NEW ALBANY GOLF CLASSIC

September 26, 2000

Pat Bradley

Beth Daniel

Pat Hurst

Becky Iverson

Rosie Jones

Meg Mallon

Nancy Scranton

Sherri Steinhauer

PAT BRADLEY: I'd like to welcome everybody here. We're happy to be here for you today. I'm very honored and proud to be able to be captain of this great group of players. We look forward to our trip overseas and we look forward to going up against the 12 best that Europe has, and I can't think of anybody else that I can imagine to be with us. These are the 12 very, very best, and not only experience-wise, but in their play and their determination, and their desire to make this team was just overwhelming to me as I watched this all unfold for two years. The other night when we made the announcement in Portland, for the first time in two years, I saw a group of players smiling, congratulating one another, looking at one another for the first time as a unit and realizing that this player is my teammate; this player, we're going to go and work together to retain the Cup; this player, I'm going to have faith in; I'm going to trust in this player and vice versa. So that was a very, very exciting and telling moment for me at that time.

PAT BRADLEY: Well, I'll keep my little cherubs close by. No, we'll just -- we're just going to -- my little cherubs -- (laughter). We're going to stick close to one another. We're going to, you know, talk things out. I mean, I think these players are great friends and competitors in their own rights. They have been playing with one another and against one another for many, many years. They know each other very, very well. And so, I really, you know, know that it won't be a difficult task. I mean, we'll keep the rookies close by and make sure that they join in in our thoughts and what they are thinking so that we are all on the same page.

NANCY SCRANTON: It's very exciting, and, you know, it was pretty special the last few weeks. I'm kind of glad that's over. Now the fun part begins. I know it is going to be tough, but I'm really excited about it and I can't think of anything better than representing my country. I've got a great team and I'm glad to be on this side.

BECKY IVERSON: It is definitely one of my goals. And I didn't probably perform as well as I'd like to the last few weeks, just being very nervous. And right now I'm just kind of more relieved than anything and I'm hoping that it will go away and I'll start to get more excited about heading over there.

NANCY SCRANTON: Like I said, I'm still enjoying the fact that I made the team right now, and I'm sure as the next five days go along, I'll start to realize that I've got a lot bigger goal ahead of me.

BECKY IVERSON: I haven't really spoken to anybody too much about it because I didn't want to jinx that I wasn't in, for sure, and you hate to start talking about something like that. I've listened to them talk to each other and I've heard a few things. I'm sure I'll hear a lot more in the next few days.

BETH DANIEL: Well I, feel great about it. I feel like it's a great opportunity for me. I missed the last Solheim Cup at Muirfield Village and went there as a spectator and really enjoyed it as a spectator. I'm really looking forward to going back and playing again. I feel like Loch Lomond will be a good course for me. I think it is a course that I will really like, and I'm looking forward to playing it and I'm just happy to be a member of this team. And I told Pat the other night, whatever role she wants me to play, I'll do it for her. I'm just very, very happy to be a part of it.

MEG MALLON: Rosie and I are easy. We're going to get fired up as soon as we see the Ohio State flags out there and everything. We're going to have a lot of emotions thinking about next week, and also wanting to play well in front of where we went to college, and we're going to have a lot of friends and family out here. I think what all of us are going to do this week is dance together -- and getting our dance together means winning a golf tournament. And we're all going to prepare for this week, like we're going to win this week, because we want to go in next week with our best frame of mind and our best game and our best attitude. I don't think you're going to have to worry about any of us looking ahead.

PAT BRADLEY: I think the conditions here are pretty similar to what we might see over there : Very wet, not a lot of roll and a little bit on the chilly side. Although, this probably will be a warm day. I mean, I actually wanted to play today, because I felt like it would be a good preparation as what this golf course is, for what we might see next week.

ROSIE JONES: When we went over there two weeks ago to play Loch Lomond, it was an absolutely beautiful day like this. The course wasn't even that wet and it wasn't playing that long. And I played with a couple long players and that golf course is going to be pretty long and pretty similar to what this golf course is playing together.

BETH DANIEL: Well, it feels great. I know Nancy can relate to this, too. Any time you have any kind of surgery, you never know if you're really going to be able to come back from it. And it's just a risk that you have to take, because it's -- basically there was no choice. It was surgery or no golf. And I wanted to continue to play golf, and to continue to play golf at any level, I needed to have surgery on my shoulder. So, it was a lot of hard work trying to come back from that surgery, but I've done it. I was willing to put in the time and effort, and very similar to what I did to try and get on this Solheim Cup team this year. I had to put a lot of time and effort into it and it's paid off. I'm here.

PAT BRADLEY: Meg Mallon just stated for your second part of the question that we are women (laughter) -- and we will conduct ourselves in that manner. I think one of the key differences that is the difference in the Europeans and the Americans coming together, Europe spends quite a bit of their time over here in the United States. These players have become great friends of the Europeans. They play practice rounds together. They have dinner together. Some Europeans live in almost the same neighborhoods as some of the Americans. So I think there is a much more, you know, friendship -- deeper friendship that the Americans and the Europeans feel towards one another. And again, you know, we are going over there keeping the integrity of the game at it's highest, and match play, there are rules to the game of match play. These players are, you know, very well versed in match play and they will keep it within those rules. Going over to Europe is the challenge. It is a very big challenge. But, we are world-class players. We have traveled all over the world and played all over the world, and we have adjusted, you know, to different parts of the world, and we will have no problems in adjusting to Scotland. We are looking forward to the Scottish hospitality, to the hospitality of Loch Lomond, and we are just going to have a great time.

PAT HURST: The first part of the question, you know, I knew I only had a year to make up, you know, because we had just the rest of this year. And I knew I had to play well, and that was one of my -- one of the main things that I focused on this year was to make enough points to make Solheim Cup and just try and make it in the Top-10 every week. And I'm just glad I won early on this year. Made it a lot easier. Picked up a lot of points there. I picked up some points at Dinah. So early on, I picked up a lot of points and it made the rest of the year a little bit easier for me. I took off some time just these last couple of weeks to prepare for Solheim. And also I think having Jackson has helped me tremendously. Now my time is -- when I come out to the golf course I'm focused for two hours just on practicing; not six hours at the golf course and only one hour practicing and five hours of chitchat and getting nothing done. So now I know my time is limited. I take care of what I need to take care of and I think it has helped me a lot.

SHERRI STEINHAUER: I think I can always dig back and go back to the previous two experiences and put those towards this year, and, you know, the experience of all the pressure definitely will pay off. But I'm just looking to being a part of this team again. You know, one of the main differences probably, though, is that this will be the first time that I will have played over in Europe. My past two Solheim Cups have been in the United States. So I probably will be going to the other experienced players to talk about some things about that. But other than that, I'm just, again, like everyone else, proud to be a part of the team and look forward to going over to Europe.

PAT BRADLEY: Dottie did injure her back at the Open. I think it was frightening to all of us. Not just me as captain of Solheim, but to the LPGA organization. She is a credit to our organization, and, as you know, a credit to our team. I kept very, very close contact with Dottie, and, you know, she was very up front and let me know exactly how things were going. And she was very encouraged when she went to her doctors, and they put her on a great program where she is feeling no pain. And, of course last week, you know, watching Dottie come back after two and a half months of not playing, it was the best thing that we could have all seen. It was a nice shot in the arm for all of us. And she was very, very excited and she said she felt no pain and she's ready to go, and that's wonderful.

PAT BRADLEY: When we went over and played a practice round, Rosie Jones went, Brandie Burton went, Nancy Scranton went, Michelle Redmond went, and we had a great time. I was thrilled watching the players play. They had great -- great praise for it. I think it will be a terrific match-play golf course. There is a tremendous variety of golf holes that will really make the players think. You know, depending on how their matches stand, there are holes that they might entice them to give it a go. Especially one hole, I believe it was the 14th hole where there's a chance to almost drive the green, if we've got the guts enough to do it, and depending on our matches. When we were over there for the practice round, they were working on the greens. And I've talked to the superintendent and the pro, and they were very encouraged that everything was going to be just fine, back in shape. So I know they know what they are doing. They are professionals at getting golf courses ready; so I have no worries about how the golf course or the greens will be.

NANCY SCRANTON: I really like the golf course a lot. It was not a typical -- what you would think of as a British-style golf course. It was, you know like a course over here, and it played fairly long, even though the weather was good, I'm sure it could play a lot longer. But I immediately was very comfortable with it. I think I was much more relieved after I played it, because I thought it really did fit my game and gave me a lot more confidence now that I can think about the golf course and I know what I'm going to walk into. It was really a lot of fun to play. Rosie and I played together and we both really enjoyed it. So, looking forward to seeing it again.

BECKY IVERSON: I had gone to a doctor who had thought I had torn my rotator cuff and was doing rehab for that and then found out after the Open that I actually had not torn it; that it was just out of socket. And I got that fixed and doing a little different rehab and I haven't had any problems with it since the du Maurier.

BRANDIE BURTON: That was my first time ever here -- I didn't play here last year. You know, I haven't looked to see if there's any big creeks out there on the golf course -- (Laughter.)

ROSIE JONES: Yes, I do feel very connected with Albuquerque in both -- that my family still lives there. I still have a couple of brothers and sisters and my mom that live there in Albuquerque, and I get back there to see them a couple times a year. And actually, each Solheim Cup that I've been into, we carry a state flag that resembles where we're from, and I've chosen to use my New Mexico flag, instead of my Georgia flag, where I actually live now. So in a way, I still call New Mexico that my home, and even though it's still Nancy Lopez's state, I'm still from there and always will be. (Laughter.) And Georgia, too. Follow me all over the place.

PAT BRADLEY: Well, Rosie is a very -- she has a lot of tenacity. She's a tiger, and she won't back down to anything. I've watched her and been with her in other Solheims, and she gets the job done, and that's what is most important.

MEG MALLON: Yes, actually my parents are going to be there, and my two brothers are going to make the trip over, too. They will carry the ugly American symbol quite well and wave their flag, and they will help us out and cheer us on. I'm just so happy that my parents are able to come over and be able to see that, and I'm sure that most of our families are coming. They are the lone rangers out there. They have a tough job to fight between all the European spectators and root for their kids. It's just a neat experience for them.

SHERRI STEINHAUER: Well, I think, you know, it's been two years working so hard to make the team, and once you realize you're on the team, then you put your focus towards, you know, how you're going to approach the week. And you know, it's a very, very difficult week, but yet, it's a very rewarding week, and you know, I just try to stay very focused on the task at hand and try not to -- try not to blow it out of proportion too much, because you can do that with the country behind you and watching you and all. But I just try to stay as focused as I can at the present and what I'm trying to achieve. And, you know fortunately, I have had some success in the past with it. But it comes with 11 other team members, too, and they are all trying to do the same thing, and you know, it's a team effort and that's the beauty of the Solheim Cup.

BRANDIE BURTON: I did have the two surgeries, and the shoulder is doing really well. I'm excited that I have had no pain for six months now. One thing that I did do when I started off in 2000 was I set a goal to make this team. I got off to a really good start but then backed up towards the end of the season, and I think most of it was putting pressure on myself to get on the team, because I realized the last four times how rewarding it was and how much fun it was to get together as a quote unquote family for a week. For Pat to pick me was a great honor and I'm just very excited to be here.

PAT BRADLEY: I'd like to add one thing. Brandie had a difficult year in 1996, and she was 100% in her matches in Wales.

NANCY SCRANTON: You know because you've asked me this before -- and maybe because youu keep asking me. (Laughter. I think actually earlier or late summer is when I started to put a lot of pressure on myself, because I played pretty well early in the year, and I think I was pushing a little too hard in the summer and thinking too much about my golf swing and trying to make it better instead of just trying to play. And actually started to play better (inaudible) which was kind of nice. Played well in Betsy and last week didn't play well and was fighting a cold, which I am just now getting over. I think the stress last week of a cold and the end of the points and everything together, I think I just about had it. But I'm excited. Like Becky said earlier, I'm relieved and excited and tired and all of that, but I'm really excited about it.

NANCY SCRANTON: Well, I haven't played a lot of match play, and it was good that I played in the Nation's Cup this year. It was a great experience. I played with Becky in the first round in the best ball; it's different, and I'm going to have to talk to some of the players about it. I did have a good day in the singles' match. I think it is a little easier getting up for the singles' match, because I'm used to playing by myself and I'm not used to playing that much with a partner. But it was a great experience and I'm going to draw on that, and hopefully, it will have the same results.

KELLY ROBBINS: You're right. It has not been all that much to write about, that type of thing. But it's been close. And I know it's kind of hard to explain sometimes, and I am waiting for it just as much as the next person to break through and make the putts when you need to and that type of thing. I've actually been playing fairly solid, like I said. Nothing GREAT. Not a lot of low numbers or anything like that. But I've felt good. Just came off about a four-week break and it was well needed. I wanted to come here to Columbus and play and get my mind back on things and the task at hand and go from there. Extremely excited to play next week. I think, like we all know, it is amazing what we can do under certain situations in the Solheim Cup; it brings it out in all of us. I don't know if it would matter -- I give it to Pat trying to choose who to bring to this team -- it just doesn't matter. We all know what needs to be done. We all focus when the time comes and we're all going to be ready. No matter what your game is that week prior; it changes once you get under those conditions.

PAT HURST: You know the last time Kelly and I played together, I left Kelly in some situations where, you know, it's a situation where she pulls through every time. And, you know, everybody especially the last Solheim when we played together, I left her with 5-footers coming in the last four or five holes, and who made them but Kelly, every time. But, you know, she's definitely a great player, and you know, she's a great teammate. I think she lifted my game up a little bit when we were playing together this last Solheim, and I hope I did the same for her, and I think the whole team -- being on the team, I think, you know, your game rises one extra notch. Once you tee it up and you hear you're playing for the United States of America, I mean, you know, each and every one of us, I think we all grind and we learn how to get the ball in the hole some way, some how.

KELLY ROBBINS: I always like playing steady and playing close. You always want to be able to perform the best you can every week. That's why we're here. That's why we play. We play to win. It's like Meg was saying. Obviously for confidence-wise, mind-wise, you do want to have a good week before. I mean, everyone does. But by the time those matches start on Thursday, it's such a different atmosphere and situation. It's so hard to explain to Nancy and to Becky, I mean, just what you feel when you're there. It's like none other than only experience can tell you, to make you feel it. I just know that by the time Thursday rolls around next week, Friday rolls around next week, everyone is going to be as prepared as we possibly can be, and that's all that anyone can ask, to prepare as much as we can and do the best job as teammates. And you know that person is trying their butt off and that's all that you can ask for.

PAT BRADLEY: (Inaudible) ... i'll be fortunate enough -- I'm going to have a brother and his wife and his two children that are 14 and 10; and a brother that's bringing his son, Kyle, who is 14. So, mother is going to sit home and watch it on TV. You know, at 76, moms need a little more attention at that age, and so she understood that and felt it would be best to stay at home, because I will be busy from morning until night. But I will have some family.

PAT BRADLEY: I've talked with Dottie many a times, and we are just going to go there as and a unit, as a team; and consider that -- as I say, we have great friendships with the Europeans. And Dale and I have talked on numerous times, and we have pledged to one another and to everyone else that we will play with integrity and the game in hand and within the rules of match play, and just have a great tournament and just have a lot of fun.

BECKY IVERSON: From what I've heard from the other players, it's not really an English-style golf course like we played at Royal Birkdale. But the jet-lag didn't get me like I thought it would. That's nice. I'm not worried about being too tired next week. I enjoy going overseas. I haven't done it to often, but when I have I've played really well, but just really excited about the opportunity.

LESLIE KING: The Solheim Cup is October 6-8 and you can see it on the Golf Channel and NBC. Thank you.