THE SOLHEIM CUP

September 21, 2002

Carin Koch

Annika Sorenstam

Q. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Annika and Carin, a thrilling victory there this afternoon, and very important for the Europeans. Any thoughts on the day after being two down early on? Annika?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I think both Carin and I, we felt that we were playing well, well enough to win, even though we were two down, but we kept telling ourselves, and our caddies kept telling us, be patient, keep grinding, you know, there is a lot of holes left and you will make birdies, and that's exactly what happened. Carin rolled in a nice birdie on 11, and me on 12 and 13, and Carin on 14, so it just shows you, you've got to be patient and things will come around.

Q. Carin, the putting was -- you made 100-foot putts.

CARIN KOCH: Yeah, very nice thing I have going with my putter right now, and if I can keep doing this every week, it will be really nice, but it helps to play with a steady partner who is always up there. We always had -- or most of the time we had two chances for bird, and you can just roll it a little firmer, a little less (inaudible) than normal, so it's really nice.

Q. Any questions? Lisa?

Q. Carin, how important was it for you guys to win the first match of the second session? Did you feel any pressure to, you know, get a good start on tomorrow?

CARIN KOCH: Yeah, I think it was really important. You know, it's good to see a lot of blue on the board for the people that are out there, and we didn't feel really good about being two down for that reason, but I think both of us, like Annika said, we felt confident about our game, we just couldn't get it going in the first few holes, but like you mentioned, you know, we just really wanted to get back on that board for the other teams to see that we were doing what we were supposed to do.

Q. Carin, you are 7 for 7 now. How pumped are you for tomorrow, and how tired are you?

CARIN KOCH: I am not tired right now, I am pretty pumped up, you know, I have had a great partner this week and been lucky with that, and I am just really excited for tomorrow and, you know, try to keep that record going.

Q. Carin, you said you wish you could be like this every week. I know having Annika there helps, but it's been with Annika and other people. How do you explain the match play excellence?

CARIN KOCH: I just think, you know, that I -- it's just a little more exciting here with all the people and all -- it's just so much fun to be in the Solheim Cup, and that raises the game, but then also in the best ball, of course, like I said, you have two chances, you can go for everything, you don't have to think about the putt coming back very often, and I think that the aggressiveness is really good for my game, and I just have to try and learn that on stroke play, as well.

Q. Annika, on 13, there, that flip shot you had, what were you trying to do, play it off to work out perfectly, try and play it off that little ridge there? And do you think that pretty well did them in when you made that birdie there and they missed two birdie putts?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I had a short shot there, but the lie was so-so with the grass, and the green was sloping down to the back and to the left, so I figured my only chance was to hit it really high and, hopefully, it would land softly, and if I could get some help with a little thicker grass, it would help, and that's exactly what happened.

But I had a tricky putt, it was left to right, and I was expecting them to make one of them, their putts, so when they didn't, I figured this could open the door and we would look pretty good then, and it just slipped on the right side, so I was obviously very pleased with that, and I think that got the momentum going again.

And, you know, 14, I mean, Carin, she hit a great putt -- I had the putt there -- and -- she stole my hole. But, I mean, it was obviously fun to play together. It's -- we have had a great time and couldn't have finished any better.

Q. What was, sort of, the reaction of the Europeans after this morning, losing three of the four this morning and knowing what you had to do this afternoon?

CARIN KOCH: I just think everyone was really ready to go this afternoon. Some of the girls that were unhappy with their games this morning, and a couple that didn't play this morning, it just seemed like everyone was really ready to go this afternoon and wanted to get some more points on that board.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I think none of us were down at all, we all felt like we are still playing good golf, we've got to be patient, there is a lot of matches yet, and the atmosphere in the lunchroom was really good, you know, still four points in the afternoon and we figure if we can get them all, we will be fine by Sunday.

Q. Carin, you mentioned you have a pretty good thing going with your putter right now. For those of us who don't see you play every week, what kind of relationship have you had historically coming into this week, and could you just go over the substantial putts you made, the holes, and the length of them?

CARIN KOCH: That's a long question. I have been putting pretty well lately, in Tulsa, for example, I had nine putts for nine holes, which doesn't say much for my long game, but I did putt fairly well, so I have been rolling it better and better.

I am historically a streaky putter, I can be really good or not so good, and I have worked really hard on my putting all year, I have been really trying to get more consistent and get the speed right more often, and it's working right now, so -- I just -- today what putts -- I think the one on 11 was really important. Before then, I made a long one on 8, that was nice, and --

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: 5.

CARIN KOCH: Oh, yeah on 5. That was not -- the downhill left to right are the ones I like right now, you can just go for it, and then the one on the par 3, 14, obviously, Annika was about three feet or two feet, there, so I could kind of go for that one, too.

Q. What were the lengths on those real quick, do you think?

CARIN KOCH: Let's see. The one on 5 was probably --

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Twenty-five feet. You want meters?

CARIN KOCH: You want meters?

Q. We will take meters or whatever.

CARIN KOCH: The one on 8 was probably about similar, wasn't it, maybe a little more?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, 35.

CARIN KOCH: And the one on 14 wasn't very long, it was maybe 12 feet or so, but it was a breaking one.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Eleven was a good putt, that was shorter.

CARIN KOCH: That's the one I meant, on 11, that wasn't very long but it was --

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: 14 was longer but it was --

CARIN KOCH: Yeah, 14 was 20, maybe.

Q. What would it mean, after being two down after the morning in the team, to come back, and if you guys have a lead tomorrow as a team, what would that mean for momentum-wise going into the singles?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I think it's important to show that we can play the best ball, as well. I think history says we have played good in foursomes, but best ball we can do that good, too, and I think that's more -- that would be the way you play tomorrow, like singles, and, also, to be able to turn it around that we are still fighting and we are not going to give this away, by any means, so I think that's -- playing well in the afternoon, that would really show that.

Q. We are pretty proud of our mosquitos in Minnesota. Have you had any good encounters with them out there, either of you?

CARIN KOCH: There were a few hunting us, but not too many.

Q. Any more questions, ladies and gents?

Q. The two of you and Laura will have played all five matches. The US will have nobody that's played all five. Is rest important at a time like this or is the adrenaline still so much in you that you don't feel tired, both of you?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't feel tired whatsoever. It's only one day more, and I can handle that. If it was two weeks of this, yeah, it would be quite tough, but like I said, the adrenaline means a lot, and this is really an exciting week so I am not even thinking about resting or anything like that, and now we have plenty of time to get ready for tomorrow and it's not going to wear me out, by any means. I mean, I have two weeks off, so nothing to worry about.

CARIN KOCH: Same here. I just feel excited to be playing, and I have one week off next week and I will just take it easy all week if that's what I need.

Q. The matches this time today have been a little different, the foursomes. The Europeans didn't play so good, which is kind of the opposite way you usually have been doing. Do you think there is a difference in the teams this year?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: You take that question.

CARIN KOCH: Well, this is only my second time, so I think we all feel like the teams are pretty even this year. From what I hear from the players that have played a lot of times, they have always felt like they needed to lead going into the singles, and no one feels that way this time. We feel like we have as good a chance in the singles as, you know, they do. And I think that's the difference, and that kind of shows in the foursomes and the fourballs. It can kind of go either way. The teams are so even right now, everyone is playing well, and we have just got really strong 12 people on our team.

Q. Carin, how often do you think of that shot at Loch Lomand, the winning shot, two years ago? Do you ever dream about it and what would it mean to you if you could recreate a little bit of that magic tomorrow?

CARIN KOCH: I think about it every now and then. If I am in a pressure situation, you know, I remind myself that I -- that's the most pressure I have ever had and I did fine, so I just, you know, think about that sometime, and I think it's nice for tomorrow to know that I was in that position before and I did good in that position, and, you know, maybe the person I play against knows that, too, so it's just a great memory to have.

Q. Annika, how long was the putt on 12?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: 12, that was long, wasn't it? Thirty-five feet.

Q. Any dream pairings for tomorrow?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Any what?

Q. Any dream pairings for tomorrow?

CARIN KOCH: No.

Q. You said Juli Inkster the whole time.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: That was a few days ago.

Q. What changed it?

CARIN KOCH: Anyone, for me.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Anyone.

Q. Any more, ladies and gentlemen? Annika, Carin, thank you.

End of FastScripts....