CURTIS CUP MATCH

August 1, 1998

Fiona Brown

Ita Butler

Becky Morgan

Elaine Ratcliffe

ITA BUTLER: Well, actually, I think we finished on a high note today, and I think the points we gained in the foursomes are critical to us. And in fact, the half match this morning really gave us a great boost. I think probably the putting today didn't go our way and we're hoping that tomorrow we'll get some breaks. We felt we didn't get any breaks today but the Americans were putting extremely well and I think that was possibly the difference today.

ITA BUTLER: I don't mean to sound ungracious, but, in fact, not really. I think -- I think we have a strong pairings and I think the fact that they coped so well against such talent and such a talented pair shows the strength of our team.

RHONDA GLENN: Elaine, you managed to get two points this morning, a wonderful bunker shot on the last hole and the second hole against the winningest Curtis Cup player in history. How do you feel about your day?

ELAINE RATCLIFFE: I had a super day, really and really enjoyed it out there, the course, with everybody watching and the weather. It was -- I really enjoyed it and had a great time and it was nice to hit a few good shots and our putts.

ITA BUTLER: I think it probably would be the fact that our players didn't give up. They kept playing, trying. At one point they looked as if they weren't going to be in the -- they did keep trying and it's great to see that spirit and it takes us into tomorrow and we're all quite optimistic now at this point.

Q. Elaine, what was your thinking as you were skirting up on that 8th hole in the morning match. Was it -- did you feel it was a difficult shot or did you feel it was something that you could do as well as you did and what was your thinking?

ELAINE RATCLIFFE: Yeah, it felt quite comfortable because in it. It was uphill. At practice, we went with my bunkers have not been as good as I would have liked to have been but I thought there was something I was doing wrong in my setup and she could help correct that. So when I got in there and with everybody watching and then Mickey was watching, I was kind of half-chirping to myself: "At least I put the practice in," one of those things that calms your nerves. I practiced hard during the week and hopefully it will come up. And I've got this 60-degree wedge so if it hit the bunker shot well it can stop really quickly. After Beth's s shot going through the green, I think that obviously -- I realized as long as I could put it close, as worse we were halving the match and all of the sudden it seemed a great opportunity put your mark on it. And as we were walking down 18 we saw that the other two games had gone down so where we knew a point was very, and, when it came out it looked good all the way and I couldn't believe it really, it was just like -- oh. (smiling)

ELAINE RATCLIFFE: I believe -- I never actually saw it because the ball got very close to the pin and you couldn't actually see it because but I think it was only --

ELAINE RATCLIFFE: Was it less? I thought it was going to go in. People were shouting for it to go in.

BECKY MORGAN: It was great. I thought I could win it even though I was 2 down but it was nice coming back like I did.

BECKY MORGAN: I can say it was good experience but it was all strokeplay so it really wasn't anything like this. I think this course is kind of -- I think it's quite British in layout so it wasn't really -- I mean, I played in the sand so it was mortar get golf so I think it helped but not as much as -- if it had been strokeplay or anything.

BECKY MORGAN: Well, they are getting faster. I mean, we play fast ones in college, yeah.

ELAINE RATCLIFFE: But they are not -- really (inaudible) similar greens to Birkshire or (inaudible) I think where Becky had the key were really good greens as well, so that must have helped.

ELAINE RATCLIFFE: Yeah, every time I got into a bunker I kept kind of smiling because I could see my friends and family watching and sort of joking: You know, oh, here's the great bunker shot player. So people were kind of commenting so it went tongue-in-cheek. When I go in the bunker it was kind of like, and they came out all really well. I thought it was quite amusing. Obviously you have to get every bunker shot close but it all fell into place today.

ELAINE RATCLIFFE: Three out of four, yeah.

FIONA BROWN: Yeah, I think we're feeling pretty confident after today and Rebecca played really well and --

FIONA BROWN: Yeah, they are a good pairing but I think we are a good pairing as well. We've played quite a lot this week and I'm looking forward to it, actually.