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CURTIS CUP MATCHJune 6, 2014Tegwen MatthewsST. LOUIS, MISSOURI THE MODERATOR: Tell us how the team is feeling today. TEGWEN MATTHEWS: Well, I suppose if you looked at them just now, their chins were a little down in the locker room but what I've just said to them is that I don't want them to feel despondent about the games. Surely if you look at the score, there's every reason to be despondent but I don't want them to be despondent about how well they played. They played well. The Americans played get better. They certainly holed a lot more putts and they set up more birdie putts. But our games this morning were exceptionally high quality, and this afternoon were high quality. But we were beaten by the Americans on the greens, in particular; they holed more putts. I'm very happy that‑‑ I was disappointed we didn't pinch a win out of the top match this afternoon. So they pinched a half out of that and we pinched a halve back on the bottom match. So it's quite nice to finish on a high like that rather than not having it. I know it sounds probably silly saying that, only two half‑points on the day but you never know when that half‑point just might make a difference. Q. Have you already or do you look back at two years ago and say, guys, it's not impossible? TEGWEN MATTHEWS: I'm sure the girls who played before can refer to that and say, well, two years ago we were down. We're more down this time than we were this time two years ago, so it's a bigger uphill battle. But the points are on the board still to be won. So what I don't want anybody to think is that it's over and done with and let's all go home. No, it's not. Q. These sorts of event always have momentum shifts, and you eked out a halve where it looked like that might not happen. Did you sense that your team was uplifted by that? TEGWEN MATTHEWS: Yes, I did. Q. And that might have been a momentum shift? TEGWEN MATTHEWS: Yes, I do. That could have been another stab in the heart had we lost that match. As I said, for us, that was a nice way to finish. I'm sure they are not disappointed but I'm sure in some ways they are disappointed, the Americans were disappointed they didn't win that match. Q. There were a lot of birdies today. TEGWEN MATTHEWS: An awful lot of birdies. You take the four‑ball, the top match four‑ball this morning, they won on the last hole and they were 8‑under par, and our girls were 6‑under par. Now, in anybody's books, and on this golf course, whilst it's not overly long, it's not easy. That is very good golf and you just have to say, okay, that's great golf. Would have liked it if we had ones that were 8‑under, but it wasn't. Q. Do you think the golf course needs to be set up a little harder? TEGWEN MATTHEWS: You know, it's difficult enough. The greens are difficult enough. You have to hit it into the right places for the pins. And when they are changing the pins in the morning to afternoon, that makes it difficult enough, too, because this is a brand new golf course they are playing morning to afternoon. Q. We haven't seen your pairings for tomorrow, but did you switch it up a lot, trying to get some MoJo? TEGWEN MATTHEWS: Yes, I have switched it up, not a lot, but I have switched it up, yeah. Q. You talked yesterday about how much input the players had in those pairings. Did they have input tomorrow, as well? TEGWEN MATTHEWS: Yeah, we just had a half‑hour sit down in the locker room, completely all totally in agreement with what they are doing and why. Q. So what is the strategy? TEGWEN MATTHEWS: Simple. Win the first three points. (Laughter). Q. Who are the leaders on your team? TEGWEN MATTHEWS: Bronte would be one of them; whether that comes from the experience of playing two years ago. But I mean, Steph is a consummate professional in everything she does and always has been. And Bronte has always brought the pop and is one of those people that takes control. You see her when she goes up the fairway, she's very much that kind of person; I'm in control. Q. Have they been vocal in the locker room? Have they spoken up? TEGWEN MATTHEWS: Oh, yeah. I'm very lucky; I'm very lucky that they have. And we've had open conversation and truthful conversation without any feeling of embarrassment or anybody saying something that somebody else might not here, for instance. No, it's been very open and very mature, which I'm very proud of. Q. Tomorrow morning, that first nine, how much pressure will there be on your team to perform on their first nine? TEGWEN MATTHEWS: I just had that discussion with them. I said to them the obvious things: We have to win those three matches tomorrow morning. And I said, I'm not saying that it's the simplest thing in the world to do. It's a lot of pressure. But that's why these girls are here. They are the best in the Great Britain and Ireland team are the best and they are the best because they have coped with the pressure. They have done it before. They have done it out there today. They holed putts when a putt was holed back against them. They have shown that they have got that ability to cope under pressure. So I have no doubt that they can. Q. With possibly rain tomorrow, and you have a lot of experience in bad weather. ‑‑ TEGWEN MATTHEWS: I don't know, I've been told that each time, but it's difficult for both sides, quite honestly, when it's raining. You just have to take more time and a bit more care about every shot. But no, I don't think we are that much better in the rain quite honestly. Q. Do the singles really sort of reveal the genuine strength of a team? The partnered events, you can always kind explanations or chemistry or that sort of thing. Singles, there's no place to hide. Is that the true measure of a strength of a team? TEGWEN MATTHEWS: That is a good question and could be a good theory. I think you could probably be right. But at the same time, it's the passion, really. It does come down to who actually is going to be passionate about winning, whether they are considered on paper to be a stronger player than someone else on the team, and I know I have that passion in the team from top to bottom, as well as the strength. So I think that everyone loosens their shoulders more on the singles. They know they have to go out there and do it and it's their own game and they play their own ball and it's their own responsibility; and in many ways, that's much easier than being in a foursome for a four‑ball. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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