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THE SOLHEIM CUP

September 6, 2005

Laura Diaz

Michele Redman

CARMEL, INDIANA

Q. We would like to welcome Laura Diaz and Michelle Redman. I think this year everyone is talking about the Veterans being Juli and Beth. You guys have been on quite a few teams yourself how does this experience compare?

MICHELE REDMAN: Well, it's my fourth time, and I've really enjoyed this team so far. We're gelling well together. It's nice coming in with a little bit of experience each year. I know we're looking forward to playing.

Q. Your experience Laura is a little different every week now you're playing pregnant?

LAURA DIAZ: It is. It is. I think having had the experience of the mast two Solheims. I feel like at meetings I can give a little more input to the younger players rather than just taking the input. I agree with Michelle. This team chemistry is phenomenal. We're all having a really good time together. Nancy is just doing a superb job. She really, really is enjoying being a Captain and she just loves us and that's a great feeling to know that someone really believes in you and will do anything to make us more comfortable.

Q. Take some questions.

LAURA DIAZ: Really? So many questions?

MICHELE REDMAN: Not all at once.

Q. First of all, congratulations. Have you had any advice from Pat Hurst and Tammie Green and people who have played in significant events pregnant, and are you feeling well? I haven't followed sort of how your maternity is going so far, so you will have to update me.

LAURA DIAZ: The first trimester was hard. I didn't throw up, sorry, but I did have morning sickness all day long, and the fact that I never felt good, and then as soon as I hit that three month mark, I have been better. I've noticed in the past couple of weeks that I have been a little more tired than normal, and I have reduced my working out schedule, because I just haven't felt like I have had the energy to go run or lift weights.

As far as advice, I'm definitely asking lots of questions, but with pregnancy every person is different and my body is reacting a little different I would say than Juli's or Pat's or Tammie Green when she played, but a lot of people have given me the advice that the five month mark is really, really good on your golf game, you have a lot of energy, and they've all putted really well, so I'm hoping that that I'm just beginning my sixth month this week, so I'm hoping that's what transpires over the last couple of months.

Q. Do you have the stamina to go 36 if needed?

LAURA DIAZ: If needed I would love to go 36. I know that I really enjoyed it in Interlachen, but I can't remember if I went 36 two years ago in Sweden or not, but it's fun. 36 is fun. It's something we don't have an opportunity to do. It's definitely tiring and I told Nancy if she needs me, I'm there. I have a feeling though I probably won't go 36, just because my energy level might not be as high as some of the other younger players.

Q. You mentioned early on that the gellingness, spirit camaraderie seems to be very strong. Laura and a couple of the English girls were saying that's probably their hallmark of having not necessarily more fun because they don't know with a what's going on in your room, but you guys seem to be much more individualistic, and they have more of a history of playing with each other and perhaps that's why they bond better.

Do you agree with that? And if not, do you take offense to that?

LAURA DIAZ: I don't take offense to that at all. I think it's definitely a different atmosphere. I played on the European tour and I played on the LPGA tour and I definitely have had two different experiences, but I think they're both great, and I think this year for us, I know for me, it has been a very different experience than my past two Solheims in that we've done a lot of things together that aren't golf oriented necessarily.

You know, manicures and massages and dinners and bus rides and listening to music and singing and things that we're doing away from the golf course that are more relaxing, that get our spirit out, that make us laugh and joke and not think about our everyday golf game, and I think that we are probably a little more intense in focusing on our golf on a daily basis. I don't know some of us I know I do. I definitely take it to the extreme, my golf game. That's one thing I've really enjoyed about being with this team is we're really trying not to do that this time and just have fun and enjoy the experience. It doesn't happen very often, and we're really lucky to be on this team and I think everyone is embracing that.

Q. What exactly are you singing and can we get a demonstration?

LAURA DIAZ: No, no demonstration, Doug.

MICHELE REDMAN: You can ask Christina Kim.

LAURA DIAZ: Or Meg, ask Meg, Meg will sing for you.

Q. Along the same lines, you know, much is made in the Ryder Cup about Europe is better in team golf concept so to speak. Does that carry over anything with your matches? Maybe they're a little more versed in team golf than you are? The actual competition now, not singing or that stuff.

LAURA DIAZ: They definitely have an opportunity to do it a lot more than we do. I know as a child we didn't do a lot of state to state competitions. They have country to country competitions. They have the Sweden team, the English team. We didn't have the Minnesota team, the Florida team. I think they've got a little more experience in doing that kind of competition together a little more than we do. They start at a younger age.

MICHELE REDMAN: I agree with what Laura said, but we do have a lot of Veterans on this team, and I think that's helping us learn to be more of a team. I mean, I feel the same way Laura does. It's really something different about us this year. We really gel together and I think a lot of us Veterans are enjoying having the young girls on the team. They're so much fun and excited to play. They want to get out there and compete. They're not afraid to do that. I think that will change the team aspect for us a little this year. It feels different to me too.

Q. How would you guys describe this new generation of players and how are they different than you were at their age?

LAURA DIAZ: One word that comes to my mind is phenomenal. They are just so impressive. Every day, I am more and more impressed by their ball striking, their putting, the low numbers that they are consistently shooting. It really is just phenomenal.

MICHELE REDMAN: I just think the confidence level they have, they're not afraid of anything. You know, and I think the thing like I really have learned a lot about Paula Creamer, she's a lot of fun to be around. She's fun, but she's competitive. The thing I'm getting from her, which I think our tour needs, is she's having fun. She loves what she's doing right now and that's a great thing for our tour right now.

Q. This is your fourth team. Have they all been consecutive?

MICHELE REDMAN: Yes.

Q. Juli was saying that around that time, as you start looking behind, you didn't see a lot of young Americans at the time. Is there any part of you that thought gee, where are we going to be in five years? Could you have imagined where you are now?

MICHELE REDMAN: Not at all. I think it's great for the tour. Within the last couple of years we have had a lot of these younger girls coming out, Morgan coming out. It's grabbing media attention, which is what we need. It's great for the tour. It's what we've needed for awhile.

Q. What's it mean for the Solheim Cup?

MICHELE REDMAN: I think every year the Solheim Cup continually gets better and better.

Q. I'm talking about with the youngsters.

MICHELE REDMAN: I think it's going to make it a better event. It's going to be more recognizable. I think people are going to start paying more attention to it. People are watching them more.

Q. Anything else? All right, girls. Thanks a lot. Good luck this week.

End of FastScripts.

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