SOLHEIM CUP

September 6, 2021

Catriona Matthew

Sophia Popov

Georgia Hall

Charley Hull

Mel Reid

Carlota Ciganda

Anna Nordqvist

Matilda Castren

Nanna Koerstz Madsen

Madelene Sagstrom

Emily Pedersen

Celine Boutier

Leona Maguire

Laura Davies

Inverness Club

Team Europe

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: I'm delighted to be joined on stage by the winners of the 2021 Solheim Cup, Team Europe. First off, Catriona, how proud are you of this team?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: I'm so proud of this team. At the end of the day I don't hit any golf shots. It's really up to them. They're the ones that won it. They deserve all the credit, so thank you, team. You made me look good.

THE MODERATOR: What was it like watching those final few matches and watching Matilda's putt?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: I must say it was really nerve-racking. When you're on the sidelines you can't do anything about it. Matilda made a fantastic up-and-down from kind of a plugged lie in the bunker and then holed, what, about an 18-footer to win her match.

That tide had been kind of turning towards the Americans, and I think it just turned it back towards us, and then Emily finished it off with her victory on the last hole.

Q. Beany, you're familiar with the phrase "woman of the match." Do you think Leona qualifies, and what do you think of her performance this week?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: I think she certainly qualifies, but this team, were always one team and we win as a team or we lose as a team. It's tough to pick out individuals. I think they all played fantastically well, so we're all one team.

Q. 16 of the matches went all the way to the 18th hole. Have you ever seen anything like that, and how were you guys able to close to late?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: No, I mean, I think that just shows -- I think obviously the last Solheim was down to the last match, as well. I think that's what makes this so exciting. I think that's why there were 130,000 fans out here in Toledo.

I think we've got to say a huge thank you to all of them. Imagine if the Europeans had been able to travel; we might have been up at 200,000.

Yeah, I think it's events like these that grow the game and grow women's golf, and I think we've put on another spectacular performance this time.

Q. Matilda, the bunker shot on 18, can you kind of go through that one and the lie, what you were thinking and how you played it, as well as what it was like having everybody watching you on that hole, as well, especially when you were putting?

MATILDA CASTREN: Well, the lie was pretty terrible. It was plugged right under the lip. Luckily I had some room to work with. I had some green to work with. I just had to get it out and get it rolling. It actually came out a little better than I was expecting, and I think it had a little bit of spin on it, too, and there was a little bit of a backstop to like help it come back. That shot actually ended up better than what I was expecting.

It was just so cool having the whole team there and just seeing those blue and yellow colors on the sidelines and people cheering, I mean, I knew that putt was important, but I didn't exactly know what the score was at that time. I just knew I had to make it, and me and Mikey picked a good line and I picked the right pace, and it went straight in.

Yeah, that feeling was incredible.

Q. You said earlier in the week on Wednesday that you saw the photo of Pettersen making the putt and how much you wished, wow, I wish I could do that, as well, and now you could be up there in 2023 on the Spain wall. What is it like making a putt like that?

MATILDA CASTREN: I mean, that putt that Suzann made was really inspiring, and seeing that picture every day was super inspiring. Honestly, like it was a team effort. I know I made a great putt on 18, but everyone played so well this week, and we're all just such a good team and everyone works well together.

Our team chemistry and team atmosphere is just amazing. I mean, I didn't really know what to expect coming in as a rookie, but it's just been so much fun, and it's just been an amazing week altogether.

Q. You've all talked about how great the chemistry is on this team. Can you take us inside the team room, maybe Mel, and paint a picture of what that chemistry looks like?

MEL REID: Lucky me. Thank you, Beth Ann. Honestly me and Beany were just talking out there like if we were to pick 12 players, this would have been it. We've got an unbelievable captain. We've got amazing assistant captains and support staff.

I honestly have not been more proud of my team or of the team I should probably say. Obviously Beany has done a fantastic job. Like she picked some partnerships we weren't sure of, like Leona definitely did not want to play with me. I think she likes me a little bit. I'm maybe getting a Christmas card; we're not sure yet.

But everyone stepped up. Everyone was a huge part of this team. This is a team win for sure, and we had to become a unit to beat such a world-class American team.

I'm just so glad that we were able to win the Cup back. Yeah, honestly I could not be more proud, and this is the -- not by far, obviously I've been part of some amazing Solheim Cup teams, but as my fourth one playing and one being an assistant, this is the most amazing team I've ever been a part of.

I was just amazingly proud with every single person on this team, so it was a really amazing week.

Q. Mel, you talked about this being the strongest team, I think, on Wednesday when I came in here. Can you tell us what led you to that? And they clearly didn't disappoint, did they?

MEL REID: No, I mean, you've just got to look at the way the rookies played. They weren't scared. They're completely fearless. You know, they've either won or played amazingly well on the LPGA. They're not scared of these girls. In the past I feel like they've not really played much golf on the LPGA, and these girls are not like that.

Everyone just played amazing. Everyone played their part. The team room and the atmosphere, we have to become a unit to be able to beat such a world-class American team, and to do it on their home soil with all the fans -- we didn't have many fans here this week obviously with protocols and obviously we had a lot of support at home, but we didn't hear the chants.

You've just got to hear it on the first tee. The fans I think to a -- a lot of -- they've been amazing to a certain extent, and we appreciate that, and it's been amazing to play here in Toledo.

But yeah, I think that the most important thing is the rookies have just performed. They've just been amazing, and honestly I'm just extremely, extremely proud of them.

I do want to give a little big up to my girl Leona because I didn't see that pairing coming. I trusted Catriona's pairing there and she was like, I really want you to play with Leona, and I could not be more proud of her by the way she handled herself, the way she plays.

She's honestly -- hopefully the whole world now sees how good she is. Yeah, just really, really proud of the whole team, honestly.

Q. Catriona, you were in Colorado and played on that team. Could you talk about the differences or the similarities between the Colorado team and this team since you both won in the U.S.

CATRIONA MATTHEW: Yeah, I think the similarities were the rookies well so played. I remember in Colorado watching on that Saturday afternoon I think all the rookies, 'Lotta, all of them, they won 4-nil in that session.

I think that's probably a similarity is how well the rookies have played. I think to win a Solheim Cup you have to have all your players playing well and you have to have all your players contribute points, and that's what we did this week.

Our rookies stepped up under probably the most extreme circumstances with really having no European fans, so very proud of them.

Q. Can you talk about Saturday when you guys won the first session; that kind of set the tone for the entire Cup I would assume. Do you look at it that way now?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: Yeah, I mean, we got off to the dream start winning three and a half to a half. You could never have dreamed of getting off to a start like that.

You know, deep down I knew the Americans were going to come back like they did, and Saturday, I think the finish we had that last day, getting kind of that two and a half to one and a half, I think was what that session was. It just kind of buoyed our team.

I think Mel and Leona getting that win on the last, or half point, just kind of kept us going, kept the momentum with us.

You know, we had a great -- we had kind of great momentum on Sunday night going into the singles, and I think having that two-point lead obviously was a great advantage to us playing away from home. I think you probably needed to have a little bit of a lead going into the singles.

Q. Catriona, would you do this again?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: Nope. It's over to someone else now. I think -- we have so many good past players, and I think everyone deserves their chance to be captain.

I think to be part of the Solheim, I was lucky enough to play in nine and I've captained two, and I've had a fantastic time. It's the best week I've had every two years, and to have been involved with it now for over 20 years, I'm sure I'll be there watching, but it's someone else's turn. I wonder who that could be.

Q. Anna, how would you describe Catriona's legacy in the Solheim Cup as a player and now as a captain?

ANNA NORDQVIST: I think we all look up to Catriona Matthew a lot. She's been a great role model for all of us. I've had the opportunity to play with her on the team, which has been a huge honor. I obviously watched her growing up.

Playing I think the first two rounds of the British Open the year when Catriona won, seeing her shoot 29 on the back nine of Lytham St. Anne's is still probably one of the best rounds I've ever seen.

Seeing her win obviously just after having her second baby is still amazing. She's been a great Solheim Cup player. I remember watching her in 2003 in Barsebäck when I was outside the ropes and could only dream about making one team, and now I've made a few.

But having her as a captain the last two years and seeing the way she has led the team, the way she's brought all the girls together, hands down this is the best team I think Europe ever had.

She did have to make a few hard decisions, leaving a few other players that have been playing good out. But just the calm that she has around her, the confidence she has in all the players, the way everything is thought out and how easy her and the rest of the assistant captains make it for us, it's been an honor to play for her as a captain the last two Solheim Cups.