SOLHEIM CUP

September 3, 2021

Paula Schulz-Hanssen

Amalie Leth-Nissen

Inverness Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Good morning. Welcome to the first press conference of Friday. I'm joined by two members of the winning European PING Junior Solheim Cup team, Germany's Paula Schulz Hanssen and Denmark's Amalie Leth-Nissen.

Welcome to the media center, girls. Congratulations on your win yesterday. First of all, Paula, how did you find that winning moment? What was it like when Denisa put in that putt for Europe to win the Cup?

PAULA SCHULZ HANSSEN: It was very exciting, so we were all thinking about it, we should like tell her that we needed her point as the last one, and then we decided not to, because like that would be a lot of pressure for her.

So we were like cheering next to the green, and I think she kind of felt like we could have a chance to win because we were all so happy. Then when she holed her putt, when she won the match, we were all running up to her, and then she realized that we actually won. I get goosebumps now, it's just so exciting, and I'm very happy.

THE MODERATOR: You were still playing at the time. Did you hear any cheering from around the course?

AMALIE LETH-NISSEN: Yeah, I was at the 16th green when I heard a lot of screaming. I heard Vamos, so I was pretty sure it was the Europeans. Then I saw them come running down the 17th fairway and I was pretty sure that we won.

So it was amazing to see the girls be so happy, and also a big relief for myself.

THE MODERATOR: How did you find the whole week at Sylvania Country Club? What was the atmosphere like when you arrived at the weekend?

AMALIE LETH-NISSEN: It was magical, especially because I think I only knew Paula and then I've played with some of the other girls, but we weren't really close. But Annika and Eva and all the other people were really good at making us feel comfortable and getting to another each other, so we trusted each other, and playing as good as we did, and I think it was, yeah, a magical week. Great team.

We had a really good time, even though we didn't -- even if we didn't have won, I think it would have still been a really great week, yeah.

PAULA SCHULZ HANSSEN: I just think that being so far away from home, I didn't know many of the girls, but still, I felt like they were like my team and my family, even though I didn't know them because we were so far away and we were so Europeans actually out on the course because there were many American fans, but still, to know that the other girls are just giving it their best shot and like doing everything they can, it just made me feel pretty good.

THE MODERATOR: You mentioned Annika; what was she like as a captain? When you met her last weekend, what was that experience like?

AMALIE LETH-NISSEN: I remember we were at the putting green or we were eating lunch and she came in, and the whole room went silent. We were just looking, and I think we were all kind of star struck. Then she started to come around and talk to us.

I remember we were looking at each other because she's a legend. But she's really cool, calm person, really down to earth. She makes you feel really comfortable.

Throughout the week, she was really good at making everybody close and feeling well come and always asking if we were okay, so I don't think we could have a better captain than Annika.

I think we all have learned so much from her. Yeah, a dream come true, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: What about you, Paula?

PAULA SCHULZ HANSSEN: So I think she's just so down to earth. On the first day we were on the driving range and she was actually asking me if she should clean my clubs, and I was like, Oh, my God.

But yeah, she just made everyone feel comfortable, and she told us from the beginning just to have fun and do our best and just to walk like a champion so it doesn't matter if you win your match or if you're losing it.

Just move on from mistakes and just be happy, have fun, and yeah, just walk like a proud champion.

THE MODERATOR: Obviously you had Nora Anghehrn as we as vice captain. What advice did Nora give to you throughout the week?

AMALIE LETH-NISSEN: She was, I would say an amazing vice captain. She really helped us all if we needed anything on the range, if we needed the pin positions. She would go out and give them to us. By herself, yeah, she was amazing.

She did a really great job both on the course and off the course, always there to help, always there to talk to, always there to cheer. Really, really a great vice captain. She did a really good job.

PAULA SCHULZ HANSSEN: So I think she really trusted us, so every time I saw her, she looked at me and just like -- she was just like, Paula, just commit to your shot, I believe in you, you can do it. So that was amazing, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: In terms of obviously going into the final day yesterday, you had a deficit of 8-4; the Americans were leading 8-4-overnight. What did Annika and Nora say to you yesterday morning to get you all fired up to produce the performance that you did?

AMALIE LETH-NISSEN: So we came to the hotel from the course and had a team meeting. They started out with saying that we all did a great job today, even though we only got four points. Then Annika told us, This is not about winning, it's about learning. It's about growing as a person.

Then she said, Tomorrow we're just going to give it all we can, do the best we can, and then have a great attitude, smile to each other, be a great teammate, and then just, yeah, walk like a champion.

PAULA SCHULZ HANSSEN: Yeah, so she just showed us that every point matters, so it doesn't matter if you're on the 18th or the 14th, just like, yeah, give your best and just know that your point could be the winning point.

THE MODERATOR: When you were playing yesterday, obviously, Amalie, you said you heard the noise once you had won, but throughout the afternoon could you hear murmurs around the course? Could you hear some cheering? Did you know what was happening?

AMALIE LETH-NISSEN: Actually, yeah, we could hear cheering, but it's hard to hear whether it's the Europeans or the Americans. But you could hear if it was loud cheering it was the Americans because they were so much more than us.

But both Mike, Annika, Nora were good at giving updates about the other matches, so we had a feeling that it was really close. Annika came on the ninth tee and said to me the others were doing really good so it might come down to my point, so I had to win or do the best I could.

That got me a little bit nervous, but they were really, really good at making everybody know how the score was so we all could do our best.

PAULA SCHULZ HANSSEN: I remember that Nora came to me after the 15th hole because I was all square then, and she was like, Well, the others are doing a great job, so I'm just going to spend a few holes with you and we're going to get you a point.

I remember then I holed a nine-meter putt, and she was just cheering and hyping me up so crazy, and then I played another birdie, so I won my match.

I remember that Annika was next to the green, and it was just like, I was so proud to like be able to do that in front of Nora and Annika. It was a great moment.

THE MODERATOR: Obviously you were both at Gleneagles in 2019; what do you think you'd learnt from your first time on a Junior Solheim Cup that you were able to bring this week?

AMALIE LETH-NISSEN: I think the weeks are pretty similar, but definitely play for yourself. If you're not good as an individual, if I'm not focusing on myself, then I can't play for my team. So really just do your own thing.

Annika also said in the beginning of the week, Focus on yourself, focus on your routines, and be there for your team, as well. Do your warmup, do what you need to be the best, and then I think that was the most important thing. Even though we played the four-balls and the foursome, we had to hit great shots.

I think that was the difference, to really focus on doing your best also yourself so you could be good for your team.

PAULA SCHULZ HANSSEN: I think that the whole week is just so overwhelming, and it was great to have that experience, to have had this experience two years ago, because just to like be in a different team than in the other tournaments and be on a different continent, you're like so far away from home and it's like all new, and just to accept that and grow as a personality, also, so just to kind of find your routine just like Amalie said and do it the way you always do it.

Q. I was just wondering how long you plan to stay this week. Will you be on the first tee cheering on the next few days for Team Europe?

AMALIE LETH-NISSEN: Yeah, definitely we will. We will be cheering very loud but cheering for all the Europeans who couldn't make it over here. Yeah, you will definitely see 12 very happy European girls.

Q. Will you be here through Monday?

PAULA SCHULZ HANSSEN: Yeah.

Q. For you two specifically, what are your future plans after this? Are you playing college golf in the U.S.?

PAULA SCHULZ HANSSEN: Yeah, so I'm verbally committed to Arizona State University, so I want to play college golf. I graduate next year, so then four years, yeah.

AMALIE LETH-NISSEN: Yeah, and I graduate in 2024, so I still have three years left, so I don't know yet.

Q. I didn't know you had to carry your own bags and you had to rake your own sand and get your own clubs. I thought that was kind of hard being a caddie and being a player, also. I wondered what your thoughts were on that subject of being your own caddie.

AMALIE LETH-NISSEN: We played together in the foursome and the four-ball, and I think it was great that we were like each other's caddies. We talked about the shots, made the decisions together, so that was really nice.

It was definitely more difficult in the singles because it was only you who had to take all the decisions, and it's definitely different from match play to stroke play, which we normally play.

I think it's difficult, but we're used to it, and I think it's a great challenge to take the decisions and hole the putts and go for the par-5s by yourself. So I think it was great to do both.

PAULA SCHULZ HANSSEN: Yeah, so I also think that we're pretty used to being our own caddie. Just to have people walking with you, I think that's totally enough to -- like they are cheering you up, so you can just like do your own thing. So I think it was great.

Q. Renee had said she thought that putting was the secret to the win; what do you think about that?

AMALIE LETH-NISSEN: I think it was definitely -- she's right, because I remember in our foursome, we holed everything. We putted really well. I think definitely that was the one success we had.

Also in the singles, it was always about making birdies. You had to hole those birdie putts or else you would lose the hole. So definitely if you had a cold putter, it would be very difficult to win. So definitely the putter was the key.

Q. I just wonder if you've got any kind of feeling how this might inspire the team for what's to come over the next three days here for Europe, obviously being away from home, that you have achieved such a stirring victory.

AMALIE LETH-NISSEN: I definitely think it's -- I hope it's inspiring them to also believe in winning, even though we are in the USA and the American fans are probably going to be more loud than us.

But just know that there will be many Europeans at home, and we will be there cheering for them. I hope it's really a motivation for them to see that we also could do it. There are going to be a lot more fans when they're playing, but I think just, yeah, keep believing in themselves. I think they will do great.

PAULA SCHULZ HANSSEN: Yeah, we saw a lot of them yesterday at the gala dinner, so everyone was talking to us and saying that they were so excited for us. And also the USA team, like they were coming up to us saying, wow, you did a great job, so amazing.

So I think it's very cool for them to see that everything can change in 12 singles matches.

Q. Being part of the PING Junior Solheim Cup normally leads to playing in the real Solheim Cup. I know it's a hard question, but when do you expect to play the normal Solheim Cup? Do you have any expectations?

AMALIE LETH-NISSEN: I don't think we have expectations like two or four or six years, but I think for both of us, we are going to do our best to play as soon as we can. Definitely a motivation to know so many now playing Solheim Cups have also played the Junior Solheim Cup.

We both believe in it, so yeah, as soon as possible. We're going to play our best to be in it as soon as possible.

THE MODERATOR: What was the gala dinner last night when you got congratulated by everyone who came to see you? How did you enjoy the experience?

PAULA SCHULZ HANSSEN: It felt pretty good to just see those professionals, and they were coming up to us even though they were like Team USA, and they were so proud and so happy for us, so it felt pretty good.

AMALIE LETH-NISSEN: Yeah, it was really nice to talk to a lot of different people, meet new people, and yeah, just enjoying the victory.

THE MODERATOR: That concludes this press conference with Amalie and Paula, and we'll be back soon with the press conferences for the day.