FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, August 18th, 2017

NOTABLE QUOTES: THE SOLHEIM CUP, FRIDAY FOUR-BALL MATCHES – U.S. LEADS EUROPE 5.5 – 2.5

Golf Channel Notable Quotes
The Solheim Cup, Day 1
Four-Ball Matches
Friday, Aug. 18, 2017
Des Moines Golf & Country Club
West Des Moines, Iowa

** United States leads Europe 5.5 – 2.5 after Day 1 at the Solheim Cup. The United States defeated Europe in all four matches of the afternoon four-ball matches, the first time in Solheim Cup history Team U.S.A. has swept a session.

**Live coverage of Day 2 of the Solheim Cup airs on Golf Channel Saturday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. ET and continues on NBC from 4-6 p.m. ET.

Friday Afternoon Four-balls Match Results
Match #1: Danielle Kang/Michelle Wie defeated Madelene Sagstrom and Jodi Ewart Shadoff 3&1
Match #2: Lizette Salas/Angel Yin defeated Carlota Ciganda/Emily Pedersen 6&5
Match #3: Brittany Lang/Brittany Lincicome defeated Caroline Masson and Florentyna Parker 3&2
Match #4: Stacy Lewis/Gerina Piller defeated Georgia Hall/Charley Hull 2&1

On Friday’s afternoon four-ball matches
Judy Rankin – “If I were Annika Sorenstam right now, I would be looking very hard at not who is a rookie or who is experienced, but the eight players that I saw playing the best today.”
Karen Stupples – “The Americans just haven’t let the Europeans in at all. They got off to a good start and just held onto it this afternoon.”
Rankin – “It is very early, and they can come back, but it is going to take some real juggling on Annika’s part to figure out how she is going to do that, and tomorrow morning becomes so important.”
Stupples – “When all of a sudden everybody starts showing up in your match, you know it is pretty important.”
Rankin – “Well, it’s not nearly over but there is joy in Mudville tonight for the Americans.”

On Danielle Kang/Michelle Wie defeating Madelene Sagstrom/Jodi Ewart Shadoff 3&1
Terry Gannon – “She [Kang] is just having a ball here today.”
Gannon – “It has been a replay over and over again for Danielle Kang and her mini fist pump. She has had it all day long.”
Stupples – “This is the club that has helped Michelle climb the ranking this year, her putter.”
Stupples – “I think everybody knew that Danielle was this kind of a player and this format is one that she would relish and enjoy given her history at the U.S. Amateur.”
Gannon – “Rookie? Really? Not anymore. Leading the cheers and the way.”
Gannon – “She [Kang] plays the game like a kid. The enthusiasm, the smile, the excitement that she brings is a heck of a lot of fun to watch.”
Stupples – “She [Kang] has to be floating on air right now. The way she has been playing, just loving every second of this. She just can’t wait to hit another shot. She doesn’t want this day to end.
Tom Abbott – “The confidence is just bubbling over for Danielle Kang.”

Kang and Wie speaking with Golf Channel’s Karen Stupples following their match
Michelle Wie – “I was trying to support her all day, just let her shine and purposely missing my putts so she can make hers, just trying to make life a little more difficult. Seriously, we had fun out there today. Great chemistry. We make such a great team. We were having so much fun out there today. Singing songs out there. It was fun.”
Danielle Kang – “This has exceeded my expectations. I am having so much fun out here. I got to play with my big sister today and I got to play with Lizette earlier today. They were setting me up to make the putts and helping me make the putts. It has been a great team, and we have great chemistry on the golf course and off the golf course. They believe in me and so it has been absolutely wonderful.”

On Angel Yin/Lizette Salas defeating Carlota Ciganda/Emily Pedersen 6&5
Abbott – “A tremendous performance from Lizette Salas this afternoon.”
Rankin – “Lizette has been really strong today.”
Gannon – “She has really become one of the leaders on this team.”
Gannon – “Yin and Salas took control from the start.”
Tom Abbott – “There is a great friendship between these two.”

Angel Yin and Lizette Salas speaking with Golf Channel’s Jerry Foltz following their match
Angel Yin – “She birdied the first three holes, made those putts. I couldn’t drop any putts today. I was hitting it good, really good and really long. With her making all of those putts it really helped me. I needed to get her back. I got a little flustered when I three-putted one hole but she got me back on my feet.”
Lizette Salas – “It all came down to the basics, hitting fairways and greens. I didn’t putt the way I wanted to this morning and I felt like this afternoon was my redemption round. I was really fortunate to have a good caddie reading my putts for me too. Everything just fell together this afternoon and she did great today. Even though she got down a little bit on herself but that’s golf and that’s why we have partners. We’re just really glad we got that win today.”

On Brittany Lang/Brittany Lincicome defeating Caroline Masson/Florentyna Parker 3&2
Abbott – “Been a fine performance between Lang and Lincicome today.”
Rankin – “Caroline Masson has played really hard all day long.”

Brittany Lang and Brittany Lincicome speaking with Golf Channel’s with Jim Gallagher
Lincicome – “We were up by a lot but obviously we don’t want to keep going extra holes and then get a half. We wanted the full point and when we both hit bad tee shots on this hole, we were like, Get on the greens, give ourselves and chance and hopefully close it out.”
Lang – “Brittany and I always seem to ham and egg it pretty well. She started out like a house on fire and I picked up a little bit and then she came back. We always seemed to do that. Just to keep the pressure, fairways and greens. Keep them thinking, are we going to make birdies and we did a great job of that today.”
Lincome – “I think I was going to be relaxed playing with my buddy. It definitely helped. It seemed like everyone was playing really, really well and we just wanted to go out and do what we can for our team. Two balls in play is what we wanted to do.”

On Stacy Lewis/Gerina Piller defeating Georgia Hall/Charley Hull 2&1
Kay Cockerill – “Georgia Hall has been doing most of the work this afternoon. She has played amazing today.”
Judy Rankin – “Charley hasn’t done as much as I would have expected of her today.”
Cockerill – “She [Hull] hasn’t had her best stuff today but you wouldn’t know it by the way she carries herself.”
Rankin – “Charley plays at the same pace no matter what.”

Stacy Lewis and Gerina Piller speaking with Golf Channel’s Kay Cockerill following their match
Gerina Piller – “It is incredible. I feel like we have a great team. To see all of that red and get a sweep is pretty special. It is a grind, you play in the morning and I’m definitely feeling my age today.”
Stacy Lewis – “We were both very disappointed with the finish this morning. I couldn’t get it out of my head. I had a little chat with Juli on 4 and I was able to turn things around. G carried me on the front and I was able to help out here on the back. We ham and egged it pretty good today and it feels great to finish a good day for our team.”

Juli Inkster speaking with Golf Channel’s Kay Cockerill following Day 1 of the Solheim Cup
Juli Inkster – “I knew they [Lewis and Piller] wanted to get right back out there. I think it would have been worse to have them sit this afternoon. They needed to get back out there. It isn’t like they played bad, they played 3-under in alternate shot. In alternate shot that is great. I knew they felt like they let us down. I told them, we need your point, we need you guys into the game and they came through.”
Inkster – “This isn’t the history that we really want, we want the history on Sunday night. We want the Cup. I know Annika is going to fire her team up. We just need to come out and keep doing what we’re doing. I thought we played great this morning and we played amazing this afternoon.”

-NBC Sports Group-