FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, September 13th, 2019
NOTABLE QUOTES: SOLHEIM CUP, FRIDAY FOURBALL MATCHES – EUROPE LEADS U.S. 4.5 – 3.5
GOLF Channel Notable Quotes
Solheim Cup, Day 1 Afternoon Fourball Matches
Friday, Sept. 13
Gleneagles Hotel, PGA Centenary Course
Gleneagles, Scotland
** Europe leads the U.S. 4 1/2 – 3 1/2 after the Friday afternoon fourball matches.
** Golf Central will recap all of the Day 1 Solheim Cup matches tonight at 8 p.m. ET. Five-time Solheim Cup veteran Michelle Wie joins the show in-studio as a guest analyst.
** Live coverage of Day 2 of the Solheim Cup begins at 3 am ET on GOLF Channel and streaming on GOLF Channel Digital with Saturday Foursomes.
Friday afternoon fourball matches results:
Suzann Pettersen/Anne van Dam (EUR) 4&2 Danielle Kang/Lizette Salas (U.S.)
Ally McDonald/Angel Yin (U.S.) 7&5 Anna Nordqvist/Caroline Hedwall (EUR)
Charley Hull/Azahara Munoz (EUR) Halved Nelly Korda/Brittany Altomare (U.S.)
Carlota Ciganda/Bronte Law (EUR) Halved Jessica Korda/Lexi Thompson (U.S.)
U.S. Captain Juli Inkster speaking with GOLF Channel’s Karen Stupples following Day 1
Juli Inkster – “That was huge. I mean two half points when it looked like we were going to lose two points. It’s huge. I don’t even do math and I know that’s huge. Two rookies in that match who were 4 down and birdied 13,14,16, 17 and 18. That’s heart. You can’t teach that.”
Inkster (on the Kordas) – “I think they would kill each other if they played all three matches together and they said that. So, I wanted to split them up some time. They are so good at alternate shot because they are siblings and they fight for each other. Just made sense to split them up with best ball and that is what I went with.”
Inkster – “Today was a long day and they need to get their rest. They know what to do. Just get them fired up a little bit and they will be ready to go.”
On Suzann Pettersen/Anne van Dam defeating Danielle Kang/Lizette Salas 4&2
Kay Cockerill – “Anne is bringing in the crowd both with her play and her enthusiasm.”
Terry Gannon – “Anne van Dam has been a star this afternoon.”
Judy Rankin – “She has been so impressive today.”
Rankin – “It started out all Anne van Dam. After a few holes, Suzann started to get it together as well and they have been a good team today.”
Cockerill – “It has kind of been a coming out party for Anne today.”
Cockerill – “Day in and day out, Danielle and Lizette would be a great team. They just ran into some supreme athleticism in Anne van Dam and Suzann Pettersen today.”
Suzann Pettersen and Anne van Dam speaking with GOLF Channel’s Kay Cockerill following their victory
Suzann Pettersen (on Anne van Dam) – “We really don’t have a rookie on our team. This girl, she played the best golf I’ve ever seen on the women’s side. Today she was absolutely a rock star. Fun to cheer on, on the side. If we have a negative, my game was not on top of the game today. But that is when you have to scramble out here, and when you have a partner like her today, I can make a birdie every now and then. This is a tough golf course with the wind. Like I said earlier, you don’t have to play perfect golf. Holes can be won with pars. It’s just that tough. I’m just excited for Anne to get her first point in the Solheim Cup. She’s a stud.”
Anne van Dam – “Walking through that tunnel, especially to play with Suzann who has been my idol growing up, for her to say, ‘Let’s enjoy this,’ that is what I was going to do. I was just hitting it solid from the beginning. It is not an easy golf course. Even from the tee you have to hit it in the fairway. If I hit it in the rough I lose my advantage a little bit from the tee. But it was great. I’m happy I played well and I was happy and comfortable around Suzann today.”
On Ally McDonald/Angel Yin defeating Anna Nordqvist/Caroline Hedwall 7&5
Judy Rankin – “For someone who originally was not playing for the U.S. this week, Ally is making a statement in her first match.”
Rankin – “Juli Inkster has got to be saying ‘Thank you for Ally McDonald.’ It is not just that she is playing a good match here, she is playing so well overall.”
Terry Gannon – “Not much has gone wrong for those two today. It has been all USA on this one from the start.”
Rankin – “We have all watched players who were maybe new to this kind of competition or new to this kind of spotlight, played well and it changed their careers. We could be seeing that this week.”
Jim Gallagher Jr. – “Ally has been really consistent today. I think that has been the fact that she has been hitting second. Angel feels like if she can keep it in play, she can go ahead and go. Ally has really impressed me. She came to play and is really doing her part.”
Ally McDonald and Angel Yin speaking with GOLF Channel’s Jim Gallagher Jr., following their victory
Angel Yin – “I mostly slept until 10:30 am this morning and when I got to the golf course I saw a lot of red. That motivated me to go out and get a point for Team USA.”
Ally McDonald – “It means a lot. Just being mentally prepared when Juli called me to step in and replace Stacy if need be. I knew it could go either way once I got here. But being able to step in on my first match out and get a point for the U.S. means a lot.”
On Nelly Korda/Brittany Altomare halving their match with Charley Hull/Azahara Munoz
Judy Rankin – “Korda, Korda, Thompson and Altomare have been one of the pods with Juli Inkster. They have had quite the pod this afternoon. Wow.”
Terry Gannon – “What a comeback for the Americans.”
Judy Rankin – “Aza has rolled the ball so nicely all day today. Never forced a putt.”
Rankin – “The kind of golf she [Nelly Korda] is playing plays so well in the foursomes.”
Gannon – “Two big victories for the Americans in the span of 20 minutes to halve the final two matches.
Gannon – “The Americans are going to start to believe in this 18th green and the 18th hole.
On Jessica Korda/Lexi Thompson halving their match against Bronte Law/Carlota Ciganda
Judy Rankin – “It is great to see a player rise to the occasion and pull it off when the need and have to. We saw that on several occasions in this match.”
Rankin – “It has been really impressive to see that never quit attitude that you have to have when you play match play.”
Jerry Foltz – “For Lexi, this is one of those defining moments that you will remember for a lifetime.”
Terry Gannon – “It defines the day. What a putt for Lexi Thompson at 18.”
Gannon – “Neither team would give up or give in. Fitting that the match ended this way.”
Rankin – “Bronte Law showed herself as a great fighter today.”
Lexi Thompson and Jessica Korda speaking with GOLF Channel’s Jerry Foltz following their match
Lexi Thompson – “Just representing my country. You have to dig deep for your partner and your country and your whole team. There is nothing like having a putt on the last hole to halve the match. We all live for that moment. We were all very cold but I was thinking, ‘alright just get it to the hole.’”
Jessica Korda – “We try to play our best. I didn’t have that many great shots in the beginning and so Lexi was really there for me and that’s why you have a partner to lean on. Then I was there for here when she needed me. We hammed and egged it really well. I was so happy that she made that last putt because I was freezing.”
-NBC Sports Group-
