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SOLHEIM CUP

September 15, 2015

St. Leon-Rot, Germany

MODERATOR: Welcome to the opening press conference at the 2015 Solheim Cup at St. Leon-Rot Golf Club. It's the 14th edition of this fantastic competition, the seventh time that Europe have played on home soil, but the first-ever time they've played in Germany.

It's my great pleasure to introduce the two captains who both have a long history of playing in the Solheim Cup. To my far left, the United States Captain, Juli Inkster, who has played in nine matches. And to my left European Captain, Carin Koch, who has represented her continent four times.

Today we'll hear from both captains on their approach for the week and their strategy, but first you were both here 12 months ago. How does it feel to be back here?

JULI INKSTER: It's amazing how time has flown by. You feel like you've been preparing for it a year and a half and then we had kind of the kickoff a year ago, but it still seems so long away. But here we are. My team is very anxious to get out on the golf course and get going. I know I'm anxious so get going. I wish Friday would come quicker.

It's been a great journey for me. I've really enjoyed all aspects of it. I've learned a lot about myself and the players. And it's been very, very rewarding so far.

MODERATOR: Carin, when you were here a year ago, the matches must have seemed so far away. How does it feel to be here finally?

CARIN KOCH: Oh, it's very exciting to be here and to have the week finally starting. And I agree with Juli, the time has gone very fast. It's not long ago it was 100 days left, and then there were 60 and 30 and all of a sudden there's, what, two now? Just very excited. Nice to see the team finally on the course today and just so happy with the organization here. And the golf course is in immaculate shape. Very happy to be here.

MODERATOR: Carin, you start out as the defending champions, how confident are you to defend on your home soil?

CARIN KOCH: It's going to be a challenge. We have two good teams. I'm sure Juli's team is going to be coming out strong. So we'll just take it day-by-day, match-by-match, and really just try to play the golf course as well as we can.

MODERATOR: Juli, you've played in nine Solheim Cups, but you now have the task of getting USA back into the winning column. Do you like that challenge?

JULI INKSTER: Well, yeah, as a golfer you always like challenges. As Carin said, I think the teams are pretty evenly matched. Also she said the golf course is in great shape. Everybody was looking forward to going out there and playing. I love -- there's a lot of risk-rewards out there, holes that you can either go for or lay back.

But it's a long process. It's a lot of golf. There's going to be a lot of peaks and valleys. There's going to be a lot of highs and lows, and you're just going to have to kind of ride with them. And come Sunday see how it all shakes out.

Q. Juli, as far as the golf course, could you analyze it for us, just who you think it favors, as far as what kind of a player?
JULI INKSTER: Well, you know, it's playing very long right now because it's cold and it's wet. Most of the girls are playing it all the way back. I'm sure they'll move it up a little bit. But it is playing long.

The rough is up. You're going to have to drive the ball in the fairway to have some opportunities at birdies. The greens are, to me, pretty basic greens, not a lot of undulation, so I think you're going to see some birdies out there, which will be fun for the fans.

I don't think it favors somebody who hits the ball in the fairway. That's the No. 1 priority for this golf course, I think.

Q. You said a few minutes ago that you've been thinking about this for a year and a half. You've been involved in this for that length of time. How much time does it actually take to be Solheim Cup captain?
JULI INKSTER: Well, I mean, there's a lot of things that I never realized that you have to do, like uniforms and menus, and when you want your team to practice and who wants to go with who, just trying to get everybody on the same page. It's hard enough to get me on time, and then I've got to get 14 other people on time. Just little things like that.

Golf, when I'm playing golf, I just worry about myself. And now I'm worried about a lot of other people, which has been good. It's been great. My team has been very, very good about being where they should be at certain times. So there's just a lot of intangibles going -- leading up to this. It's been fun to do.

Q. So it was actually something of a relief to get going then?
JULI INKSTER: Yeah, it is. Yeah, it's very much a relief. And everybody has liked my menu so far, so that's good.

Q. Juli, Michelle Wie was looking very questionable after the British Open for what she would look like come September. Can you talk about where she is now with her health and how you feel having a healthy, strong Michelle Wie, what that brings to the USA team?
JULI INKSTER: She feels great. She feels 100 percent. She played last week the Evian, and how hilly that golf course is, and a lot of side hills, angles. She said she felt great starting it, and when she got done she felt fine, too.

I don't think there's any issue about her health. Yes, having a strong Michelle Wie is going to be good. She hasn't played much since the problem. I think she's only finished a few rounds from May. So hopefully get the rust off and get out there and play.

Q. For both captains, you both have two players with very formidable Solheim Cup records, who aren't on their best form. Juli, Paula for you, and Caroline Hedwall for you Carin. Can you both talk about how do you handle a player like that, and what you expect from them this week?
CARIN KOCH: Well, Caroline, you know, is quite spectacular, usually, when it comes to match play. And watching her play, the times I watched her play this year, she's hitting the ball very well. So I'm not too worried. I think she can take care of herself. But it will be exciting to see what she can do this week.

JULI INKSTER: Same with Paula. Match play is different. I've had a lot of talks with Paula. I love where her head's at. I watched her play today, she played great.

Golf, as Carin and I know, it's very fickle. And it's really easy to play well when you're up here. And when you're struggling a little bit, it's hard to climb back up that mountain.

And that's where she's at. And I think a lot of it is just confidence. Match play just seems to bring out the best in her. As Carin said, I'm not really worried about it. As far as me, she's one of my 12 players, and I'm going to play her.

Q. Question for both, really. There seems to be a lot of differences involved now in getting the top girls ready for golf. How long, for instance, are they spending on their nails, which have to have those fancy designs on them?
JULI INKSTER: That's probably a question for me (laughter).

You know what, we haven't spent any time on nails. Yeah, it's a different group, so we're doing fine.

Q. They've not got all their stars and stripes on their nails, as usual?
JULI INKSTER: They probably do, but not on my time (laughter).

CARIN KOCH: I'm sure there will be some nail polish done in our team room. I know one of my vice-captains has offered to help any player that wants their nails done.

JULI INKSTER: We're women, that's what we do.

CARIN KOCH: It's part of the fun of this event. You get to do that. I had mine done before I came.

JULI INKSTER: I'm 1-up on that one (laughter). You can have that one.

Q. Juli, have there been any Ryder Cup captains or Solheim Cup captains that you've leaned on for advice? And if so, any good stuff?
JULI INKSTER: I've leaned on some Solheim Cup captains. I've leaned on some Ryder Cup captains, but I've also leaned on some baseball managers, players.

Q. Care to divulge any of that? Who? What?
JULI INKSTER: Well, I talked to a couple of my hockey guys, Ray Whitney and Jamie Baker, Dave Righetti, Bruce Bochy. You know, I'm a sports junky, and I just -- I love talking to them about sports and about -- even if I wasn't captain, about teams and how do you get certain individuals going, if they're struggling, or how do you manage 40 guys on a roster and you only play 12? It's just fascinating how everybody does it kind of differently. In hockey the mentality of playoffs compared to just the regular season.

So I'm constant -- it's just kind of how I am. I love that type of stuff. And I talked to Corey Pavin. I talked to Jay Haas a lot, Azinger a little bit. So I've talked to Mickelson a little bit.

Q. Is there one piece of advice that sticks out or something that you'll definitely apply?
JULI INKSTER: Basically you've just got to be who you are and be consistent, lead by example. Lay what you want out, what you expect during the week and just stick to it.

Q. You hadn't mentioned about going to the pod system. Are you actually using Paul's system, and if so how have you adapted it?
JULI INKSTER: I'm using kind of a variation of it. It's not really -- it's kind of still getting tweaked and stuff. But the girls kind of know what I want to do and how I want to do it. I'll get all that come Sunday, give it all to you on Sunday. But right now we're just kind of working the system.

Q. Have either of you considered playing a player all five matches? Do you have anyone in mind that might do everything? Pros and cons of that?
JULI INKSTER: Well, I think the cons of that have is come single matches, sometimes they're very tired. It's stressful playing 18 holes, alternate shot or 18 holes best ball for two days in a row. Right now I don't have any plans on doing that. But I'm just going to kind of see how the week progresses. I just told everybody to be ready to go. If I need you, I need you out there. So that's kind of how I'm doing it.

CARIN KOCH: Yeah, for me the last two matches we've rested most people that want to rest at least one match. And that's been working quite well for us. So I'll probably try to do that. But we'll see how everyone is playing and how everyone is doing and what sort of energy level they're on. So leave it open a little bit.

JULI INKSTER: I think you've got to kind of just see how everything progresses.

Q. You had spoken about how you wanted to make this week feel more like every other week on the LPGA. Can you talk about why you thought that was important? And two, how do you accomplish that? What have you done to your team?
JULI INKSTER: Just as far as practicing, you know. If you don't play 18 holes every day, 18 holes practice round, you don't need to go out there and play 18 holes for three days in a row. If you don't have your husband on the range during warm-up at a regular tournament, he doesn't need to be there during Solheim. If you're only allowed an hour, just allow an hour, there's no reason to get there anytime sooner.

I'm just trying to keep them on their regular schedule of what they do during a tournament. Try not to make it any bigger than it is. Their practice schedule is on them this week. I'm not really requiring them to do anything. They know how to prepare for a tournament. So that's kind of what I'm trying to do is just make them just get into their own game and practice the way they would practice for a regular tournament.

Q. Do you see anyone getting out of sorts?
JULI INKSTER: I think sometimes it's a team thing, you want to be around your team all the time. You want to practice with your team. If half your team is playing 18 holes, you feel guilty that you're not playing 18 holes. I know I did it. I would do more than I usually do. And I just told them you're very good at what you do when you do it every week, so just stick to that program.

MODERATOR: Captains, I have a question: What will your style be this week? Do you see yourselves more as a vocal cheerleader or a quiet person sort of letting the team play? Start with your Carin.

CARIN KOCH: I think that will depend on how the team is doing and what I feel like I need to do during the week.

MODERATOR: And Juli?

JULI INKSTER: I would probably say I'm more of a behind-the-scenes, quiet leader. It's going to be -- I think the atmosphere here is going to be phenomenal, just looking at all the grandstands they put up and to have those people fill those grandstands and be able to play in front of those people, I don't think they're going to need me out there cheering. I think they're going to have their own thing. And they probably wouldn't even see me, anyway. I'll just be in the background watching and hoping for the best.

Q. Juli, you mentioned things you like to do, the same as they were doing in a normal tournament, like if they don't normally have their husbands on the range, don't have them at a Solheim Cup on the range. Have you had instances in the past where husbands have got in the way?
JULI INKSTER: Well, yeah. I live with one (laughter). No, I'm just kidding.

No, but it's just they don't need anymore people on the range than who they usually have. Sometimes your parent is out there, your coach is out there, your husband is out there. And you're trying to warm up. And everyone has their own opinion on what. Just make it simple. Just do what you do normally and that's all I ask.

Q. Carin, when you took the job a year ago you probably came into it with a plan, something you thought. Has that plan evolved? Has it changed since day one?
CARIN KOCH: I think it keeps evolving as I go along. Like Juli said earlier, you learn a lot going along and you get some good advice from people around you and mix that with your own style and then you have 20 players that you're thinking about for the people and then you're down to 15 maybe and now it's a team of 12. I think you change as you go along a little bit with the people that are around you. But I think my plan from the start, it's my captaincy, I want to be myself and do what I can for the team and that hasn't really changed.

Q. There was a time there where the United States was just dominating this event. What has Europe's recent success, winning the last two, meant to the Europeans?
CARIN KOCH: I think it's meant a lot just to make the matches more even and to be able to win the last two and make the Solheim Cup what it is. It's really a showcase for women's golf. And it's our chance to show the world how good we are and how good golf we play. And then it's more fun if the matches are even and they're exciting to watch for everyone?

MODERATOR: Captains, thank you very much for joining us and wish the best of luck to both teams.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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