	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

THE SOLHEIM CUP

September 21, 2011

Rosie Jones

DUNSANY, IRELAND

MIKE SCANLAN: We'd like to welcome U.S. Solheim Cup Team Captain, Rosie Jones, to the interview room. Eight-time member of the Solheim Cup team, including the inaugural 1990 Solheim Cup, an 11-9-2 all time record with 12 points scored in the competition, and you sank the winning putt for the U.S. Team in 2002. Of all those things, does Captain rank at the top?
ROSIE JONES: Ranks at the top, it sure does. It's quite an experience. The first Solheim was really a lot of fun, new experience for all the players. Winning, making the winning putt was huge. There were a lot of great putts that week, and to have all your teammates and your captains standing at the top of that green when you come off and getting the big congratulations there was a lot of fun.
But this week is really something special. I've been working on it for the last two years, and you know that every single thing that's happening around the team has something to do with -- you've had some part of doing it. Whether it's the clothing that they're wearing, the players that are finishing the team with your picks, the things that we're eating, places that we're going, it's been a lot of fun preparing for this.
MIKE SCANLAN: Can you talk about now being here in Ireland after two years of anticipation? Is it what you thought it would be, is it different, can you explain that feeling?
ROSIE JONES: Well, the weather is exactly what I expected. You know what, it's been a really action-packed week already: A lot of golf, a lot of activities outside of golf, and everything that I remembered of playing my seven Solheim Cups. We know that. We're prepared for that. We're trying to reserve our energy a little bit to get ready for the matches starting Friday.
But for the most part, we're just doing a lot of team bonding, and sharing the experience and having a lot of fun.

Q. In terms of the weather, how much of a concern is it to you that this is more European than perhaps your players are used to in America?
ROSIE JONES: Well, it's definitely more advantageous for the European players. They play in this weather a lot more than we do. But on the other hand, we've had a lot of tough weather conditions this year on Tour. These players did not once complain about having to go out and play in it. Played a lot of holes today and yesterday in rain and wind and very tough conditions.
This golf course is a long walk. It's very tough, playing very long, and I've got great players. There is not one complaint out there about the golf course or the weather.

Q. Are your pairings set or do you watch the practice rounds and are you still formulating based on what you see?
ROSIE JONES: A little bit of both. I think there are some pairings that I've always been thinking about for the last four months. There's also some tweaking going along as we go in our practice rounds, changing. This golf course is set up a little different, and you kind of have to pair your players for this golf course.
We know we want to come out with a strong team on Friday morning, and even though I think every single team I put together will be strong, we want to pick up some points fast.

Q. Stacy Lewis is a rookie but doesn't really play like one on a weekly basis on the LPGA. Can you just kind of talk about how you view her role this week and maybe how much you think she'll play?
ROSIE JONES: I think you're right. Stacy, even though she is a rookie, she doesn't play like a rookie. She doesn't act like a rookie Solheim player. She's a very mature teammate. She's very confident. She's quiet. She's that quiet confident type which is kind of scary sometimes. She's a player I can put with anybody, which is very versatile. She's very accommodating for anything that we suggest.
She has good input to players and possibilities of opportunities to play with different players. It's really a great player to have, especially as a rookie young player. She's playing so good this year. Nine Top 10s, having a win at the Kraft, that's the kind of rookie that you want to have.

Q. You've seen Paula Creamer play in a lot of these Solheim Cups. Talk about what makes her tick and why she plays so well this one week of the year?
ROSIE JONES: I think she plays so well many weeks of the year. But this is one of those weeks that she really strives to show her stuff. I mean, this is really where you can really excel and express yourself.
She loves teaming up with different players. She loves to represent her country. She just uses that as an energy. She thrives in it. She's a great Solheim player, and she happens to be playing very well right now which is a plus.
Even if Paula wasn't playing well right now, she'd be playing well in the Solheim anyways.

Q. Ryann O'Toole played well under pressure to get your attention to make the team. She's been off her form since being named to the team. How is she doing, and what are you doing to maybe try to help her get ready?
ROSIE JONES: Well, she has had a tough time after the picks. Part of that is kind of having a little bit more pressure before the pick. Now it's pressure of having to prove yourself of that pick.
Any time you're a pick, whether you're Juli Inkster or Rosie Jones or Paula Creamer or Michelle Wie, and now Ryann O'Toole, I think there is a self-inflicted pressure that you feel to really feel worthy of that spot and want to prove yourself.
Ryann was trying to prove herself right away. I think with all the attention that she got from the pick, it made it really tough for her to do that. Now she's had some time to really sit back and think about what she was doing, and now that she's on the team, she has a lot of support.
She has a lot of people around her that know that she's a great player, that have a lot of confidence in her, as well as I do. And that's building her back to where she was during the U.S. in Portland and to be that player right there and get that confidence back in to be an accountable player on this team this week.

Q. You mentioned the course set up earlier. Was there something surprising about it that you feel is maybe disadvantageous for you guys or helps you?
ROSIE JONES: No. This golf course is very familiar to our players. Several of them have come back over here, have been here for the Irish Open the last two years, very familiar with this golf course. This golf course is a Jack Nicklaus design and is something similar to what we play in the States.
It's long. We knew it was going to be wet and cold here. The conditions were going to lend to the type of golf that we would play and need. I think we've been preparing that. And I'll be preparing that in my pairings.

Q. On paper you look like the overwhelming favorites looking at the world rankings and the last three results in this competition. Do you feel like you're the favorites? Some of your players are claiming you're underdogs.
ROSIE JONES: Well, I think both teams are very strong. There is a lot of depth on both sides of the cup. Any time you're going overseas, you feel like you're at a disadvantage because of the crowds and the amount of fans the Europeans can have, and the momentum that the Europeans can gain from those crowds.
But you also -- but we're confident. We feel we've won here in 2007. We've won here another time when I was on the team in, I think, '96, and there is a possibility. There is always that possibility. But we don't come in here, looking better on paper, assuming that we can win.
We definitely know this is going to be a hard fight. Europe has probably one of the strongest teams they've had in a long time. We have a lot of respect for that. I have a lot of respect for Ali, and how she can captain the team, and expect our players to fight very hard to get another win.

Q. Are there players that you know right now will play all five matches?
ROSIE JONES: There are players that I know that have the possibility that could play five. Nothing is set in stone. We have a pretty good master plan, but we know that in a Solheim Cup, sometimes those master plans don't work and that we're -- as players, you always learn to adjust, and I will be the very same as a captain. If I need to adjust my plan, I will.

Q. Having had a couple of practice rounds now, where would you say the key holes are where the matches will be won or lost? Where perhaps a bit of a risk might bring you glory or disaster?
ROSIE JONES: Well, I think there are a lot of tough holes out there. As long as it's blowing like this and raining, then the par-5s. If they move a couple tees up, then it makes the golf course really exciting. If -- there's always going to be some tough holes out there. 9, 17, it's just a matter of -- 18. You know, it's where they put these pins and what kind of conditions we're playing under. You can do a lot of damage on this golf course.
MIKE SCANLAN: Rosie, we'd like to thank you for coming in and best of luck this week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297