SOLHEIM CUP

September 1, 2021

Ally Ewing

Megan Khang

Jessica Korda

Nelly Korda

Inverness Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with the Team USA players. Ally, I'll start with you. Two years ago it was a pretty different position for you, joining the team later in the process in Gleneagles. How was this experience different? You've had a spot on this team locked up for a couple weeks, but what was this process like as compared to two years ago?

ALLY EWING: Well, even two years ago, I think leading into Gleneagles, Captain Inkster had told us not to rely on a captain's pick. And for me, just coming in this week, I wanted to play really solid golf for two years and make the team on points. So I played solid enough to do that. And we're on home soil this year, which I think is super exciting, a lot of fans out, especially in preparation, which is good to see, so I know it's only going to get better when the tournament starts.

THE MODERATOR: You won earlier this year at our new match play event. Was, Solheim Cup had to be on your mind that week, but do you think that really helped state your case as to why you needed to be on this team?

ALLY EWING: I think so. I think every golf course plays a little bit different, but as a whole, you can trust your game and rely on it to carry over from week-to-week and course to course. So I definitely think it wasn't bad thing to win a match play event and kind of maybe solidify and show that I'm a match play player and love the competition.

THE MODERATOR: Megan, in Gleneagles 2019 you were one of the team rookies. It was really young team. You're one of the veterans now. How, similar question, second year veteran if you could you be such a thing. How is the experience different coming in as a rookie where you don't necessarily know what to expect and now you're here and, yes, it's a different place, but you're not quite as sure what's going on.

MEGAN KHANG: I think every time you make a Solheim Cup team it's kind of, like it's a huge moment because, like when I played my first Solheim Cup, I was like this is an event I never want to miss as long as I'm playing out here. And to be, out here knowing how the crowds are going to be, how intense like each putt, each stroke is going to weigh, it's obviously a big event. And definitely us being on home soil and not having the cup in our hands right now we definitely want to get the cup back and I think being on home soil it's definitely a little more motivation on top of, as a team, how we want it already.

THE MODERATOR: Jessica, I know this is your pod. You played together this morning. You have been here since Monday. How does the course look out here and how does it compare to right about a year ago when we were here for Drive On under really different circumstances?

JESSICA KORDA: Yeah. It's a tough golf course. It's a championship golf course. I think pars are going to be winning some holes and it will be interesting to see how they kind of play it. We have played it with a higher wind today, which was in a sense what we saw a lot of last year. I'm not sure what the rest of the week brings. But this place is always in such great shape so we're all really excited to get the week going.

THE MODERATOR: Nelly, you played here last year. What was that experience like? Did that help? And off the high of the gold medal and everything, first time home, how are you feeling as you come into the week here at Inverness?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, for sure. I think all of us, I think a majority of us played on the team last year, and whenever you get some rounds under your belt on a tough golf course like this, it's, it's definitely more of a major championship golf course. It's in really great conditions. It's firm. And I think it's just going to get faster through the week. So definitely having more rounds under the belt is going to be really helpful for us.

But it definitely feels back to the, it definitely feels great to be back playing in the U.S.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Nelly, can you describe what this year has been like for you and just how much of a roller coaster it's been and where does the Solheim Cup kind of rank in all the things that you've been able to do and accomplish this year?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, we were actually talking about it. It was Evian, then it was the Olympics, British, and Solheim, so it's pretty much like four majors in a row. So it's definitely been a lot of travel. It's been hectic. But I've loved every single minute of it. It's been a surreal year so far and hopefully we can make it even better this year or this week.

Q. Where does the Solheim Cup kind of rank amongst all those amazing things that you've been able to do this year?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah. As Megan says, once you get to experience playing in a Solheim Cup, you never want to miss it. And this is going to be our first year or, our first year on home soil, so our (laughing) first year on home soil. So I think it will be even cooler. So it was definitely something that was on my list this year to make.

Q. For any of you, I asked the European players whether they view themselves as the underdogs or favorites or if they thought it was even across the board, and they acknowledged that playing on U.S. soil kind of automatically makes them underdogs. But if you would take out that component and just strictly golf, how do you guys view yourselves? Would you guys be the favorites or underdogs or neutral?

NELLY KORDA: I think it's pretty even. Anna just won the British. You had a lot of European girls that have been playing really well this year. Same with the U.S. So I think, personally, that it's pretty similar.

ALLY EWING: I think this format too, it's someone who is not necessarily playing that great can show up at Solheim Cup and the competitive atmosphere, anyone can turn it on out here, just it's just a completely different than anything we play all year, so I would say it's going to be pretty evenly matched.

Q. Jessica, how would you describe the personality of your pod and do you think you guys were grouped based on personality more so or because of your games?

JESSICA KORDA: I would say, honestly, personality, games. It's just the comfort level of us. We're pretty even keeled. During practice rounds we all like to have fun. There's not really necessarily a quiet one between us. So, yeah, I would say that we're very similar personalities, and it's a fun pod. It's a fun pod.

Q. Anybody else? Ally? Do you feel the same way, personality-wise or game-wise?

ALLY EWING: Yeah. I think it's all across the board. Obviously all of us are on this team for a reason. It's because we play great golf, and then just to add in the personalities, we are a fun pod, so I would say that the personality, golf, we're pretty fun across the board.

Q. Since you guys were all on the team the last go around, how has the dynamic changed this time around as you guys are looking to try to win back the cup this time.

JESSICA KORDA: I think we're all trying to play good golf. Match play, it's kind of a different beast. You never know, you can never count anyone out. So I think we're all just going to, same like last time, it was such a close match. I mean, it came down basically to the last matches and the last putt. I mean, hello.

So I think we're just looking to play some great golf and have fun on the side because ultimately we are trying to showcase women's golf at the highest level and I think this is, what better opportunity do we have than here. And everything that's been setup this week is, it's bigger and it's better, and so we're going to try to elevate ourselves to that as well.

Q. This place has obviously hosted a ton of major championships. The history is pretty special. What does it mean to have the opportunity to kind of author your own special moment, put your own maybe celebratory photo on these clubhouse walls? What does it mean to kind of author your own moment at this kind of place?

ALLY EWING: I personally am seeing just everything elevated in the women's game. I think we have, our major championships are taking it to a new level, whether it's the historic venues or the prestigious venues that the men maybe are used to being on, we're seeing a lot of tournaments, sponsors step up and put us on those golf courses.

So being out here and a chance, like you said, to put a photo up in the clubhouse, Victorious Team USA, that would be the ideal way to cap off the week. But it means a lot that a lot of golf courses and companies are stepping up to get us on these great golf courses.

Q. People use this great game of golf as a distraction from all of the chaos in their lives and in the world. When you compete on the world stage, whether it's at the Olympics or whether it's here at Solheim and you know that you have an entire nation of fans rooting for you, pulling for you, and looking to you as that distraction, how do you describe that feeling and what do you hope to give to those fans this weekend?

JESSICA KORDA: Entertainment.

MEGAN KHANG: At the end of the day it's an honor to represent the USA, no matter what the stage is because it's USA, you take it and you embrace it, because it's a great deal to be out here playing, one of 12 girls out here on the team, and like for me, personally, I embrace it very much and I'm sure everyone out here wants to do not only themselves proud, but the team and the country.

So, again, I think we all embrace it and we all just kind of have our best game and play some good golf.

Q. You talked about it a little bit, but what should the people here in Toledo expect when they step on that 1st and 10th tee on Saturday? What's it going to be like?

JESSICA KORDA: Loud, hopefully. Some good energy, some good vibes. We're already seeing that now. There's a bunch of people out there, and you get USA chants I think every time you step on that 1st/10th tee. Everyone is just super pumped up to be there. And even this morning, just playing, it was really cool and that's kind of what, that kind of energy that we're hoping that Saturday and on brings.

ALLY EWING: Stacy is our assistant captain and you're looking at Chesney's Girls. Chesney's Girls. That's our pod name. This is the official pod title.

JESSICA KORDA: Instead of Jessie's Girls, we're Chesney's Girls.

Q. Nelly, a couple weeks ago Catriona Mathew had said it was great to have you as the world No. 1 in the Solheim Cup, but she felt like then the pressure was kind of on you and USA to go out there and to win. Do you feel any of that added pressure?

NELLY KORDA: I mean, we are on home soil, so obviously the crowds are rooting for you, there's more eyes on Team USA, but I think as Megan said, we're all embracing this, it's a lot of fun, there's honestly nothing like a Solheim Cup, the crowds, the energy, I mean the hype that we all have, especially coming Saturday morning. So I don't know if there's more pressure just because they're defending, so we're, in a sense, I feel like we're underdogs, because they're the ones defending. But no, I think all of us are just embracing this moment and we're ready for Saturday.

Q. Do you personally feel any added pressure, just given what a great season you've had and being No. 1 now?

NELLY KORDA: I try not to think about it. There's definitely a lot of people that kind of try to put it in my head, for sure, but I'm pretty easygoing, I just kind of try to fly under the radar and do my thing, be prepared as best as possible, have fun starting Saturday and hopefully put up some points and just have fun with my pod and my teammates.

Q. One for the Korda sisters. It's fair to say that your partnership at Gleneagles was fairly successful, 6&4, 6&5 I think you went. How would you follow up something like that and do you expect to play with each other and would you expect to play in the four-balls as well this time together?

JESSICA KORDA: We're leaving a lot of that up to the captains. We are here for the team and however way that we can contribute we'll obviously contribute as best we can. This is a completely different golf course, different team, different year, so we'll do our best to see what we have and enjoy ourselves while we're doing it.

NELLY KORDA: Yup.

THE MODERATOR: One last question, we have four great players here and but we have one of our founders, Shirley Spork, over here with us and, ladies, I wanted to ask you what it means to be able to play this event in front of one of our founders and to know that one of the women who started the LPGA is here in support of you?

JESSICA KORDA: I was so excited to see her yesterday before we got on the bus to come here, that was like the first day, decked out in USA, she had her USA mask ready to go. Just to see kind of the passion that Shirley has, not just for the LPGA but also for the Solheim Cup, I think it's really cool and she's always the first person that I try to greet when I see her because we do appreciate every time that she does come out.

THE MODERATOR: You got a big thumbs up.

NELLY KORDA: You pretty much said it all.

JESSICA KORDA: No, Solheim Cup. That's why I try to sit back (laughing).

THE MODERATOR: Thanks so much, Shirley, thanks so much to you ladies, go do chest knee proud. We'll see you later.