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THE SOLHEIM CUP


September 12, 2007


Donna Andrews

Catrin Nilsmark


HALMSTAD, SWEDEN

BETHAN CUTLER: I'd like to welcome Catriona Nilsmark, the captain of the European Solheim Cup team, who won today, and Donna Andrews, who is the American captain.
It was 14-10 today. Got some of the players here as well. We have Stephanie Kono here. Caroline Hedwall, who is twin sister of Jacqueline Hedwall, Henrietta Brockway from England, and Nicola Rossler from Germany.
Catrin, maybe you would like to make a few comments about how the last few days have gone for you.
CATRIN NILSMARK: Well, it's been extremely exciting. We've played very, very even especially yesterday. We halved the morning and almost halved the afternoon. We squeezed one extra point out in the end, I have to say, and then today I thought we had a pretty strong start, and I did put -- well, most of the players were informed, I have to say, but I did try to put maybe the stronger ones in the front.
And it looked very good in the beginning of the day, but then towards the end of the day, it really switched around. So with an hour left, I thought we were not going to pull it off, and then Europe made some crucial long putts, medium to long putts towards the end, and ten minutes later it all looked like we were actually going to win it.
So it's been an up-and-down day, I'd say, and I've been very, very nervous, even more so I think than the couple of times with the Solheim Cup.
BETHAN CUTLER: A question. How does it compare being captain of this team compared to being captain of the other team?
CATRIN NILSMARK: A few different things. A little more drama before the tournament actually kicks off in the big Solheim Cup. You know, players have been out a long time. Some of them have had a 10, 15, 20-year career, and they're very set in their ways and set with players they want to play with or not. Very different with these girls.
I did talk to them. I didn't know them so well before I started, so I asked them who they wanted to play with, and nobody had any problems. They all wanted to play with everybody. Nothing was a problem.
But then we had a few little things going on during the tournament, so a little more this time than last time.
BETHAN CUTLER: Want to expand upon that?
CATRIN NILSMARK: Maybe not everything. But we had a twisted ankle chasing the mosquitoes. We had to come and put the beer cans on the fridge from her. Then we had some party going on right next to this one -- she's a troublemaker back here -- Rossler. We had the party going on. Had to go out and have them stop Danish and English men, which wasn't easy at a quarter to 2:00 in the middle of the night.
What else? Yeah. Bit of everything.
BETHAN CUTLER: What's the story with the mosquitoes? Who was involved with that?
CATRIN NILSMARK: The true story is Nicola and her roommate was sharing a room. Caroline went onto the bed and jumping to try to kill mosquitoes, and the bed slipped away, and she fell down on the floor, and she did hit her head. Although this one came running said she hit her head as well.
She was dizzy and she really did turn her ankle quite a bit.
BETHAN CUTLER: Any questions from the floor?

Q. Jacqueline, I understand you were called up to take a place. Did you expect to play such a big part in the Solheim Cup this year?
JACQUELINE HEDWALL: No, of course not. It's a great team and I'm a good player, but I thought other girls -- yeah, they are qualified for the tournament, and I haven't. So, yeah, I thought this was going to not be the situation with me.
BETHAN CUTLER: I want to ask you a question. How old are you all? Tell us ages.
STEPHANIE KONO: I'm 17.
CAROLINE HEDWALL: Eighteen.
NICOLA ROSSLER: Sixteen.
HENRIETTA BROCKWAY: Seventeen.
JACQUELINE HEDWALL: Eighteen.
BETHAN CUTLER: How much of you enjoyed playing in the Junior Solheim Cup this week?
NICOLA ROSSLER: Repeat the question.
BETHAN CUTLER: How much have you enjoyed it this week?
NICOLA ROSSLER: It was so great. It was amazing, really. It was my really greatest aim to play in that and had lots of expectations, and they all came true. It was so much fun, and we had great fights with U.S. girls, and, yeah, I really -- I grow as a player, and it was really, really nice.
BETHAN CUTLER: Pass the microphone on.
HENRIETTA BROCKWAY: Yeah. It was unbelievable. I think our team jelled really well. We had a lot of fun. We were always supporting each other. I think the American team definitely made us raise our games.
I think the match I had where it kept me on my toes for every single shot and hole, and I'm sure everyone kind of felt the same. Even the last hole, couldn't say we were going to halve it definitely. You never knew what was going to happen. And so it was really great, really great, and it was above my expectations, definitely. I just had so much fun. It was great.
BETHAN CUTLER: Who would like to say a few words about the last couple of days?
CAROLINE HEDWALL: I think these two girls have said enough. (laughter.)
Q. Can I ask you, Caroline and Jacqueline, what it's like playing with your twin? I'm sure you don't get many opportunities to play together.
JACQUELINE HEDWALL: We actually played the Swedish team championship together, so we had some experience playing together and just think it's very fun. I trust her. It's great.

Q. This is for Stephanie. I'm just wondering how much knowledge you had of the opposing team and just your thoughts on how they played.
STEPHANIE KONO: Well, coming into this tournament, I didn't really know anything about any of the girls. Yesterday I played in two matches, and both times the European team played really well, and I was very impressed, and I just think they're very solid. They have great games. And today they just -- they were just able to make a couple more putts than we were and -- but those weren't easy putts. They were very long. I think they deserved to win when they made putts like that.

Q. For the European players. I'm wondering how many of you plan on playing college golf in the U.S.? How about you, Henrietta?
HENRIETTA BROCKWAY: I plan to hide away this winter and work on my game a lot. Next year I'm going see how it goes, thinking of either the second part of the year, the Tour school. Obviously, seriously, it all depends on how I'm feeling. If I'm not feeling great about it, then, yeah, I'll see how I'm feeling but hopefully turning professional next year.

Q. Can I ask who holed the win putt? (Laughter).
Which one of the twins are you?
JACQUELINE HEDWALL: Jacqueline.

Q. (Unintelligible)
HENRIETTA BROCKWAY: I'm not a hundred percent clear on it, to be honest with you. I know I'm playing a match this year in October. But to be honest, I'm not sure of the situation.

Q. Why would it be foggy? They've probably written to you or they haven't. Have they not?
HENRIETTA BROCKWAY: It was mentioned. I haven't had a formal letter yet, but I'll be finding out in October.

Q. Okay. Thanks.
Players who said they were going to play college golf, have any of you made a decision on where, or is that still up in the air?
DONNA ANDREWS: I asked them that in the car. They both have three schools they're going to visit, so they have not made a commitment yet.
CATRIN NILSMARK: I'm sure they're all thinking of somewhere really warm. Right?
BETHAN CUTLER: Any more questions?

Q. Can I ask Nicola about how woman's golf, how the profile of women's golf is growing in Germany?
NICOLA ROSSLER: In Germany it's growing, but it's not very much because, as they say in Germany, "You play golf first," everyone looks at you, "Oh, you played golf?" And it's growing. We get great support from the German Golf Federation, and it's pretty good. But it's not like -- I saw it today on the course in Bastad there were like hundreds of girls playing golf, and in Germany you never have something like that. Or the twins told me that they have golf in their schedule at school, and in Germany you have -- you get not so much support from school.
So you have to -- I get lots of school and some teachers even get, they say, "Oh, you play golf again?" They're not very happy with that. I think you get not as much support as in other countries in Europe.

Q. Hello. Nicola, I was wondering is Bettina Hauert, do you follow her career closely and do you see her as a role model for you?
NICOLA ROSSLER: To be honest, I've not followed her career that much, but, you know, it's good to have a German player now playing that good. But, no, not really, I don't. I'm sorry, but I don't.

Q. Can I ask, are y'all going to be here and cheering on your respective teams Friday onwards?
NICOLA ROSSLER: Yes, we are.
BETHAN CUTLER: Any more questions? Thank you very much for coming in, and good luck with your careers.

End of FastScripts
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