you be considering being a player again and perhaps forfeiting or not standing for captaincy?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: No, this is going to be my last one playing. You know, I was 3-down through 11 and I kind of said to myself this is going to be my last match. So give it my all and got all the holes in, managed to play all 18, and just squeak it past. So enjoyed the moment today.

But, yeah, I think it's time for some younger players to take over.

Q. Annika or anybody else on the team, with Anna and Suzann and then Charley later in the week sort of having health issues crop up, with injuries, how deflating was that as a team this strain of bad luck seemed to be sort of happening this week?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: You know, I like to just look forward. That's in the past. I'm not going to sit here and dwell what could have been done or not done.

We did the best we could with what we had. Like I said, it's just in the past. We look forward to the future. We'll have a good time tonight. Make more memories. And we'll go from there.

Q. You've all talked about your journeys and the inspirational messages each night. On a personal level, not asking you to be too personal, but what did you learn about yourself over these many days that you've been together? Or is that something that you're going to reflect upon?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: I think something perhaps you reflect upon. In the moment in the heat of the moment it's not probably until certainly for myself maybe a week later or two weeks later that you actually sit down and think about it while it's all happening you don't really have time to take it all in and everything. So I think it's probably not until afterwards that you sit back and reflect on these things and think of all the little things that happened and all the kind of things that Annika said and the rest of the team. So I think that just all kind of sinks in later.

Q. I don't have a question but I want to say something to you as a former councilwoman in West Des Moines I cannot tell you how proud I am of each and every one of you. I have spent my life mentoring young women, trying to get them to showcase the importance of what they have to offer people. You need to know as we walked around this course how many young women were totally fascinated with you and what you've done and how hard you worked. So when Annika says to you there is no loser, she's right. For what you've done for our community, our state and for yourselves. And please continue to be the very young ladies you are, because we're extremely proud of you. (Applause).
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297

SOLHEIM CUP

August 20, 2017

Annika Sorenstam

Catriona Matthew

Georgia Hall

Carlota Ciganda

Caroline Masson

Charley Hull

Madelene Sagstrom