SOLHEIM CUP

September 6, 2021

Matilda Castren

Inverness Club

Team Europe

Flash

Q. Matilda Castren, three months ago, four months ago you weren't even on this team. You win at Lake Merced, you win in Finland, you're on the team. Now you just made the putt that retained the cup for Europe. What could this moment possibly mean to you?

MATILDA CASTREN: I mean, it's hard to put it into words right now. I think I'm still shaking. I just knew I was looking at the board and I knew it was going to be an important putt, and I wanted to make it. Me and Mikey read it and we read it perfectly and it went in.

I'm just so happy right now, and I'm not sure what the final scores are, but I'm just -- yeah, a lot of emotions right now.

Q. So you didn't know for sure that that was to retain, you just were trying to make the best putt possible?

MATILDA CASTREN: I knew it was important. I knew we needed that. I didn't know exactly what it meant because I knew there were still matches on the course, but I knew we needed to make that putt.

Q. From where did you get the resolve, this steely resolve to make crucial putts down the stretch to win?

MATILDA CASTREN: I think -- I mean, I think I focused a little more whenever there's pressure, and I just -- oh, my God.

We read the putts really well, and I've been rolling the ball really good all week. I just figured, just trust it and trust the line and just make a good stroke, and they just went in.

Q. What has this whole experience been like from the minute that you got the clothing to coming here to Inverness and just being a part of this big team?

MATILDA CASTREN: It's been amazing. I mean, it's a dream come true to me, and to play with Anna the first three matches, it was just so much fun to play with her. I learned a lot playing with her, and she was a great partner, and we did really well.

It's just been an amazing experience, and to win my match today, I mean, this is all I could have asked for.

Q. Retained the Cup for Europe; how does it feel?

MATILDA CASTREN: It feels amazing. It's just crazy, crazy. I can't believe I made that putt. I knew it was important. I knew it was going to break a little bit left.

Me and Mikey read the putt perfectly and it went in. It's just such an amazing feeling, and so proud to be part of this team.

Q. Tell us what was going through your mind the last few holes as it was so tense and you know that anything can happen. What was going through your mind the last few holes?

MATILDA CASTREN: I was just trying to play my best. She's a tough competitor, and I knew she was going to make some putts and make some birdies and hit some good shots.

I was just trying to play my best and give it all I've got and hit some good shots and roll some good putts, and some of them went in.

Q. Give us a sense of how your week has been. What are some of the experiences that you had? How do you feel standing at the back of 18 now being a Solheim Cup team player?

MATILDA CASTREN: It's been such a cool experience. I mean, it's more than I could have asked for, playing with Anna in the foursomes and four-ball matches. It was so much fun, and we did great.

Just the team atmosphere is so great. Everyone is so supportive of one another, and just the chemistry is amazing. Our bus rides, we were listening to music, and it was just like everyone was hoping the best for each other, and yeah, I think it's the team really that made this happen.

We worked really well together all of us and we got all along and had so much fun together. It's just been an amazing experience, and I'm so, so happy I made it.

Q. How much of a different player do you feel you are after these days? Do you feel more confident perhaps?

MATILDA CASTREN: I mean, it's been intense, an immense amount of pressure, especially today. I was really nervous these last few holes, and I think -- I mean, I learned a lot playing with Anna and just playing under pressure. That's always something you want to do, and when you perform well under pressure, that's even better.

I'm definitely coming out a more confident player after this week and just a lot of experiences and just amazing week.

Q. You have retained the Solheim Cup for Team Europe on U.S. soil. How does that sound?

MATILDA CASTREN: That sounds amazing. We have Suzann's photo when she made the putt at Gleneagles. It's in our locker room when you get out of the locker. I look at it every day, and I hope one day that can be me and I hope I can handle the pressure.

To have retained the Cup, I mean, it's such an amazing feeling. There was a little part of me that thought I wasn't able to do it, but I don't know, I guess just the pressure, and it just made me focus a little bit more, and just rolled those putts in.