SOLHEIM CUP

September 9, 2026

Charley Hull

Lottie Woad

Maja Stark

Linn Grant

Bernardus

Team Europe

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are delighted to be joined by Team Europe, Lottie Woad, Charley Hull, Linn Grant, and Maja Stark.

So Lottie, going to start with you. You're a rookie in the Solheim, so how are the players treating you so far this week?

LOTTIE WOAD: Yeah, everyone's been great. The team environment's been amazing. We've all been getting on great. I kind of knew everyone coming into this before. But yeah, I've been getting some tips and stuff off them. But, yeah, I've been loving it so far.

THE MODERATOR: Best tip so far.

LOTTIE WOAD: I mean, it's just more about the week, really. I think golf-wise we all kind of know what we're doing. There's a lot of stuff going on this week and you kind of don't have that much time to yourself, so it's kind of just taking the moment when you do.

THE MODERATOR: Charley, you're eighth Solheim Cup. You seem to be loving it more and more. What do you like about the Solheim Cup now and what's the highlight so far this week?

CHARLEY HULL: It's been nice to see the golf course. Obviously, it's really fun. I think for me when Friday comes, that's when the Solheim Cup really starts. That's when I get really excited. There's a lot to do, obviously, leading up to it. It's quite busy and it's quite hectic. But just got a good group of teammates around you to get you through it.

THE MODERATOR: Linn, this is your third appearance, also becoming more of a veteran. What sort of advice have you been able to share with others, like Lottie?

LINN GRANT: I mean, it is a long week. You don't really realize how long it is and how much there is to do. It's just very special. I feel like you want to really try to make as many good memories as possible, try to have as fun as possible, and whatever happens happens.

THE MODERATOR: Maja, also becoming more of a veteran. Third appearance. How's the vibe, the team bonding, and everything going for you?

MAJA STARK: I think it's great. It's great to have been on tour for a little bit longer being more of a veteran, as you said. Yeah, it's just been great. It's kind of the same group as before and it just feels like we've known each other for years now and I feel like all the rookies are also behaving and just very fun.

THE MODERATOR: Excellent. We'll open to the floor for questions.

Q. Lottie, most people watching this are probably not familiar with Bernardus and the layout. How would you describe it, what does it require, and are there a few holes as it pertains to match play that will stand out?

LOTTIE WOAD: Yeah, I would say it's Heathland kind of links, sort of -- there's a lot of courses like that around where I live. I compare it to Hankley Common, but I don't think people know that golf course. But I would say it's more of a second-shot golf course with a lot of kind of runoffs everywhere and the wind playing a big factor.

But honestly, it tests every part of your game. If you're not in play off the tee, you're not going to be able to get it up by the green. And I think every hole plays different depending upon the wind, so you can kind of plan for it as much as possible. But it's got that links aspect that you're like, well, I want to finish it here, but it could be driver one day, it could 3-wood one day. It just plays different every day.

Q. Charley, what is the difference between an away Solheim Cup and playing one at home?

CHARLEY HULL: I actually feel like there's a lot less pressure when you're away, you know, like, in America playing. But obviously -- it's quite similar as the crowds perspective. Like, we get big crowds both places, but obviously, it's a little more pressure over here when it's a home Solheim Cup.

Q. How do you feel like you handle that pressure in that situation?

CHARLEY HULL: At the end of the day, just going to go out on the golf course and just play the best you can. It doesn't matter if you're at home or America, really. So you just got to deal with it, just stay focused, and be in the zone.

Q. Lottie, as a rookie, what sort of questions have you been asking of your captains and your teammates about the process?

LOTTIE WOAD: I think I've just -- I don't fancy anything in particular. I've just been asking general questions. I think, like, golf course-wise we've got our caddies, we've got our coaches, and stuff like that. So you know what you're doing with that. I think it's more this week you're doing everything together. For a regular event, you kind of go when you want to go, and this week we're all traveling together and you all kind of practice in a set time.

So I think it's just knowing, I guess, when all that is and getting used to that. I've been told it's a long week by everyone, so not to overdo it. Yeah, it starts Friday, so just waiting for that.

Q. Charley, as a veteran on the team, how do you see your role evolving over the years?

CHARLEY HULL: I see my role as a player, really. I do my own thing, like trying to just keep to my own kind of routine as much as you can. The captains are there for advice if the younger players want to come and ask me some advice and stuff.

But just kind of do your own thing. But we've got here from playing our normal routine. Every week we're by our ourselves. So we really shouldn't do anything too differently. We've still got to hit a ball around the golf course and play good.

But listen, Lottie, she may play -- she is maybe a rookie, but she doesn't play like one. She's got a good golfing brain on her, so I don't think she needs to be picking our brains too much.

Just pretty much make sure you get onto the bus on time, right?

LOTTIE WOAD: Yeah.

Q. Is there anything about your routine that's kind of a nonnegotiable that you definitely want to keep the same this week?

CHARLEY HULL: I'm very much -- I like to get to bed early and I like to have a good sleep. But it's quite hard, obviously, because they're long days. But I just keep my warm-up the same. An hour before I tee off I'll warm-up. Just make sure to keep my usual routine like that.

Q. Maja and Linn, I was wondering if you could describe Anna's leadership style and then maybe a memory that you have of meeting her younger in your career.

LINN GRANT: I think Anna is a very planned person, very organized. I think she took on the role of being a captain, like, I would say easily in terms of, like, all the things you have to do. I think, like, all the planning and everything, I think she enjoys all that, and she has a really good process for it, so coming into the week, I feel like she was very well prepared.

She seems like she has a really set plan on how she wants things to be. She wants everything to run smoothly and not have any issues with anything. So for us as players, it just makes our job way easier when you have a captain that keeps everything under control.

MAJA STARK: Yeah, same. She's just very chill. She's very herself. We don't have to worry about anything because she's kind of just lined everything up for us perfectly. And yeah, we just have to be here when she tells us to be here.

She's always been good at giving back to younger players. I mean, just earlier this year we didn't know that she was going to retire, but we had a camp with team Sweden in Phoenix, and she was there and practiced with us, and then we had, like, a two-hour Q&A where we could just ask her anything. So she is just super generous and she came to a couple big, like, girls camps that we had at home. So she obviously enjoys the team environment. She enjoys being around a lot of younger players. Yeah, she's very nice with giving back to us younger players.

Q. Charley, we've got, obviously, two young English women as rookies this season. What does it tell you about the health of English golf that you've got Lottie and Mimi coming out and some other young English players that are making their mark?

CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, it's really good to see. Obviously, a pretty small island, really. So we do well. It's really good to see. They've got great golf games. Like, I played with Lottie quite a lot over the last year, and she's pretty solid. She's pretty unbreakable when I watched her play sometimes.

Mimi's a great player too, and I think, you know, the golf in the U.K. is going in the right direction.

Q. Linn, I know there was a piece of content, I think, that I saw that got posted. You seemed to have an interesting vocal stem this week with John Deere. I don't know if you can explain the origin of that.

LINN GRANT: Well, I just saw it the other week. It was just a video from Instagram. I think it's an English dad who lives in Alabama, maybe, with his son, and he just keeps on making videos where he says words in English, and then his son, obviously, has a very broad Alabama accent, so he will say them in a very funny way.

And then John Deere was one of the kind of words he did, and then I just saw the sign that says it's sponsored by John Deere. It was just funny. Yeah, it was there.

Q. Charley, when you look two years ago, you guys bring back partnerships that only accounted for one point compared to six points for the Americans. Is that something you guys are cognizant of? And because of that, have you maybe experimented a little bit with some different partnerships this week so far?

CHARLEY HULL: No, I pretty much got my partner. I think I'm going to be playing with Mel Reid over the weekend. And she's really -- she's informed now, she's sorted out chipping out since the women's KPMG championship when she was duffing it. I gave her a few lessons. But she's been absolutely smashing it the last few days on the golf course, and I think we've got a pretty sweet pairing there.

Q. Is that in the captain's agreement?

CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, in my agreement, actually.

Q. You guys are all, obviously, used to playing in the elements, rain, wind, all that. But for whoever wants to take it, is it a bit of a bummer for the Solheim Cup or do you feel like it's to your advantage being able to play in the elements? How do you approach that?

CHARLEY HULL: I think playing in the elements is a bit tricky, and I think it does probably play in our hands a bit more. But don't get me wrong, I would love if the sun was shining and we were in a shorts and T-shirts.

LOTTIE WOAD: I think we love playing in the wind and we're used to that. We're fine playing in the rain, but I think from a spectator point of view, it's probably better if it doesn't rain. But the wind is fine. Because people have to cycle in, so it would be ideal if it didn't rain.

Q. Your thoughts on how the course plays to match play?

MAJA STARK: It's a really good match play course. I feel like there's a lot of variety. Some longer par-5s, some shorter par-5s. It feels like they can move the tees around a lot, so they can kind of play it however they want to. There's a lot of bunkers that you don't really want to be in. So I think you can have a lot of really long irons into par-4s as well, and I just think, yeah, they can -- we have no idea what they will do. But there's a lot of rounds to play. So I think it's a great course for match play.

LINN GRANT: I agree. (Laughing.) No, but, like she said, there's a lot of variety to the course. Just playing these two days, some of the holes play really different depending on the wind, depending on the tees, which is fun. Like, you don't have to play the same setup four, five rounds or whatever you're playing. So, yeah, I think it will be great. Especially having -- I know 15, 16 as kind of the closing holes with the stands and everything, I think the back nine will be very fun and a lot of drama, hopefully.

Q. Charley, memorable victory against Nelly Korda last time around. Just wondering how much you would relish if the opportunity arises playing her again and what challenges she will present for you.

CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, playing Nelly Korda at that time was really good. It was so much fun. I came out and played pretty well. Every dog has its day, and I also did that day. But she's had a pretty incredible season so far this year, and if it came down to singles, it would be a really good match. I have a lot of respect for Nelly. She's a great World No. 1, and she's a great golfer and anything can happen in match play.

Q. For Lottie as well, we've been saying you're a rookie, and it just seems totally odd that we're calling you a rookie. Just wondering, for you, what you've enjoyed so much -- enjoyed the most so far this week, but perhaps what you're looking forward to, an experience you haven't had so far.

LOTTIE WOAD: I mean, I think I'm most looking forward to that first tee. I've been told by everyone that they can try and describe it to you, but it's not really possible. So I am a rookie in that sense, that I haven't experienced that, and there's nothing that can compare to that really at any tournament we play. So looking forward to that. I don't know how many people are in that stand, but it looks massive and it encloses the whole area, so I'm sure there will be a lot of adrenaline there too.

Q. Charley, strategic-wise you hit far. What do you think are the specifics on this course? What's the most important for you?

CHARLEY HULL: I think it's just about keeping it in play, leaving your playing partners in the right positions for them. Again, who holes the most putts -- usually in the Solheim Cup, it comes down to who putts the best.

Q. You hit far. Do you think it's an advantage on this course to hit far?

CHARLEY HULL: I don't hit it as far as I did last Solheim Cup. I was a bit more stronger back then. But I think I hit it far enough, I think. Yeah, I think it is an advantage hitting it far around here because then it makes, really, par-5s a little bit more easier around this golf course. There's a couple that in the wind, it can be a few long iron shots into par-3s.

But the Americans, they're so good with the way they kind of play and, obviously, we're pretty good as well. But the thing is the greens are a bit is slower, so usually they have a bit of an advantage for us.

You guys laugh at me. I don't know what to say. I kind of got lost for words. I don't even know what the question was. Sorry, my head is all over the place.

Oh yeah, I think the thing that make it's harder is the wind. Thank you.

Q. And Linn, I saw you playing ping pong with the some of your teammates. How do you manage your time in this event? You said it's a long week, people don't realize it, but what's important for you in off time and when you're on also.

LINN GRANT: I think, yeah, it is a long week, but it's also like a lot of fun off the golf course. I think just for me personally I would rather just stay in the team room for too long and have a good time than maybe sleep an extra hour. That's just how I work. I just really I think we have great evenings where we sit and chat for a long time. We play ping pong and, yeah, just get to know each other a little bit more and kind of be a little bit more ready for when the tournament starts.

Q. Lottie, you're a rookie, how do you enjoy being a rookie? Do you find it stressful more than enjoyable or what's your feeling?

LOTTIE WOAD: Yeah, I haven't found it stressful. It's been very enjoyable. I think it's nice that we have four rookies including myself. So you're not on your own in that sense. Like I said, I played with these guys the last year or so, so I knew them coming into this and only gotten to no, ma'am more, so it's been really fun.

Q. The last three Solheims at home have been so close and single point in it and a tie as well. I just wonder, at this stage how you steel yourself mentally for the pressure-packed golf that could potentially occur on Sunday, because it's so different in so many different ways. Maybe if you could just sort of speak to that, please.

LOTTIE WOAD: I didn't play in any of those, so I don't know if I'm the best person to speak. I think it just shows how important each game is, I guess. Even if you're a couple down early, you can get it back and even just getting a half point could be vital. So I think you've just got to have that mentality that any half point or point helps. So just try to stay in it as long as possible.

CHARLEY HULL: I remember years ago me and Suzann Pettersen being down with, like, dormie, it was coming in, and we ended up winning. And it's happened quite a few times. So just never ever back down really. Never think you have it as well when you're quite a few up on the front nine. Just make sure you handle your game. I think that's a massive key to it because people start relaxing and that's when you end up losing a lot of matches.

LINN GRANT: Yeah, I just think it kind of shows how even all the players are and what kind of talent and what level everyone is on. Like they're saying, like, you can lose or win any match regardless of rankings or how you're playing at the moment. I think when everyone shows up on Friday for the weekend like you're just going to bring your best game. It's just so different playing match play in this setting. It's kind of like just everyone's best game just shows up normally which makes it a lot more fun to play as well.

Q. Maja, do you do anything different for a week like this to prepare yourself mentally for those kind of challenges?

MAJA STARK: Not really. Kind of try to prepare like in a normal week too for pressure situations. I mean, obviously it's kind of elevated, but you're still just playing golf and you're trying to do your best and you're trying to beat one person. Obviously there's not much more you can do. You can't rely on teammates there on that Sunday afternoon. I think you just got to go back and remember what's important for me now.

Q. The first tee, we were just up there and I was wondering if you guys feel like that the grandstands are super, super tight and narrow to the tee, to the first tee, that there's almost no space and you feel like the spectators are like sitting on your shoulders, and if you enjoy that or if, yeah, just what you feel like when you are walking on the first tee. And also, when you try to picture yourself on Friday, the first tee, obviously there will be a lot of emotions, where do you think is the moment where you will be the most nervous? Will it be walking through the tunnel? Obviously some of you guys have played many Solheims, and Lottie, you're the first time on the first tee in this situation. Or is it when they call your name? I was just wondering about like I guess the first shot in this 2026 Solheim is going to be special.

CHARLEY HULL: I think the there's plenty of room on the tee box. I feel like walking through that tunnel is like being in an arena. Which is pretty cool. We don't really get that feeling in golf a lot. I think coming to the first tee shot it's match play at the end of the day. Like, if you have horrific first hole or if you have an amazing first hole you're only going 1-up or 1-down or even all square. So I don't really think -- obviously you're going to be nervous, but it's not the be-all end-all if you hit a good or bad shot, so don't worry too much about that, just smack it down the middle.

LINN GRANT: That's what I thought.

LOTTIE WOAD: I guess that's the advice for me on the first tee, just smack it down the middle.

MAJA STARK: I don't know, when you get to the first tee you just do it. Like, I don't know when the nerves are going to hit. I feel like I can barely remember what the first tee experience was like the past couple of times because you're just so focused on what you're doing and then you're like shaking because you're so nervous but then you just got to go.

CHARLEY HULL: It's more nerve wracking when it's a par-3 start, because you got to strike it. But with the driver you can just whack it down there and hope it goes straight.

LINN GRANT: Unless there's a bunker in the middle of the first hole.

CHARLEY HULL: Yeah.

Q. Lottie, you're obviously a rookie here at the Solheim, but you're not a rookie to team events like you played for Europe, you played for international GB&I. What are some specific learnings you can kind of rely on this week?

LOTTIE WOAD: Yeah, I played a lot of team golf and a lot of match play recently. Like, last year or 2024 was the Curtis Cup and we were obviously the underdogs that week and we managed to win. I feel like on paper Europe is usually in the same situation. So I feel like that's great experience to have that. I mean, I was playing for Florida State last year, like that's team golf. I played for England a lot. I've just got a lot of experience playing foursomes and stuff like that. So even though I haven't played this week, obviously, I know how to play on a team, so I'm going to try and use that.

Q. Maja and Linn, a question about Charley, okay? Well, Charley says, and also people, she's not really -- well, she finds difficulties playing in a team. Can you tell why she is good for the team, why she is a good teammate. Can you tell?

LINN GRANT: Second in the world, no?

Q. Yeah, but not only that, but also in the atmosphere and everything why she fits good in this team.

LINN GRANT: I think she's great. Charley will always do her own thing, and I think it's just such a, to me whenever I play with her I love playing with her. I don't think I've ever told you that.

CHARLEY HULL: Apart from me confusing us halfway around the matches. (Laughing.)

LINN GRANT: No, I just, on a regular week I love playing with her because she just does her thing. Like, she just walks up on the tee, hits her drive. If it's not good, fine, whatever. She doesn't overthink things, she just goes out and does whatever she can to do her best and whatever comes out of it comes out of it. I think at least for me like sometimes I will go out and I will overthink things. That's what's so nice to have Charley on this team because it's just so refreshing to have someone who is just like, you know what, I'm just going to go out, do my best, if it's not good enough, that's fine, and not feel that extra pressure. It's just nice to have around.

MAJA STARK: Yeah, it feels like, I feel like people put extra pressure on Charley, probably because she's a veteran, but like people, everyone has different personalities. I mean, we have enough people screaming and dancing and shouting and everything in the team bus and in the team room. Charley just being herself is everything we need.

CHARLEY HULL: Pretty chill, aren't I? I'll have a nap instead.

Q. This feels like a big moment for dutch golf, just interested if any of you have any thoughts on whether you've got a sense of that sort of big occasion and the impact you think it can have on golf in the Netherlands as well?

CHARLEY HULL: A hundred percent, definitely. I think like, you know, it gives an opportunity to younger kids to start playing golf. And they're going to come to Solheim and it's a really, really fun event to watch as well, and think golf's super fun. Rather than a typical stereotype, old-man sport. When they come here I think it's more of an event here, and I just think this can't not be good for golf, you know what I mean? I think it's really good for golf. Hopefully, in 20 years time there will be some junior that was walking around here watching us play and they're hopefully on the team.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much, ladies.