THE MODERATOR: Hello. Welcome to the media center at the 2024 Solheim Cup at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.
From left to right, I'm pleased to be joined by Megan Khang, Nelly Korda, Alison Lee, and assistant captain Paula Creamer.
Megan, you went undefeated last year in all the matches you participated in, being one of 15 to do so. What does this format bring out in you?
MEGAN KHANG: That's super cool to hear that, but playing in this format, it definitely brings out a little more enthusiasm getting the crowd involved and kind of just playing for more than just yourself than you would be typically every other week.
Whenever you get a chance to represent the red, white, and blue in your country, it's a huge honor that none of us take lightly. So kind of having that on your shoulders playing for yourself, your teammates, your captains, your assistant captains, the fans, and again just your country, it brings a little more meaning to us and you just fight a little more harder than you would typically.
THE MODERATOR: I'll move on to you, Nelly. You've had six wins this season, an incredible start to 2024. What was it like to be the first person to clinch a spot on the team, and what does this event mean to you as a whole?
NELLY KORDA: This year has kind of been a crazy year, I feel like. Bradenton feels like a lifetime ago. Getting to clinch my spot on the team so early on in the season definitely means a lot. Getting to represent my country, I've been lucky enough and honored enough to do it a couple of times, and every single time, as Megan said, whenever you get to wear the red, white, and blue and stars and stripes, there's a different meaning to it.
You're playing not just for yourself, but for your captains, for your teammates and your country, and there's just nothing like it.
Q. Alison, you're making your return to the Solheim Cup stage. Just talk about how excited you were to hear you made the 2024 team this year.
ALISON LEE: Yeah, it means so much. I was really hoping on relying on a captain's pick last year and that didn't happen, so I did everything I could to make sure I got on the team on my own this year, and thankfully I did.
I was really fortunate to qualify for the Solheim in 2015 as a rookie, and it's been a roller coaster of a ride for me since then. I lost my card a couple times. I've had a couple good years.
But nine years later since my rookie year and playing on my first Solheim Cup team, to be back here and make it on the team means so much, and I'm really excited to play this week.
THE MODERATOR: Lastly, Paula, you're considered one of the best Solheim Cup players, making seven appearances. Just talk about how you think your past success in this competition will help the team this year.
PAULA CREAMER: Well, I think everybody on this team is just so excited to be here. It's a special week for everybody. Being here in our nation's capital, I think, is also just a constant reminder of what we're doing and why we're here and the colors that we wear.
It's pretty neat to watch these girls. Obviously I compete against them, but I love my spot where I'm at right now. I think it's great. I didn't miss a shot today. It was fun to watch them.
I truly believe these 12 girls can pull it together, and they are just excited to be here, which I think is -- from the past Solheim Cups that I have played in, when you see that and you're around that, it just motivates everybody.
Even when you are down, it brings you back up again, and you realize we're a team and we're not an individual sport this week.
Q. I know the three of you are obviously great friends off the golf course. What's the camaraderie like of the U.S. Team this year? Obviously last year it was a tie and there's some unfinished business floating around, but what are you all like in the team room this year? What's the camaraderie been like?
MEGAN KHANG: It's been pretty fun. Obviously this year we're not staying onsite, so the team bus rides have been immaculate vibes every time we've been -- whether it's been a 5-minute bus ride or a 40-minute bus ride to and from the course.
So just having that around, it's definitely something we -- it's definitely fun to be a part of. And even when we were home -- hotel, our team room there, we had a nice adventure around D.C. yesterday.
At the end of the night, we're still all kind of hanging out down in the team room. It's just overall a lot of fun. The caddies are a great bunch too, so it's really fun to see them have some ping pong competition in there. We have the cornhole outside of our cottage.
So the competition never fails, but at the end of the day, we know we're out there supporting each other.
Q. Alison, you obviously played really solid at the end of last season and carried that over into the first part of this year. To have that longevity, as you said, on the LPGA and to make it back nine years later, have you really processed this moment? What does it really mean to you to be able to battle your way back to a Solheim Cup position?
ALISON LEE: Yeah, it's kind of surreal. I feel like the time has gone by so quickly. I feel like it was just yesterday when it was my rookie year out here. Thankfully this year too, all my friends and family get to come watch, playing in the states.
Last time I played in this was in Germany, and I didn't have any family over there with me. So it does mean so much. It was a huge goal of mine to make the team this year, as it was last year. I was very heartbroken when Stacy gave me a call and had a conversation with me and told me I wasn't on the team.
Yeah, that really motivated me to have a really good year this year. I feel like I've been out here for so long. I don't know how many more years I have on Tour. So to be able to make this team means a lot.
Q. Nelly, for you, being the world No. 1, I think a lot of people on your team are looking up to you and looking to you as a leader. What does it mean to you to be thought of that way, and also playing for someone like Stacy, who's been in your shoes, who's been the top in the world?
NELLY KORDA: Yeah, to touch on Stacy, it's been so fun playing for her. She's really, really involved, and I feel like she's been such a great captain, a leader, so she's been great to lean on.
It's great to see how organized she is too, so our days are planned out to a T, so we have nothing to worry about other than our business on the golf course.
As Megan said, we have such a great group of girls and guys, so when we get into that team room, we're just relaxing. Our business is done for the day, and we're just going in, relaxing, and getting ready for the next day.
Obviously this is my fourth Solheim Cup, and it's Megan's fourth Solheim Cup. I don't know how many Lexi's been on. I think this is her sixth. So for the amount that I've played, I mean, there's definitely other people that we can look up to, but at the end of the day, I hope that we can all come together as a team and just lean on each other, other than someone else leaning on maybe me because I have more experience or I'm the No. 1 player in the world.
I just hope that we all come together and lean on each other.
Q. Nelly, in Scotland at the AIG Women's Open, I heard so many young fans cheering you on and you're such a role model to them. Does that inspire you and spur you on to go out and play even better golf?
NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I think that's the best part of this job, that we get to inspire the next generation. They come out, and they tell us we inspire them to pick up the game of golf. To me, that's just such an amazing feeling to see them come out and support, not just me, but everyone around.
Yeah, it definitely motivates me to be a better person as well.
Q. Paula, great to see you. The amphitheater that is the 1st tee, it's one of the greatest sporting moments there is and the feeling of walking out there; what advice are you giving to the girls this week and how they can control those feelings?
PAULA CREAMER: There's nothing like the 1st tee shot at Solheim, that's for sure. We only have two rookies on our team, so a lot of the girls know what that looks like and what it feels like.
That 1st tee, I feel like they did such an amazing job with that stadium effect. Everybody's nervous, that's for sure. No one's going to be not nervous standing there, and if they aren't, kudos to them because I don't know how that's even possible.
The good thing is that everybody talks amongst each other too. And everybody knows certain situations. That's why you have a partner, and you can rely on them as well. But take a hard practice swing, hit the fairway, and move on.
Q. Could I please ask each of you what you took from meeting Barack Obama at dinner last night?
MEGAN KHANG: Honestly, it was just super cool to have a past president kind of show up to team dinner. It's pretty incredible he took time out of his day to come meet all of us. I know he plays out of here, so just the appreciation for the time he gave up to come see us is incredible.
NELLY KORDA: To add to that, he knew all of our names too, and he congratulated all of us on all of our success as well.
ALISON LEE: I think it just shows how much golf brings people together. To see him there, and we see him on TV in the past, he was our former president, and to see him kind of connect with us and relate to us in a way, I think is really, really cool and something that only golf can bring.
Q. Alison, it almost feels like you're a rookie again since it's been so long since you were last on the team. What do you remember about that experience of being on the Solheim Cup in 2015?
ALISON LEE: I don't remember much. Paula was on the team with me. All the captains and assistant captains for us this year were on the team with me, so I do have a little bit of familiarity there, having them with me this week.
I remember being in Germany. I missed the opening gala because I had like food poisoning that week. I had no family there. I knew no one on the team. I just felt like such an outsider.
So to be able to play on the team now, being more familiar with all the girls and being really good friends with all of them, even though it's only my second time, I do feel like a veteran out here because I've been on Tour for so long and I've played alongside these girls for a long time. Definitely a very different experience.
Q. Nelly, you mentioned how crazy and long the year has been already. How does this experience this week impact you as a player and a person at this stage of the season?
NELLY KORDA: It's such a fun event. There's nothing like it. There's nothing like walking onto that 1st tee and feeling all those nerves. I think it's something super exciting too and refreshing to have a teammate, have teammates and captains and people to lean on when you normally don't.
Every experience that I've had -- obviously haven't been on the winning side, but every experience I've had in the Solheim Cups has been an amazing one, and I always strive to make the team.
Q. Paula, you've played with Lexi throughout the years. This is likely her final Solheim Cup as she's hoping to step away. What has Lexi meant to the U.S. side all these years and this season in particular?
PAULA CREAMER: Lexi has definitely changed women's golf. I actually got to play with her her rookie year at Solheim in Colorado. I believe that was her first one. To see how far she's come from there until now.
You can tell she's so happy right now. I think that making that decision earlier this year has definitely helped her enjoy these moments and enjoy being on a team right now. She has definitely made a huge impact on the game of golf for the juniors and everything.
She'll definitely be missed, but she'll always be there, that's for sure. I don't think she's going too far away from the game, just not out here.
Q. Nelly and Megan, could you compare RTJ to Finca Cortesin last year? How much more of your game will be testing here than out there?
NELLY KORDA: They're so different, these two golf courses.
MEGAN KHANG: It's a much easier walk this week.
NELLY KORDA: Yeah, it's a completely different grass too. I don't know, I feel like maybe there will be more birdies out here.
MEGAN KHANG: Definitely. I think the greens here have a little more undulations to them. As big as they are, they kind of have little pockets, I would call it, on the greens. Because if you're kind of on the wrong side of those pockets there are going to be some tough putts out there. So it looks like you're ball striking is really going to have to be on point.
I think the majority of the par-5s are reachable. We played the back nine today and I know the two on the back were.
Finca was obviously a very beautiful golf course, the scene and everything. But obviously being on home soil we're kind of biased, so hoping RTJ ends up in our favor this week. I know we'll have the fans on our side a little louder than we did over there.
Overall, both golf courses are amazing, and we're very happy to be here playing on these beautiful courses, but we're hoping we have a little more luck here.
Q. As you're kind of alluding to, both of you in your fourth Solheim; haven't seen a win yet. What's the pressure like this week to end that streak now?
NELLY KORDA: We got some unfinished business.
MEGAN KHANG: That's kind of been the motto of the team this year, unfinished business. Some people have asked me what one word would be to describe Team USA this year, and I'm just going to say "hungry" because Nelly and I obviously being on the same amount of Solheim Cups and not necessarily getting the job done last year kind of leaves not necessarily the best taste in your mouth.
Luckily we didn't have to wait two years. We have this year to kind of get back at it, and I can tell you now we're more hungry than ever.
Q. Nelly, this Washington D.C. region has been very kind to your family. Your father won the tennis tournament here 32 years ago. Your brother had a big breakthrough this summer at the tournament. Do you feel like you're due for a big win here in this region, and what brings out the best in the Korda family here?
NELLY KORDA: Definitely. We've had some luck in the D.C. region. Yeah, Seb finally had a breakthrough win. I was so nervous for him. I get more nervous watching him than anyone else. It was nice seeing him with all the work he's been putting in to succeed.
We have a great group of girls. We have a great group of guys. We have a great captain. We have really great assistant captains. Hopefully it all falls into place and we play some really good golf for the fans out here this week.
Q. Megan, for you, if I could ask you about another one of your teammates. Speaking of Lauren Coughlin, she said you two have become close over the years. What do you make of her rise out of the top 100 to 14th in the world now? What kind of asset can that resiliency be to Team USA?
MEGAN KHANG: Lauren and I spent Saturday at the AIG British Open in a coffee shop, and I was chitchatting with her. To see her, again, that never-give-up attitude, just pushing through -- obviously the week prior we played in the Scottish Open together. I was in awe.
I think after nine holes at the Scottish I was like -- I looked at my caddie, and I was like, she's going to win. She's walking in like 30-footers for par. Obviously at the time I was like, oh, man, but I'm very excited to see that this week.
To see her kind of rise to the occasion. Obviously we both won Canada as our first events. It's pretty dang cool. To win the Scottish right after essentially, it was super cool. She's so down to earth. Her and her husband are great people.
She has Terry Mack, longtime caddie, on the bag as well. He brings a lot of wisdom, and I'm sure he's going to give us a lot of knowledge out there to the team room as well.
I couldn't be happier for Lauren. Again, great golfer, even better person.
Q. Paula, for you, Solheim Cup obviously is a big deal no matter where it's contested, but to be here so close to D.C. and The Pentagon with the 9/11 anniversary coming up tomorrow, just how much does that raise the stakes for Team USA?
PAULA CREAMER: Yesterday was, I think, one of the coolest things we were able to do, go To the Pentagon, actually be looking at the Memorial there.
We were talking actually, Angela and I, like how crazy is it that we are here this week representing the United States. September 11th is tomorrow. We are here as a team.
That's what our country is all about, is wearing the red, white, and blue. Ang and I both were like, man, we're jealous. We want to be on that team and be playing. It's such a unique experience.
Playing in America is so different than playing overseas. It's just a whole nother -- it's two different worlds for us.
To be here this week is pretty awesome. I know tomorrow's going to be a tough day. It always is, just what has happened to our country. But at the same time, here we are as 12 girls that compete against each other every week, and now we're a team. I think that this week actually, it's all going to be meant to be for Team USA.
Q. You just came from an Olympics where there was equal representation between women and men, 50-50 split. The WNBA has obviously had a huge surge. The women's soccer league is doing really well. I wonder how you feel how women's golf has stepped into that moment. Paula, maybe you could address, over the course of your career, just what you've seen and the popularity of the women's game.
NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I'm lucky enough that I've gotten to experience what life on Tour is like since my sister's been out, and seeing inside the ropes and what purses were like since 2011. To see the growth in the game and not even just purses, but just interest from fans and other companies to invest in women's golf has been amazing.
I feel like we're trending in the right direction, and hopefully they continue to invest in the product because it is amazing. There's so many stories out here, and the personalities and the girls, they're such amazing people. Hopefully we continue to have people continue investing in the women's game.
PAULA CREAMER: It's hard to believe next year is going to be my 20th year on Tour. That's crazy for me to even say, like I am old.
But from my rookie year till now, it is, the girls, the product that we have, I think that we're getting more exposure. You see a lot more careers, the longevity of girls. They've been around a lot longer than what they were in the past. I think that's a huge part of it.
These purses just keep getting bigger and bigger, and that's what obviously we want. What we want in women's sports is to have that. To showcase the women, it's taken a long time, but I think we're getting there. We still need a little bit more push, but at the same time, it is night and day from when I first came out on Tour till it is now. That's for sure.
Q. Alison, you were just asked about your memories of Germany nine years ago, and obviously there was the incident which so happened to involve this year's European captain. I know there's a lot of water under the bridge since, but at the time, how difficult was that to deal with, and how often do you think about it?
ALISON LEE: I'm not going to lie, I don't think about it too often. It was a very long time ago. I would say in the moment it was tough. I was very intimidated at the time, like I said. I was a rookie on Tour. I didn't really know any of the girls on my team either. I wasn't really good friends with them.
I just felt like the newbie, young girl, who kind of made it on the team, and everyone thankfully just rallied behind me and were so warm and welcoming and did everything they could to support me.
Regardless of everything that happened, I feel like I was so lucky to have a great group of women around me who could support me and be there for me. I feel like I didn't know Paula at all going into Solheim Cup, and I think with everything that happened, everyone just rallied behind me, and it was just so nice to have a good group of women.
Q. All good between you and Suzann now?
ALISON LEE: I mean, I'm not going to lie, I haven't really talked to her at all since then.
Q. We were talking about the atmosphere on the 1st tee. What would be your walk-up song if you could have one? I know the music differences have differed on the team, as we saw here today.
ALISON LEE: That's so hard.
PAULA CREAMER: There's too many options.
ALISON LEE: There's so many options these days. It will be a game-time decision. Maybe All I Do is Win.
Q. Megan and Nelly, Lexi is the only member of this U.S. Team to make more Solheim Cup appearances than you two, and both of you have been on multiple teams with her. What has she meant to the team beyond what she's done on the golf course?
MEGAN KHANG: I think Lexi is just such a great role model not only for us, but for the young kids. You look at her, and she's so engaging with the volunteers, the fans.
NELLY KORDA: Sponsors.
MEGAN KHANG: Sponsors. She does the absolute most, and I think the Tour is going to lose a huge asset when she does retire. I joke with her, you're not really retiring.
I got to play with her the last few days, last week at the FM Championship. It's so good getting to play with her, and I really cherish those rounds with her because you see how she is. Even after a bad shot, she's still right there next to you.
I was lucky enough to play alternate shot with her last year in Solheim Cup, and we kind of went out there, she hit the first tee shot of the week, went out there, won the 1st hole, and never looked back. Going out there, just kind of looking at each other -- obviously our height difference is substantial. So her looking down at me and me looking up at her, it's a lot of fun out there.
Lexi definitely has a fun side to her, and I'm hoping we can bring that out more. That's exactly what this week does. It brings out everyone's personalities in the best way.
Q. For Alison, has there been any sentiment in the team room to win one for Lexi or make sure she goes out in a great way?
ALISON LEE: Yeah, I want to say, I think, out of this whole team, Lexi and I have been the only ones to have been on a winning team. So maybe --
NELLY KORDA: We won in Junior Solheim.
MEGAN KHANG: Yeah, we won our Junior Solheim Cup, okay?
ALISON LEE: Maybe that's what this team needed is Lexi and me, and hopefully we got some good mojo going into this weekend.
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