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THE SOLHEIM CUP

September 11, 2007

HALMSTAD, SWEDEN

DANA GROSS-RHODE: Okay. Thank you everyone for coming in. We obviously have three members of our women's U.S. Solheim Cup team: Sherri Steinhauer, Laura Diaz and Angela Stanford with us.
Ladies, all three of you have some Solheim Cup experience. I know Laura and Angela have played in Sweden before and Sherri. Talk about coming back to the Solheim Cup, especially for maybe Angela and Laura playing in Sweden.
LAURA DIAZ: Well, I'm just thankful that I've had the opportunity to be part of this team. It's an incredible team, full of just a lot of talent, and Sweden is a great place to play. When I was here about three weeks ago the crowds were great, and this course is in good shape just like Barseback was, and I think that we're all just ready to get started even though it's only Tuesday.
ANGELA STANFORD: I would say the same thing. I remember the crowds being awesome the last time we were in Sweden. Just it feels nice to come back and maybe get another shot, and I'm just, along with Laura, just happy to be here. Think we have a great team and excited to play here again.
SHERRI STEINHAUER: The last time I played in Europe was at Loch Lomond, and it's definitely more difficult here on the foreign soil.
I played -- the other two were in the States, so we're looking forward to playing hard against a great team.
DANA GROSS-RHODE: We'll take questions.

Q. Laura, Scandinavian TPC we asked you about -- you said you didn't think you would be here. Are you pinching yourself now that you are on the team?
LAURA DIAZ: Yeah. It was very hectic week, both Canada and Portland, trying to keep my head into that golf tournament instead of this golf tournament, and I was hoping the whole time that I would be here and -- but not wanting to think that I would be here.
I think the way I went about it was a little easier for my heart and my mind. I was just -- I was a bit depressed when I got off the golf course in Portland and on the phone with my father. And I was pretty sad, Betsy hadn't come up to me yet, I'm on the phone and just walks out the door and she could tell by the look in my eyes I was upset. She was like, "I'm picking you, I'm picking you."
It was like depression to elated. It's great. I'm really happy to be here, and it's one of those feelings that you can't really put into words.
DANA GROSS-RHODE: Other questions for the ladies? What does it mean, I know, Sherri, obviously you coached a Solheim Cup team in '03. Do you feel any ties to them, or just coming back now, it was '02; now it's '07.
SHERRI STEINHAUER: What was the question?
DANA GROSS-RHODE: Obviously the last time you were with the Solheim Cup, it was the inaugural team in '02. Have you been following that at all?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: It's just great to be on the team with three of the players that I coached: Brittany Lincicome, Paula Creamer, and Morgan Pressel.
You know, I was looking at the pictures from '02, and it's just so interesting how young they really look in those pictures, and they're still really young, but they're great players. And I was just so fortunate to captain them so that when they did come out on tour, I felt like I really -- I knew them very well and they're just great players and, you know, looking forward to playing along side them this time.
DANA GROSS-RHODE: Okay. Go ahead.

Q. Sherri, talk about how difficult, or, Laura, as well you played both sides of the Atlantic. How more different it is playing when you're away from home?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: You just don't have the crowd on your side, and that's the difficult part.
The goal is to quiet the European fans, and that's a different atmosphere to play under when you're trying to play with the crowd being quiet and you have your cheers, but they're just -- you have your people that have come over from the United States, but it's nothing like-on-soil cheer.
So, the idea is to keep them quiet, and, like I said, that's just different because when we play in the States or you play in any regular tournament, they're cheering for everybody, but that will be our goal this week.
DANA GROSS-RHODE: Angela, do you feel like you have an advantage at all -- obviously you were here in '03 and back here on European soil -- just knowing what it's like to play on European soil?
ANGELA STANFORD: I think so. You know, I don't know what's like to play in the States yet, but I've watched one -- in person one on TV in '05, and it looks a lot different than it felt in '03. So I think it has helped that I played in '03 because I wasn't quite prepared for everything and I don't think you can be your first time around. Now I know how hard it is and how much -- like Sherri was saying, you have your few cheers, but you're staring at thousands of people and you just making birdie and nobody is clapping. Like, "Oh, no."
Just being aware of that, and so I think it does help.
DANA GROSS-RHODE: Any other questions?

Q. Since you've been here, have you seen much of the European team, and, if so, what have you talked about?
LAURA DIAZ: We had a media reception last night with everybody. I think we're all pretty good friends. I know on my part I played over here in Europe, and I knew those girls before I knew the girls on the LPGA Tour. So I think that it's a very friendly atmosphere when we're all hanging out together.
I think even on the golf course, you don't -- there's no rude behavior. I mean, it's very friendly. I think that was my first year at Interlachen. That was the thing I was most shocked about because after watching a Ryder Cup, it seems like they're a little more aggressive towards each other, and, I mean, we walked off The First Tee box, Juli and I, and talked with Laura Davies right down the fairway. It was no different than when we would be playing an LPGA event.
I don't think that the difference is how we interact together, I just think it's more about the crowds, really, because it's the European crowds cheering for the Europeans and the American crowd cheering for Americans. Depending on where you are, the crowds are bigger, you know, for one side or the other.
I think that's where the controversy comes in because we're all -- I think we're all pretty friendly to each other. Don't you guys think?

Q. Do you find a difference in the golf courses between the ones you played in the States and the ones you played in Europe? Is there a different set up? Is there a mindset that you go through to get yourself ready to play here versus when you play in the States?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: Well, I just -- this golf course I think is very similar to the golf courses in the United States. So it just depends on where you are and what course you're playing.
This course is obviously set up, I believe, much longer than an LPGA Tour event.
So that's one difference. But otherwise, the greens are very similar and the grass out there is very similar to back home.
ANGELA STANFORD: Kind of reminds me of a northeast golf course in the States or the trees a lot like a North Carolina golf course. The greens are similar to northeast, northwest type.
SHERRI STEINHAUER: Yeah.

Q. You just came from Portland, so there must be similarities.
ANGELA STANFORD: When we came in August that was the one thing I kept thinking. Because the greens in Portland are similar to these in that you sometimes see one thing, but the ball doesn't always do that. That's kind of the feeling I got. So they do seem very similar.
DANA GROSS-RHODE: Any more questions for the ladies? Thank you all very much for coming. Thank you, ladies.

End of FastScripts

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