THE SOLHEIM CUP

October 20, 1994

Mickey Walker

MICKEY WALKER: I don't know about the strategy. I suppose I felt that maybe Joanne would expect me to put Laura/Alison out first, so I didn't. But really, that is -- I obviously wanted to put who I considered a strong pairing out first, which is very apparent, and spread the other teams around. Any questions?

MICKEY WALKER: Yes, very much so. I mean, you know, every match is worth a point and we know we have got to play well to win those points, and at the end of the day, we have got to get out and play well. It doesn't matter which of the American pairings we are playing against. They are all good. Approach every match -- Solheim match that Laura has ever played, she played against Mochrie. She and Helen played Mochrie at Dalmahoy. I don't know if she played against her twice at Lake Nona. She certainly played against her once before. I know Laura and Alison have played against Betsy King a lot, so it is much almost like it is inevitable that it will be matched somehow.

MICKEY WALKER: The question was: How is the form of the Europeans today in practice. I saw very little of them today because I had to attend a meeting. What I did see, they were playing well and in good form.

MICKEY WALKER: I think Laura has seen less of the course than anyone. I believe she sometimes tees it up in tournaments without having seen the course at all, so one practice round, plus three holes yesterday, that is a lot for Laura, so she is well prepared. The majority of the Europeans have seen the course. Most of them have seen it at least twice. I think -- I mean, they are all very familiar with it. I mean, they have seen it enough for their benefit and for me to be comfortable.

MICKEY WALKER: You must have missed my opening comment.

MICKEY WALKER: That is okay.

MICKEY WALKER: Sorry, I am just thinking before I speak. As you know, there are two rookies in our team, Lora Fairclough being one of them. She is a good friend of Dale's. She really wanted to play with Dale, and I felt that was a good pairing with Dale being a very experienced Solheim Cup player and being a very laid back sort of person. I thought that would be a really good pairing. I mean, Laura is very relaxed. She is really enjoying this week; being part of the team and everything about the week, but I just felt with a couple of rookies in the team, that some of the pairings -- although Dale and Pam were, I felt, a very strong pairing at Dalmahoy, although they only won half a point, that inevitably you can't always play your ideal pairings because you have other things to consider. And as I say, with Lora being a rookie, I think it is important to pair her with an experienced player and it just worked out that way.

MICKEY WALKER: I don't think that is a problem. I think both of them, although they are both young and you might say inexperienced in terms of the Solheim Cup, I think they have got old heads on young shoulders. Catrin proved that she can rise to the occasion, and I believe she is, as each week goes by, her game improves, and I have -- and Annika, you know, she is a rookie here this year; a very good player and likewise, she is improving all the time; has a very calm head on her and they are good friends; wanted to play together and I think they will be a very strong pairing.

MICKEY WALKER: I have gone along with my wishes, but obviously I consider what everybody says. I mean, one of the really nice things about this team is virtually anybody would have been happy to play with anyone else. Some people had preferences, as I say, Lora Fairclough feels -- I mean, some of the people who play a lot in Europe, I mean, for instance, she hadn't ever met Pam Wright before, before she came to The Greenbrier, so I am not going to put her with a total stranger or somebody she has hardly had a conversation with. So, as much as possible, I think I did the pairings according to the wishes of the players, and all the players are happy with their pairings.

MICKEY WALKER: Absolutely not. No. You can't predict any one of the European pairings could beat any one of the Americans and vice versa. I mean, you know, everybody has their opinions about some that are more likely than others, but I wouldn't bet on any of them.

MICKEY WALKER: They really like them. I think all good putters like to putt on fast, true surfaces, and these are very fast. As you say, they are very true and there is a premium on being on the right place on the green below the hole, and there is, I am sure, inevitably on greens this fast, you are going to see a comedy of errors on the greens. Inevitably, the players aren't going to hit those shots to the green in the right places all the time. It is impossible. And I am sure we will see some 3-putts this week if not the very occasional 4-putt, but we are going to see some fireworks on the greens, I am sure.

MICKEY WALKER: I think there is a really good feeling this week, and I can't really explain why. But no, I feel there is really a good feeling. I mean, as JoAnnne has said on previous occasions, there has been some banter going on between the teams and, no, I think the matches will be played where both of us are out to win and when that is finished, that is finished.

MICKEY WALKER: I haven't.

MICKEY WALKER: No, I haven't.

MICKEY WALKER: Yes. A couple of the European caddies, Mark Scott, caddy and Mathew Loris (phonetic) caddy went out did the yardages during the beginning of the week and detailed diagrams of the greens where the slopes are; where you should be ideally playing from; where you might want to hit your shot to the greens; all those sort of things. The players have discussed those things. They have all got their yardages and the details of the green and they have gone into a lot of detail about that. As I said, it is going to be one of the key factors this week, hitting your shots to the greens in the right place, giving yourself a chance to putt well.

MICKEY WALKER: No, I don't. I feel less nervous but I might feel more nervous tomorrow.

MICKEY WALKER: I said I might. I don't know, John. Everyday is a new experience in life and tomorrow is another new experience.

MICKEY WALKER: I don't think you'd have to curtsey.

MICKEY WALKER: Thank you.