THE SOLHEIM CUP

September 16, 1998

Judy Rankin

KIRSTEN SEABORG: Judy, we've got two days counting down. Do you want to just talk about how your feelings are going into the matches as well as your strategy for the pairings tomorrow?

JUDY RANKIN: Two days and counting down. We're like a rocketship ready to take off. I think, much like all the of our players, I am just ready to tee it up. We've prepared for a long time -- we've done all of the things that some of the best players in the world can do to be ready for this and to be ready for this great test of golf. So let's get it on.

JUDY RANKIN: I'm sorry --

JUDY RANKIN: To get ready? Well, clearly, they play golf six and seven days a week. They -- all of these players, all 24 players are in the business of having their golf game in shape all the time. But I think the best players in the world are exceptional at having their golf games peak for the most special events, whether those be major championships or whether it be SOLHEIM cups, in this case. I believe both physically, the state of the game and emotionally, these players have prepared themselves and they're ready.

JUDY RANKIN: Certainly, I have worked the MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT here for quite a few years. I'm not sure of the number, but maybe 9 years. Some time. I hope I've absorbed some information over all those years. I've certainly seen some great players play this course and I've tried to pass along a few things that I know about this golf course. I haven't tried to overdo it because I think you can -- I believe a captain can try to put too much into a player's mind. Each player has their own little identity and their way of doing a particular thing. Or there -- their way of plotting a hole and so on. So I've more tried to share those things that you see, catch every single player that comes down the pike rather than tell every player how to play every hole. I know when I was a player, there are certain things that you have to do by instinct that you do the way you do them and I wouldn't want to interfere with that process with these players who know what they're doing.

JUDY RANKIN: They gave me a beautiful gift last night. It is a round wreath pin that is made up of diamond, sapphires, and rubies. It's red, white and blue. It's really beautiful and I'll show it to you tonight.

JUDY RANKIN: Gosh, I could be overdressed, you know. (Laughs). I will certainly -- I don't know if I'll wear it match days or not. I can't tell that you for sure, but it is a dear and beautiful gift. It really is.

JUDY RANKIN: I don't know. I don't know. You know, Dottie gave it to me and Dottie was a little teary-eyed and I certainly was. So there really weren't words. It was just a -- really a treasured gift for me. This has been an experience for me both times over three years now in my case, that it is difficult for me to describe in terms of all the really nice things I've gotten to do in my life. This stands apart.

JUDY RANKIN: She's pregnant. (Laughs). I didn't mean to be smart. I'm sorry.

JUDY RANKIN: Oh, I can believe she is playing and I'm going to tell you something. She is playing pretty well. She is playing very well. That's not to say that I wouldn't have liked to have had Tammi Green not pregnant this week because she was having an extremely good year, regardless. She had a good year last year. I don't see this as a setback. I see it as a challenge of management for me because I think -- I think the golf that she plays -- she will play very well and as good as any player out there. But, clearly, I will not play Tammi green 36 holes, and you can tell Pia that, if you want to.

JUDY RANKIN: No.

JUDY RANKIN: I played one tournament very early and I did not again.

JUDY RANKIN: Pia, just as a person, she is a very nice person. She has the respect of all of our players. I think, between Pia and myself, it's much like these players. It's the very best of competition. I like Pia. I respect Pia. We share some things so that we don't leave the other one in the lurch at the wrong time. But we are as competitive as our players as it gets down to these matches. I used to have somewhat intense game face and it comes right back to me Friday morning.

JUDY RANKIN: It's a very big deal in foursomes play. Because the rules say that you must choose a ball. It's not as if -- I mean, on a little lighter note, at the mixed team, players can tee up with a different ball on each hole. This player tees off with this, this with this and the other one hits the iron shot with their own ball. It doesn't work like that. They have to choose a ball. Given that there are some players who play the balata ball, players who play more sophisticated covers that are kind of part balata, part a little hard ball and players who play a hard ball. It's a big issue. When you get on greens that have a lot of slope and some speed, that makes the pot boil a little more on the golf ball issue.

JUDY RANKIN: Sounds logical to me. (Laughs).

JUDY RANKIN: And that's the kind of thing that you deal with trying to put foursome partners together. Like I said, you have to choose a ball. It wouldn't take much thought to know that you don't want to throw a player out there playing a ball that is very different than what they're used to. That's not to say that every player in every foursomes match will be playing the ball they always play, but it would be a similar ball to what they play.

JUDY RANKIN: You mean, players very loyal to the kind of ball they play?

JUDY RANKIN: I think it's significant. I mean, I consider it significant when I am pairing players.

JUDY RANKIN: There is validity to that. I think so. I think so. There's no doubt that some golf balls have a little harder cover, different makeup. Most any player will tell you they can hit a little farther. Some of those players that hit a little farther will tell you they don't want anything to do with it because it's a little harder. There are all kinds of reasons why people do and why people don't play different golf balls. But usually players are pretty loyal to the kind of ball they play, if not the brand. And it's a consideration.

JUDY RANKIN: No. I guess they trust me not to throw them into a situation like that unless I have forewarned them they need to play some golf with her golf ball.

JUDY RANKIN: You look for partnerships that don't create a big golf ball issue.

JUDY RANKIN: Yes, sir.

JUDY RANKIN: My chart? My chart? First thing on the chart: Golf ball.

JUDY RANKIN: Possibly. One school of thought is that you put players with like games together in foursomes play. It's not the only way do to do it, but it's sure one way to do it. Easily, it is the smallest adjustment for each player. And, remember, you're taking players, too, and you're throwing them from one format to the other format for two days, back and forth and back and forth. So eliminating some of those adjustments is good for that, also.

JUDY RANKIN: We started out while in Wales in the foursomes play. We really began to go downhill in Wales Friday afternoon and on through Saturday. I don't think so much because of format or because of our golf, but because the Europeans played well and they made a lot of putts. I don't -- I really don't think format had a lot to do with that. I would -- you know, defy you to find two players on the planet who would have beaten Laura Davies that one afternoon playing by herself, maybe.

JUDY RANKIN: Yes. No doubt, it's the most difficult format. It's also the first shot Friday morning and I think -- I really do think you need nerves of steel to go off Friday morning.

JUDY RANKIN: No.

JUDY RANKIN: Well, to begin with, I don't want to get involved in -- I haven't wanted to get involved in changing the format of how this is played and it's really tough to get here, really tough for these 24 players to get here. There is no reason after what they've gone through to get this far to try and figure out how to make it easier now. They're up to it.

JUDY RANKIN: Well, the first thing that we know is, Pia is doing this week what she does for a living. She is a professional coach, works with people's games and getting the most out of them and this, that and the other. That is her job, developing players, helping players who are developed, like Annika Sorenstam. So I'm the underdog, in that case. I am probably different than Pia in that I have more playing experience than Pia to look back on and I'm a little older than Pia. Not a whole lot (Laughs). I have developed relationships with a lot of these people and I think that -- I've always felt that there are certain ways in every aspect of life or sports to get the most out of people and some of the things that I think get the most out of people I have really tried to put into practice these two times and some of those are not rocket science. Some of those are just simply about keeping people in good spirits and not letting people take themselves -- for this wonderful spot we've fallen into -- too seriously.

JUDY RANKIN: I will iron, I will sew, I will caddie. You know, these are wonderful, wonderful players and I want to give them a chance to just do that. Just do that.

JUDY RANKIN: (Laughs). Well, you know, it's a busy week. Until you've lived it from a player's perspective, you really cannot appreciate how little time there is to do any of the things you might normally do in a day. If, for nothing else, I make them change clothes four times a day. I did finally tell them there is not a special outfit you have to wear to the rules meeting, you can wear whatever you want. They've been so cooperative, they've been so on time for two years, our two playings of these matches. They do all of these things that, if it were a group of high school girls, you would be pushing them to do. These are grown up, independent, solo, in most cases, well-paid athletes who, you know, bend over backwards to accommodate and do what you want them to do for one week as a team of 12 and that's all you can ask.

JUDY RANKIN: Well, I think every team is different and I'm not sure that you can say one is better than another. Each team is different than another. I had a physically strong team the last time in Wales. This team is not as physically strong, but this is -- I see this as a very, very solid team. I see this as a very smart team and I'm mighty glad to have a team like that on this golf course because I believe that everyone who has ever been successful at MUIRFIELD VILLAGE knew how to think their way around a golf course and I have those players. I have a good mix of youth and experience and the two teams are different. I would agree with her that the European team is a very strong team, both a physically strong them and just 12 very good players. They've lost some players that they had at Wales that will not play this time that were real sparks for their team last time, players that had a rough year this year and didn't make the team. But I thought Kathryn Marshall was a big spark for the European team in Wales. It's different makeup. It's different people. I failed in one thing that I now know I should have done. I should have in every room put the Swedish to English dictionary and I forgot that. Or maybe I don't want them to know what they're saying.

JUDY RANKIN: I mean, I've said it over and over. I think it's very important. I think it might be the most important thing. I think for seven days, one week you have to be of one mind and I think the only thing that you really should do individually this week is approach your golf game in the way you always do. I think in every other way you should be part of those other 11 people.

JUDY RANKIN: I'm very pleased. I am very pleased. All of these people get along very well. There are some close friends. There are some people that are just -- that have been friendly for years and will probably be much closer after this experience. But we do not have a problem.

JUDY RANKIN: He'll drive my cart once the matches start. I guess, much like my real job, I'm better on foot. I'm not so great in that cart. So Yippy is the cart guy and, needless to say, you try to get to a lot of places quickly and that's part of what he does for me. I'll be very honest with you, in putting pairings -- really not pairings -- he was more valuable to me Saturday night in Wales and I have said this repeatedly. He helped me a great deal with different scenarios. When I would say to him, tell me where is the first place we could get even, tell me where is the first place we could lose, tell me where is the first place we could win and -- as so many of the guys here can do -- and probably you can, too, Patricia -- and I could have figured it out, but it might have been Thanksgiving -- and he could tell me, you know, at match four, you could be bah, bah, bah, at match whatever, you could be... And in that way, he was really, really valuable to me as I aligned my players and, you know, we were not in good shape Saturday night in Wales and the fact that I believed that alignment came out well, that was a big ingredient.

JUDY RANKIN: Well, yeah. You know, he didn't need paper. I mean, he could, you know, right here is where this -- where you could be in this shape. If you won these three matches, you would be -- if you won two, lost two, you would be here. Like I said, I could have worked all that out, but I only had an hour and my expertise is more with specific players and what I wanted -- where I thought -- where I thought I needed a player and that numbers game that he helped me with helped me a lot. And I will use them in exactly the same way and I have high hopes that my position Saturday night will be a little different.

JUDY RANKIN: Kelly is very close. Pat Hurst will surprise you. And Chris Johnson is quite long.

JUDY RANKIN: Yes, but that's -- that has --

that's been part of the plan as this whole year has developed. I actually did see the course played competitively in October a few years ago.

JUDY RANKIN: No. No.