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SOLHEIM CUP

August 15, 2017

Des Moines, Iowa, USA

THE MODERATOR: I'm delighted to introduce Carlota Ciganda and Anna Nordqvist from Team Europe. You've been out there this morning, practicing in lovely weather. What did you make of the golf course?

ANNA NORDQVIST: I think it's a great golf course. Today was the first time I saw it and managed to get through 15 holes before the rain. A lot of par-5s. A couple of them reachable. A couple of them aren't. But funky greens. But it's a fun challenge, and I want to make sure of everything. And very happy with what I saw today.

THE MODERATOR: Carlota, what did you think of the course?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: I played nine holes yesterday and I played the back nine today. And I really like the course. As Anna said, I think the greens are tricky and you need to miss in the right spot. So I think it's a really good course for match play. I like that reachable first hole. And I think it should be fun.

THE MODERATOR: So you're both going to go for the first hole with your driver?

ANNA NORDQVIST: I can't carry it 250, which is going to give you a chance of getting it on the green. So probably not.

THE MODERATOR: How about you, Carlota?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: I'll go for it, yeah. I like that hole.

ANNA NORDQVIST: She doesn't lay up.

THE MODERATOR: Have you been having some fun in the team room? Have you been doing anything special or any fun things lined up this week?

ANNA NORDQVIST: Yeah, we had a couple fun activities that Annika had for us last night. I'm still yet to hit the ping-pong table, but I'm sure I'll do that. It'll be a couple good matches. Carlota is pretty good, so I'm sure we'll have a couple of good games this week.

THE MODERATOR: Who is the best at ping-pong, Carlota?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Anna.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Anna, you're just getting a look at the course and you saw it a little bit yesterday and a little bit today. What suits you when you stand out on the tee, or what part of the course do you look at and do you go I like this, this feels like something I can attack?
ANNA NORDQVIST: Well, for me, I think, I love hitting drivers. And you definitely can have an advantage hitting it off the fairway.

So a couple of narrow tee shots. A couple more generous ones. I just like how framed it is, and that you're going to have to be pretty accurate with your approach shots because, like Carlota said, there's a lot of false fronts, and a lot of places you don't want to be at.

I definitely think there's a lot of strategy involved in it, and you kind of have to place yourself in a good spot on the greens. Iron play is probably one of my strongest parts so that definitely suits me.

Q. Anna, given that you were out sick, how important -- how meaningful was it for you to have a good finish at the women's British?
ANNA NORDQVIST: Well, I felt like it was important for me to tee it up or at least give it a try at the British Open, just to be fair to my teammates and to kind of see where I was at.

It was definitely a bit of a struggle getting through 18 holes in the weather. But since I've had a lot of rest, and the last two weeks have been a lot better, obviously hasn't been able to do as much practice as I usually do.

But pretty happy where I'm at and so far I've been making it through 18 holes, and hopefully as the week goes on I can hopefully play even two matches in one day.

So happy with the process, but it's been -- we'll have to stay patient, just not pushing it too hard, too quick and walking up some hills you have to take a few extra breaths because I was a little more tired than normal. It's been an interesting last few weeks but I'm definitely feeling better and I'm excited to be here.

Q. How does the mentality change for you guys if it does at all in these types of formats versus typical stroke play for you guys?
CARLOTA CIGANDA: I mean, I think when you play match play you're very focused on the present. It's just you and the Americans, so you don't think that much about -- I mean stroke play they hit slower, and match just play quicker 18 holes. It's either you or them. So I love playing match play and we have a great team. I can't wait to start on Friday?

Q. How were the injuries to Team Europe addressed within the team room today?
ANNA NORDQVIST: The injuries?

Q. We saw Suzann Pettersen taking it easy, and we heard there was a back flare-up problem and possibly something with Karine Icher. Has that been addressed and what was said?
ANNA NORDQVIST: Suzann is taking it easy today. But I think everyone has their own kind of plan how they're going to prepare for the week. And I'm sure we'll see her out there tomorrow. I feel like they're all so young. I'm 30 and I'm probably one of the older ones.

So they're young, they're healthy and I think everyone is just excited to go and even if you are feeling a little bit under the weather, all the adrenalin that's pumping this week kind of gets you through.

Q. Traditionally golfers, tunnel vision, don't look at the leaderboard, just focus on the round. But in the Solheim Cup, do you look at the leaderboard?
CARLOTA CIGANDA: I think I do. Yeah, I try not to, but at the end you are playing and you have all these leaderboards. So I think I watch it. I'm trying to play my best and just get those points for the team.

But I mean you really want to win because you are playing for your team, for your teammates, for your captain. So you really want to do well this week. So I think it's important to be just in the present and play your best.

ANNA NORDQVIST: I just think it's a little bit different for us, like, playing in the U.S. because the crowds are obviously a lot bigger over here. And sometimes, like, the roars, you think, obviously, you won a hole and maybe they tied a hole. So I kind of find myself that I'm looking a little bit more at leaderboards just trying to feel where we're at because sometimes the roars just kind of doesn't do justice.

And even if Europe wins a hole it might be quiet and you don't really know what's going on. But watching someone like Carlota in a Solheim Cup, she's very passionate and she plays with a lot of heart. And that motivates you, too, so just knowing that the other ones play well or do something great, and even some of the holes where you kind of walk past, you can kind of look over and kind of cheer each other on.

Q. If it rains like this like it's supposed to tonight and into tomorrow, what's that going to do to this course, in your guys' opinion? And does that make you a little bit more aggressive with your second or third shots, depending on the hole?
CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I think if it rains, the course is going to be wet and you can be more aggressive. When I played yesterday I thought it was pretty soft. The ball was stopping and the fairways they were not running much. So I think if we get rain today, and I think they're expecting some rain tomorrow, too, it's going to be a little weather-- I think the weather is going to be fine on the weekend and even on Friday. So I think a little bit more aggressive. But on the weekend it will be nice, I think?

Q. So just following up on your answer a second ago. The goal then this weekend is silence. You want --
ANNA NORDQVIST: We love silence.

Q. You want it quiet out here this weekend?
ANNA NORDQVIST: Hopefully we'll have a lot of European fans. I know we have a lot of a lot of families might not be super loud, but silence always a good thing in the U.S., right.

CARLOTA CIGANDA: We like silence.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

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