THE SOLHEIM CUP

September 9, 2003

Beth Daniel

Q. Beth, thanks for coming in. Sorry we're late. I know you played this course after the British. But just your impressions now that we're in the Solheim Cup.

BETH DANIEL: Well, when I came here the day after the British, we had the exact opposite wind, which I believe is the prevailing wind. So today it played quite a bit differently because of the wind direction. But it's a tough golf course. It's going to play very difficult, I think.

Q. Is it much different from the courses you are playing back in the United States do you think?

BETH DANIEL: I don't think so, no. It seems pretty similar. I wish I could take this fairway grass back to the United States. It's pretty nice. We were all commenting on that this morning when we were playing the first hole that the grass is very very nice on this golf course.

Q. Is it different from the other courses that were played in the Solheim Cup in Europe before at the British islands?

BETH DANIEL: Well, every golf course is unique in its own right. It's not a whole lot different than like a Loch Lomond, no. We really, in Solheim Cup, when we played in the British Isles, we have not played what I will call a so-called traditional type links course in a Solheim Cup. We've always played more of resort-type courses that are more or less the same types of golf courses that we would see at home.

Q. With all your experience in playing the Solheim Cup what can you tell the younger players when it comes to spirit or that kind of thing?

BETH DANIEL: I think the important thing for the younger players right now is just to get good practice rounds and decide how they're going to play the golf course, a strategy for playing the golf course. That's all we tried to do today as a team is to go out and play a practice round, see the course, plot a little strategy for how we want to play. And then I think tomorrow and the next day we'll probably get more into perhaps some team play and team play strategy and things like that. Really it is a team event, but you as an individual more or less do the same things that you would do at any individual golf tournament as far as your preparation goes. It's just important to get a feel for the golf course and a strategy for how you want to play the golf course. As far as the younger players go, that would not be any different from any other event that they're playing in.

Q. As a senior player, I suppose you are involved in giving advice on wild cards. How hard was it for someone who has not scored a point yet?

BETH DANIEL: Well, I had no say at all in the wild card picks.

Q. Were you surprised?

BETH DANIEL: Was I surprised at Patty's picks? No. I think she had about five players -- I told Patty afterwards, I talked to her on Sunday night, and I said I think that was the most difficult picks that any captain has ever faced for the U.S. team. There were five players -- in my mind there were five players that she could have chosen, and she could only take two out of those five. She chose the two that she chose. I think they're very good choices. Patty has never consulted anyone. I think she hardly consults Jane Geddes on her picks. She certainly didn't consult me on the picks. I think it was very, very difficult. It's probably -- obviously I've never been a captain, but it's probably the hardest thing a captain has to do is make those picks and tell those people who are not picked that they have not been picked. I think that would be extremely difficult. Mickey can probably answer that question better than I can.

Q. But with so much controversy in the States about the picks because looking from the outside, it would seem that Pat Hurst would get a pick because she has a great record and anything and she didn't get picked. The press in the States, was there much said about Patty's choices?

BETH DANIEL: I only saw the Golf Channel telecast Sunday night. I flew home Sunday night after the event in Reading, Pennsylvania. I saw the Golf Channel. And I think that they felt like Pat Hurst should have been a pick. There's a very good argument for Pat Hurst being a pick. There would have been a very good argument for in my mind I think Daniel Amaccapane could have been a pick. But certainly Pat probably would have been the most controversial because she does have a very good Solheim Cup record. She would have been another veteran to add to the team. That's why they call them captain's picks. And Patty obviously had a feeling about her two picks. And I think they're very good picks. Other than that, I don't know. I didn't see a lot of controversy about it, no, in the States. I know they made mention of it on the Golf Channel, but then I kind of try to not read that sort of stuff. That's the only thing I saw. They really didn't make a huge point about it.

Q. How do you feel about your game, having recently won? And you're obviously playing very good golf. Do you figure your game is in really good shape?

BETH DANIEL: Yes. Obviously I've had a very good year. It's been a great year. For me to have won and especially go down to the wire the last nine holes against Julie Inkster, it meant a lot for me to do that. I felt like I could be back in the winner's circle for a long time. And to finally do that felt very, very good. I feel pretty good about my game. Not a whole lot of complaints.

Q. And physically you're in good shape?

BETH DANIEL: Physically I'm in as good a shape as I probably have ever been in, which I always have my issues, those are always there, and I just try to get around them as best I can.

Q. Your shoulder is fine?

BETH DANIEL: Yeah. My shoulder is fine.

End of FastScripts.