News

Friday 11th June

GB & I Team Interview - Skipper Ada O'Sullivan, players Fame More and Danielle Masters.

Q to Danielle Masters. This is your first Curtis Cup. Is it what you expected so far?

DANIELLE MASTERS: Yes, it is really because we've had Emma (Duggleby) and Fame (More) (who've both played Curtis Cup) to talk to about it. We know things would look different once the tents and all that went up.

FAME MORE: For me, it's very different in many ways because it's on home turf for a start ... just the atmosphere, the support that we're getting. When we were in the States, it was obviously very much a USA team crowd. Here, there are a lot more spectators already and the crowd are so welcoming. It's a very good atmosphere for us and a very different one from playing in a Curtis Cup match in America. I think it's going to make for a great couple of days.

Q to Ada O'Sullivan. What was the idea behind playing a Texas Scramble for the last practice session?

ADA O'SULLIVAN. Well, at this stage the players really want tomorrow to come sooner than it can be. I want them to go into the match in a relaxed stage so I didn't want them out there this morning hitting balls and feeling they had to make pars or birdies.

It also puts them into a kind of team spirit from a foursomes point of view. The players out there could play foursomes with one another, giving them an opportunity to see which drives they wanted to pick It also gives you an idea of how different people are playing and there's the opportunity to do some chipping and putting, particularly at the long par-3s when the greens have been missed.

Both teams (in the Texas Scramble) finished 12 under par. A draw.

Q to Fame More. Are you all champing at the bit?

FAME MORE. Definitely. It seems that tomorrow's never going to arrive. We're all very keen, very excited just to get out there and get out of the starting blocks. We've all played the course a lot now so we're ready to go, so it will just be good to get out there tomorrow morning.

Q to Danielle Masters about when she first heard about Curtis Cup match, etc

DANIELLE MASTERS. It's really only been the last three years that I've been aware of the Curtis Cup. I've played a lot of different sports and this (golf) wasn't one of them. So, as I say, it was only about three years ago that I saw the Curtis Cup as a major goal I wanted to achieve. I played hockey, football, swimming, running and horse riding. I play golf full time now and go to the gym.

Q.  How many good luck letters?

ADA O'SULLIVAN.  We've received so much mail, so many good luck cards, it's been overwhelming.  It is a big boost for the players.  You're probably looking at a figure in excess of 2,000 cards.  From the tone of some of the emails, you would think we were going into battle ... "Show them no mercy" sort of thing.  There's a lot of support out there for us.  There's no doubt about that.

Q.  Who's the livewire of the team?

ADA O'SULLIVAN.  You're looking at her ... Danielle Masters.  She can mimic me in my speeches, no problems.  She gets people around her relaxing very quickly.

Q.  Did you ask Sam Torrance to come to the Curtis Cup?

I've spoken to a lot of previous captains in the build-up to this, all of the most recent Curtis Cup captains and some from the past.  A lot of past players and captains have offered help.  It's been great because I've come into this with no Curtis Cup playing experience.  This is the first time I've been on the inside of the ropes instead of outside them.