No Laying Up - Golf Podcast - NLU Podcast, Episode 740: Solheim Cup Preview with Sophie Walker

Episode Date: September 20, 2023

Randy and Cody are on location in Spain as we close in on the start of the 2023 Solheim Cup matches which begin on Friday morning. For our preview episode we bring in Sophie Walker - former LET player and current broadcaster for Sky Sports Golf - to preview our favorite holes at Finca Cortesin, the potential parings and matchups, plus our predictions for the final score, top point scorers for each side, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm going to be the right club today. Yes. That is better than most. I'm not in. That is better than most. Better than most. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back into the No Lang Up Golf podcast. My name is Randy. It is so nice to have you here. We are live and on location in the south of Spain joining me today to help us preview

this weekend. Soulheim Cup. I got a couple of guests. Let me start with the serge, Mr. Cody McBride. How are you doing today, Cody? Very good. Big thank you for having me here at your villa here on the south. What what's the are we by here? What is this? It starts with an A and an and a Lucia and the Lauren. That's where we're at though, right? And Lucía Spaniard. We're getting looks and hectic from our other game. Beautiful spot here. I think I'm supposed to say, uh, what, uh, what, uh, we got to brush up on my Spanish this week big, but happy to be here with you.

Wonderful. The guest that she's horrified. I feel like she doesn't quite know what she's walked into, but no, no, they're, then Sophie Walker. Sophie, welcome to the Nolang of podcast, welcome to Spain. Do you know what C that we're by? We are Mediterranean C and we are in Andalusia, the Costa del Sol in the south of Spain. I'm gonna let you off because you guys are a bit jet like. Well, no, I know it's the Mediterranean, but I swear I saw a sign for some sea that

started with an A. I don't know. The Al Boren sea. Al Boren sea. Of course, the Al Boren sea, you know, we have a big plan. So, you know, we're here a little bit early competition doesn't get started till Friday morning. We're recording this right now on Tuesday afternoon. We walked a little bit of the golf course this morning and the number one thing that Randy's excited for this entire trip is that he wants to board a ferry so we can go to Morocco. He really wants to get on the African continent

while we're here. I've never been. Yeah, I mean, you should, if you've got time in between all the golf, we've got the rock of Gibraltar which is just down the road as well. But yeah, on a good day, you can probably see Africa. So I think no, but both definitely. He's very excited about it. Randy, I mean, I think we probably should let people know exactly who the guest actually is,

but does she have some bonafides here? No, our guest Sophie Walker, former L.E.T. player, I believe still hold you still hold a card, don't you? Oh yeah, I mean, very small. Could you tee it up if you wanted to? Very small. But I mean, not this week, but on occasions, yeah, I'm still a member. I retired. I think at the end of 2017-18, but then with COVID, like you kept your card for a long time. Exactly. Korea money, maybe. Yeah. And now you're, you player turned broadcaster. You're here this week. You're going to be doing TV for the international feed.

We ran into you at the women's open. You were working for BBC Radio doing on course reporting kind of a jack of all trades. So yeah, it's nice to have you. And you'll have a busy week here, won't you? I will. Yeah, big fan of the podcast that you guys do. And most of my time you spend on the L.E.T., so I commentate most of it on that.

We've been to Switzerland recently, over to Ireland. So I've got a pretty good understanding of maybe some of the players that you won't know or not know too much about. And then I'll be moving over to some LPJ stuff at the end of the year. But, you know, so I'm for me, it's the one. When I was a kid, like, this is the 18th edition of the So I'm Cook. This is our lifetime, guys.

We're all around that same age. That's cool for me. And it was the thing that was on television. There wasn't a lot of women's golf on television. There was the women's British Open and the So I'm Cook. And the first one that I can really remember was Locked Leipman. That's really, I, yeah, of course, it's all occurred in our

lifetime. There's no history dating back to the 20s and 30s, like there is at the Ryder Cup. So yeah, we're back here for the 18th playing. The US holds a 10-7 advantage all time, though Europe, the pendulum has swung. Europe is coming off two straight victories, including in 2021 and Toledo, Ohio at Inverness. And they've won four of six. Is it weird thinking of Europe as a as a favorite? Do they deserve to be thought of as the favorite this week? Well, every single year we've been underdogs to the point that before that they were, they were saying maybe we should spread it out and get some other countries involved. Australia, Asia, do you want to come and help us out? I don't know if the Americans started feeling sorry for the Europeans or the Europeans thought, hang on a minute. I remember Annika

saying, you know, this is Europeans, we need to get our asses in gear and, you know, a catalyst to that change and the depth that now the European Gulf has, I think from playing on the LPGA tour especially. But yeah, I'm going to say it, the Europeans are favorites. Let's, let's holster that. I'm going to put a pin in there because we're going to do a ton of predictions, we're going to get into the teams. I want to talk about if it's if they really truly should be the favorites, all of that good stuff. Cody, before we do anything, I want to thank our sponsor today. That is our good friends at title. This episode is brought to you by title. The number one ball and golf and the overwhelming number one golf ball of both team USA and team Europe at the Soulheim Cup. 75% of the competitors here this week are playing a ProV1 or ProV1X golf ball.

That includes Liliavu, Lyonum Aguayar, Alison Corpus, Selena Boudier, Megan Kang, Ling Grant. We don't need to list all 18 here, but you get the picture. Lots, lots of ProV1s. Big and not only a lot of ProV1s, but you get the picture lots, lots of pro v ones big and not only a lot of pro v ones, but it could be interesting. You know, we got to figure out what ball we're actually going to play. You know, that's a big decision as we look at at all shot. If we're X, so you're a normal V. If you're crossing brands, you never know. That's what I love most about these team events. So if we how much how big of a deal is that in an all

shot format, if you and your partner played different golf balls, how do you reconcile that? Do you know what? I think until technology came along and Trackman came out, no, not in the idea. It was like, you know, play with whatever golf thought you want. But now recently, especially with what happened at the Ryde Cup in Paris, that well-documented statements about the different golf balls. But I think it's a great thing that what 18 players

are playing a tight list golf ball. And it would be Charlie Hall maybe that it's like, well, what happens there? Nelly might be going, I have to play a tight list ball, you never know. That's right. But I think it gets to the point where players just do whatever. You know, it's like, give me the ball

and I'll give it a go and we'll see that most of the balls are so similar these days in what they play. And if you are certain, like a Proviwon X in as a player and you probably fit into another ball in a similar way, and I think with the captains, there'll be, there was a time where you'd maybe separate the long hitters and you put them with a short hit. So I just don't see the case now in four seasons. I think they're trying to go a little bit more like for likes or the chance that the golf ball will be the same if not similar.

Well, it'll certainly be something to keep an eye on. And Cody, I don't have to tell you, on the game's biggest stages, more of the best players in the world choose the performance and consistency of title as golf balls. So for all those folks listening, head over to titleist.com and see which pro v1 model is right for you. That's titleist.com. Thank them very much for being a supporter of what we're doing and especially this week here in Spain. So if you this is my first time to Spain, so not only have I never been on the African continent

just across the the straight edge of Barolta, I've never said it's foot in Spain. I hate to my eye, it kind of reminds me of like, I don't know, Scottsdale Southern California with the mountains kind of desert meets the water. Cody, you said what, Cabo Light, the reminder you of, does any of that ring a bell for you? What I like about down here is, you know, you look left and there are mountains,

you look right and then there's water with with Spain, the people are so welcoming. The food is amazing. If you're into your hands, like get yourself down to the ports, the seafood, the paella, the sea esters, I had a sea ester today, I'd very much encourage that. But if you like to eat early, don't come to Spain, like nothing gets going. So 9pm. Yeah, okay, so 9pm. Like we're doing this podcast now.

Go to dinner and it's almost quarter to seven. We should be eating dinner tonight, go at like nine to ten. Yeah. Okay, because you know the last time we saw you when we were in London, if we tried to go out for dinner that late, everything would be closed. Exactly. It's totally different here. The three bodies just so much more laid back because it's so hot in the afternoon as well. That's where they take their C.S.s.s. But in terms of golf courses, there is one everywhere you look at down this costadel. So this is a place where a lot of the European tourists

come to play their golf. Maybe not so much in September and August, because it's very, very hot, but it's definitely as it cools down, this is the place to be and the place to holiday in the summer with your family. It's only a couple of hours from most parts of Europe. And it's where a lot of us did use to come as children.

So we were wondering on the way out here. You mentioned, basically, everywhere you turn, you see a golf course. And we didn't know if all of this is new development, old development, it kind of blends in and out. And it's a real cool spot. I said, Cabo, just because I think, what you said on Southern California, that's just that coast extended. So Cabo would make sense there. It is a beautiful mixture of desert when it meets the sea. And what I was so blown up, you know, blew my mind when we actually got out there is that everybody told us how difficult the walk was going to be at this course this week. And it truly it was shocking to me because I was not expecting still how extreme it actually is.

Exactly. As a Brit, we don't cut. Never cut. You come here and there is no other option except for this week. The bigger golf courses, the resort golf courses, the newer ones down in Spain are being built where not close to the coast, they're up more in the canyons and the hills, and there's some beautiful views. But in terms of the walks, you wouldn't walk. You know, the likes of La Reserva, La Carla, think of Cortezane, you would always get a golf car.

But this week is the exception. Yeah. We ran into a friend of all of ours, but Ollie bread out there who's not carrying a bag this week. It's just jokingly. The rare. He was happy because his boss Mike, we were giving the week off from carrying on champions tours, so he could be out here with Emily.

And he was so happy that number one, he doesn't have to carry a bag this week. But number two, he was being show for it out there. So many was driving him around on a cart. Oh, my mind. Well, the olie bread, I have a story about olie bread. So my mom came to the, we have the racer, custard, L. Soll and my mom came last year and she's not much of a golfer. And I said, just stay outside the ropes. Nothing can go wrong. Next thing, you know, I get a selfie with her and Ollie Brett in the middle of a fairway. And he's like, I've got your mom. We're all good. And but now my mom's favorite golfer is Emily

Pederson. And she will, she's here this week. And she's going to be following Emily. Yeah. Good. Good to hear. Holly, for anybody listening, Ollie, of course, was former caddy. You mentioned he caddies now from Mike. We were on the champion's tour. This time, two years ago, was cadding for Danielle Kang. And if you guys remember, Danielle played Emily and Sunday singles, Toledo, quite a little predicament there for our guy, Ollie. But he handled it with grace and class, like he always does.

Code man, what other first impressions you wanna share with the people, the area, the course. Our accommodations are great here. We're at like a neighboring golf resort villa area called Ona Valley Romano. I'm sure I'm mispronounce, I'm gonna mispronounce a lot this week, but very nice accommodations. For your four pools here, I so if you don't know if you got into one

today during your little siesta or not, but I got eyes on one of them for sure. It's cold rest of this week. And it's sea water. I bet you're not used to that. I'm not used to that, but I'm glad it's cold because with it being so hot out, it's a great refreshing mixture of hot and cold, so that's very good. All right. Well, shall we say this a little bit on the golf course before we get there? I think we talked about very angelating. If people remember it, I remember watching clips of this because they posted the Volvo World Matchplay here

on three different occasions. Rare courses week on European soil that it is Bermuda grass. And I think for a lot of people who, unless they travel and play golf primarily in the Southeast United States are not really used to playing, on Bermuda that's gonna be huge this week.

I think when we start talking about players who this sets up for and specifically all those little short chips, pitches, things like that. Because as we all know, chipping, pitching and Bermuda grass is very difficult. But this golf course, I won't want to shout out one thing is that we talk a lot about new golf courses and trying to be environmentally friendly and what are golf courses and trying to be environmentally friendly and what are golf courses and what's, you know, all this water that's needed to go into keeping things green and you're going to see this golf course pop on TV when they're watching the world

feed that it's so fees on, it's going to look magnificent. But this, you know, Fika Corcus in doing my research, it's crazy because it utilizes 100% regenerated water. There is not an ounce of fresh water, a potable water that goes into this. It's what they're doing here is truly like leading the way for other places in the world. And I think that's one thing that should be shouted out and praised on their parts. But it's a great spot. It's a difficult golf course. Fairways are a lot wider than I thought we're going to be, butrised on their parts. But it's a great spot. It's difficult

off course. Fairways are a lot wider than I thought we're going to be, but excited to get it going. It's, it's Sophie. I'll tee you up here. To me, it's interesting that we come for a soul-hymed cup in Europe. And I think what people would maybe most associate would be a course in the British Isles and maybe even a links course. But it's almost like we've come all the way to Europe to play if you will in American style golf course. And I'm curious if you think that it's a little bit of a disservice to team Europe. I mean, I know they don't necessarily have a say in the destination per se, but it might not be like other trips to Europe in terms of the course, maybe lending a bit of an advantage.

No, I mean, I totally agree. The first thing I said when I came in here was make sure you remind me about the Bermuda because it's something that if you're from North Europe, you're just not used to playing on. I know Ling Gran has spent some time over the winter actually practicing down here at thinkaqordesayne, obviously, you know, she's going to be in the sol-I'm cup team, but she needed to teach herself how to chip off here. And when you've been born and you've grown up on it, you don't need to think about it, but when you haven't, you need to be more aware of it. I think for the average golfer, this feels tight off the tee stroking timidating because you have to hit over a lot of ravines. There are bushes as out of bounds,

but for these women, you know, that average, that the average LPGA player is hitting over 70% of fairways. So that's not really an issue, but there is plenty of ups and downs. The undulation is significant. The slopes on the greens are absolutely massive. And we're getting to a point now, which I can't believe I'm saying this, the Solimed Cup, it needs to be at a venue that can cope with so many thousand fans. I think the change that Glenn Eagles in 2019, it just lit something in the Soul I'm Cop. And we're going to get bigger and bigger. So we need these venues that can cope with the amount of people.

It will look amazing on television. It'll make you want to play it. You talk about signature holes as 18 of them out there. You had, if I may, I will plug. You did. I think it was last year in conjunction with your golf travel. You had a chance to play finger courtesan. What is that?

What, your golf travel? Yeah, what is, can you describe it with what your golf travel is? Your golf travel is a holiday company, a golf company in Britain. And this is where a lot of people just go to book all their golf trips, be it, you go to the masters or you just book an hour away. You just want to go away with your mates. It's just a place to go. So a lot of the British people that will be here this week will be on some form of package

with them. I didn't want to leave the witness here on a free ad for them, but I think Cody just given away. Neil is going to be very upset, but I hope that I hope you get some sort of residual back from this video. You can send them to clip, but when I saw that, it immediately reminded me of one of your friends, and that's Charlie Hall, because she has like,

obviously not this week, but usually on her staff page, she has some of the wildest ad deals I've ever seen in my life, usually that's some weird rental car company, a travel arrangement company, and when we saw this video that you did of this course last year, I was like,

oh, it sounds like a Charlie Hall company. She was sponsored by the network. That ain't going, yeah. Makes sense. But phenomenal watch, I think, for me, watching it and getting a sense of like, what this course actually is for people who are interested and want to do research prior to it actually being on TV. It's a great place to start.

And I think the only thing that's going to be different there is the starting holes. They change the starting holes on us. They did. I remember we played obviously all 18, 1 to 18. And when we finished, the clubhouse is beautiful and it looks out over the drive and range and the director of golf came over to talk to me and I knew him from when he worked in a Abu Dhabi golf club and I speak my mind, I go look, I'll be honest, that 18 is not a strong enough hole, I don't know where you'll fit people around it. It's a nothing hole and he goes, well, just to let you know that we are changing it. We're starting on the fourth hole.

So we'll be finishing on par five, you know, the last few holes that then you go, right, yeah, get it now. So that's what it's called how they can restructure stuff in order to suit match play. Right. Right. I think it's a phenomenal decision to that. Right. Right. I think it's a phenomenal decision too that we said that fourth hole that is going to be the first hole this week. It's an option. You have to make a choice right away. You know, when we play specifically like all Chaut and singles, it's a short par four that water down the left that makes you make a decision of, are you gonna attempt to go for this? Because I think we're looking at it today. It's only like a, you know, 339, 340 carry all the way to that edge, but you also have the very easy layup where if you put the ball ball out,

there are 160, 170 yards, it's a perfect angle into that green. But I think there's gonna be some big decisions there. There'll be a fun hole for for for ball too. Yeah. With, you know, have the first person put it out in the fairway perhaps and then let, you know, a bomber take aim at the green. I would play the 50 50 rule, you know, I don't think both have the mentality. You know, one's bound to find. It's's a hole that you go, I kind of wish this was like 14. Yeah. As a player to start on that. And then it would be how easily you get sucked in by the crowd, you know, cheering you on, the nerves, you know, that the bottom strike is quite popular and you're

a bit nervous. That means the car is not going to be quite as much. But hey, a lot of the time when you are nervous, you hit that leaky one right, and thankfully there is fairway down that right hand side. What other holes, Cody, Sophie, stick out to you? Sophie, I should ask, how did you play a year ago? I watched the video, but I'm forgetting, what would you tell it? Well, I didn't go for the reachable first as it was. Why did hit the pin with a nice little pitch shot? Bird in there.

So that the opening few hours, I played pretty well. There's a few par-fives in there. And I remember thinking, like, OK, this is a nice few holes for the longer here to really just eat your birdies. So that's what I would say kind of early on. And then towards the end, you start having some quite long pathfours. And what I remembered about this golf course is that, you know, there's a couple of pathfours that are miles up hill and you're like, am I ever going to get to

the green? And then when you get to the green, you know, if you're sure, it just rolls all the way back down to you So clubbing's gonna be pretty interesting round here, but I like 13 13s a lovely little path for With with a creek in front of it. That's pretty nice You're a you guys out of walk out there. What do you think the path 3 is a strong aren't they? Yeah, yeah very We've candidly Cody and I have only had a chance to walk the back nine thus far. So I'm a little bit blind on 17 and 12.

It was good. Yeah, it looks like you know, have good variety of different lengths of holes. What was that? It feels very Nicklessy in the greens. Yeah. Yeah. Big quadrant specific areas of each green. Trying to think of what was that big part for that we walked up there like, wow, that's yeah, I thought that was a part five with all the bunkers down the left. Yes. Outside. Let me see.

That is 15. So I think 15 and 16. So you've got two long thatfours back to back. And that's that could be you know, a huge advantage for the longer hirs coming in and you could kind of you can kind of wrap it up right there. And then 16, 17 and 18 walk us through for any matches that get get down to the end. 16 is a or four. Yeah, so 15 to dog leg from right to left. And I was a bunkers on the left hand side. So how far you buy off or determine how far you hit it,

then you get to the green and the green slopes massively from right to left. I mean, I think I think the guy Rory Blesin was playing with not Mac or I put it off the green. It was that fast. It's got a little bit embarrassing for him. And then there's another beautiful little dog leg from left to right. And they have these like nice cork trees that come into play. It's not tree line like Valderama, but they do have some some nice trees around. The par three, uh, 17th to come. I always like 17. There's a par three.

I know. Then I know what you guys think about that. And then 18 is a par five that goes down the hill. But you know, many of these matches I haven't been get to 18 16s. The popular hole isn't it that the match is normally finished on. Yeah. In Ryder Cup and Solo. Yeah, you're right. Identifying those tough, tough, you know, after that great little par four, that you mentioned earlier than two really big par fours. Big boys. Yeah.

Yeah. I think we're going to see, you know, good golf shots be rewarded here. We talked to Angelian earlier today. She was praising that she said these fairways are a lot wider and more wider than I thought they were going to be. We asked her specifically about the greens. She looks huge. A player that loves firm, fast greens.

And she said, yeah, they're fast. And specifically said there's so much undulation that there's just roles that come out of nowhere that if they made a mini faster, you just couldn't get balls to stop in some places. So it was nice to hear that from her. Somebody who definitely enjoys harder golf course. And when she is praising a course like that, it always gets me excited. Because you know, it's gonna be a great watch.

I'm curious, so because I loved the set up two years ago at Inverness in Toledo, which is a fantastic golf course. It's hard to screw that up. But it felt like it was truly playing like difficult, where PARA was a very, very good score on most of those holes out there. And Angel thought maybe more birdies,

even some eagle looks this week, is that your sense? I mean, do you think there'll be more opportunities for fireworks than perhaps what we saw until later. Not that there weren't fireworks, but just from birdies and eagles, I guess. I believe, believe so. There's a, you know, obviously we start with a reachable path or like that, rich will pathals and nonexistent in the remains.

Can never mind on the slow line. Cope and then, and then with the par fives. And you've got to look at the European captains, who's an unperson. A lot of captains, like the Courses de Suit, their style, as much as they want to look, obviously their players sometimes reflect them as well. She is, was the longer of most players on tour. She liked going for the par-fives,

making some birdies. And I think the reflection in the team that she picked and the way this golf course will be set up is, has got a lot to do with what Suzanne wants. She's very keen to get the Spanish crowd, the European crowd on side early on. And if you look at her big name players, they're big hits. I think the Europeans are, I'm going to say, do you reckon they're longer than the Americans as a 12? Yeah, I would say definitely. I mean, they have way more longer big ball players than the American team does. I would say that on the flip side of that, American, I think, brings a lot more consistency with their, their drives off the, off the tee there.

You are, that's such a great point identifying Suzanne's game and having this quarch match it. We know, we hear all the time on the Ryder Cup about how much control the captain, specifically the, you know, the home captain has and the course set up and everything else like that. I don't know, is that the same here for the LET? I mean, did they give them that much control

or do they leave it with, you know, whoever the host is? By thinking was, it's the LET as a body that is responsible for the setup. Or is it not so much Captain? Because I believe in Toledo as the LPGA that was setting up the golf course and the captains really don't Have a part in you know where the teas are or where they're putting the greens

Which I kind of like I like a Third party to kind of set up the golf course and let the two teams Compete on I'm not sure how much we need, you know, the captains, hey, let's have middle of the green flags or let's mow down the rough. Right. Let's set up a golf course and see who wins. Yeah, see what the best team themselves, you know, bring to the field of play. But I think we've got evidence with three match play championships being here that this

will be a good match play cause. We had that on the back of a rider cup at Glen Eagles and so on. It's great to come somewhere where you watermastily, you turn up and you go, yeah, there's going to be some double bogus, but there's going to be some birdies and Eagles as well. Let's get into some team talk. We're going to do some predictions. Before we do just for anybody listening, that's not up to speed. We mentioned this is going to be the 18th Soulheim Cup, the US leads 10, 7, all time.

Europe has flipped the tide, has one, two straight, and four out of six. All time, Team Europe leads five to three on the European continent or the GBNI, including. And just like the Ryder Cup, there's gonna be 28 points up for grabs across the three days, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Europe needs 14 to retain the Cup. Of course, Team USA needs 14 and a half to win the Cup. TV coverage, I will give these times in Eastern United States East Coast time. It's going to be 2 a.m. to 1 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.

That's going to be on Golf Channel, Amp, Peacock. And then Sunday singles is going to be 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. Eastern on Golf Channel. Great lead into our American football NFL on Sunday. So for most of the states, for those listening back in the states, some great opportunity for coffee golf, set your alarms early. Maybe if you got a tape, the early, early action, tape the early, early action, and then get caught up to speed for those last three, four hours. Yeah, but you know what, big? If people don't want to wake up that early, where can they get caught up on at the end of each day's play?

Oh, Cody's just lobbing them up for me. I'm going to Tomahawk this one. We are going to be doing live show podcasts at the end of each day. You can find us either through Twitter or join our YouTube live show. You can comment, ask us questions. So at the completion of play, probably 30 to 45 minutes after the last putt drops, I would say we're going to go live. And that will then be turned into a podcast and everybody's feed shortly thereafter.

So we'll be on site. We got the Schuster Brothers flying in for support. They get in Thursday, so they'll be four of us. Hopefully a lot of special guests. So if we might be hitting up your crew and maybe we'd love to have you back at some point as well. Last week, just to plug a couple more things, Wolfie, Michael Wolf did an office hours video

about the history of the Soulheim Cup. That's up on our YouTube channel. And we're going to have some written pieces, both from Kevin Van Volkenberg, as well as I think Jordan's going to write some this week. So check out our website, nolingup.com, for some good written content throughout the week as well. Code, man, let's get into team discussion. I'm going to make you the stand-in team USA captain.

I'm going to take the European side. So if you're going to tell us where both of us are wrong, or maybe where we make some good points. Code man, how do you feel about your final roster? I don't think I've talked to you since the captain's picks have been formalized by your compatriot, Miss Stacy Lewis. I have no issues with them. I think this team that we have here is the best possible team that Team USA could be rolling

out with. I don't think there's really anybody that has a case for, I should have made it. I got cheated out of a spot. I think it was more interesting, I think, for us, following it, like who is going to get into the one of the automatic picks like bouncing between final LED or excuse me LPGA to Rolex points list. Right. Because I think we all knew that like the 12 that we have is it's going to be the 12. I think the only person who kind of made the last month, month and a half a push was Ryan O'Toole. I started to get and you know go out there and

try to whip some boats for her before I quickly realized like this, this isn't going to happen. You know, the only way possible, which she had great form, I think in Northern Ireland, but really that Sunday just, she just didn't have it and she really needed to put a good round together, probably win that tournament if not take second and she just did not have it there. together probably win that tournament if not take second and she just did not have it there and really I think the 12 that we have here is is the best 12 that we possibly could put forward and I will say Probably stronger total than the European team has which is interesting and I agree with you

I think from Stacey Lewis's point of view it was a very she's not to catch a lot of flack for any of the captains picks, right? It's all kind of chalk. I believe the three and the 12 total that are here for Team USA are the most deserving over this window. Sophie, I think what was interesting was Suzanne Patterson's captains picks on the European side. And I say that because if you go purely by their world ranking, which I realize is not necessarily the best metric, you could make some cases for a Jody Ewer Chattah, for instance. You know, I think there was more surprise on the European side. And to me, that kind of leaves Captain Patterson more open to the second guessing, should Europe come up short?

I don't know if that was your perception. What do you make of her captains picks? I felt that Gemma, driver and Madeline Saxon, they were certs. And then the next two, Anna, Plyve, Trevino, who is a young Spanish player, who actually lives down here, is sponsored by thinker Cortezane, a Spanish player. You know, you think that would be great. There'd be two of them there. She was right in the mix for it.

Obviously, Jodie, you would shout off. The Caroline head wall one, I think, amongst players is the ones that they were like, I'm surprised, maybe Carol got a pick. But the more you delve into it, she played great at Crown. So I saw her the week after Crown, we had an event in America. And her face lit up, she was like, I loved being back there playing with Anna, the two youngsters, bit of fire in a belly. She actually won in Spain on the ladies European tour at the end of last year. And the thing is with Caroline, she gets picked a lot for Solon. She's not much of an automatic.

She's a pick. And she's always said, if I get picked, I need to be in form. I need to be in form. She performed very well in Scotland. And I think that kind of gave her the nod. Look, Suzanne Pettison is Scandinavian. There is six Scandinavians in this team. When it comes to that final pick, you just, you have to go with your guts on those last one or two if you're in between. She's obviously knows Caroline Headwall well.

Ironically, the idol of Lingrant and Maya Stark is headwall. You know, it's not Anakin because of the age, you know, and I watch Maya Stark and I've said it for years like she's a mini Caroline headwall, both Oklahoma State, both have that mentality. The thing that I'm slightly worried about with Caroline, since that pick, she's looked very frustrated on the golf course with herself. And you know when you get the pick and then the pressure comes and it's like, oh, I hope that that changes when she's here. Because I think Caroline arguably is our all on nothing player.

You talk about the steadiness in the American team. There are a couple of volatile ones in the European team and she would be one of them. The Emily Pederson one for me. I liked that. I think she's the glue between, I wouldn't say we've got two halves of a European team. I spoke about Scandinavian side and then we've got the Charlie Hulls, the Georgia Hulls, Emily is friends with both sides of them. So she'll bring them together very nicely. Put her with Charlie Hall. They've got an exceptional record together. They get on great. That's why I like Emily being there and also cost fit. So Caroline headwall for anybody listening that's not overly familiar. She's now 34 years old, has won seven times in her career on the L.E.T.

and was the 2011 L.E.T. player of the year. So, has had a long, very story career on the European side. This is her fifth soul-hime cup. And that's what I was going to say. She's tons of, as you mentioned, she's been a pick a lot, tons of soul-hime experience. And I think her and Emily are in that mold of Suzanne, of Suzanne Patterson. You know, they're both at least from afar. I don't know Caroline that well, but they just strike me as kind of no nonsense.

They're going to tell you what they think, how they feel, and they're probably great in the team room, I imagine, easy to get along with. So I like, I think captain's picks should be a reflection of the captain. And in this case, I think that's exactly what Suzanne Patterson did. And so I congratulate her on that. And I also know if Europe fails, it's going to be right for second guessing of some of these picks. I think people are just kind of, I would not be surprised. As soon as things happen to go wrong here a little bit, people are going to jump all over

Suzanne. She knows this. She has complete control of this team. She is very, very, you know, proud of not only the region of the world where she comes from, but also like wants to elevate the players that she knows are capable of this. I think Caroline, you know, you mentioned so if that there is a lot of pressure when it comes to picks and most of the time you see the players who are not going to make

it on points really grinding towards the very end and maybe they can't live up to that because they know they got to play really good in order to make that captain say, yeah, I'm going to use a pick on them. It's funny Caroline now we're seeing it kind of the opposite like you said where she got the pick and now she's grinding because she's like, man, I got to get my game. Like my game needs to show up. And it's not quite there yet, but it really needs to be there this week. So it's interesting to see that. You saw her out there just, you know, they played team Europe played 18 whole practice round today, which I thought is, this is a long week. I don't know of 18 whole practice round on the first day of practice is really the best route, but you play the practice round all 18 and then it was back grinding on the range

afterwards and not like a cool down rain session grinding. So it'll be interesting to see what they do tomorrow. I know there's a ton of media obligations in the afternoon, but I would not be surprised if you see a player like her out there again, trying to get as many holes in as possible just to try to find this rhythm that she's searching for. Yeah, Caroline has the, she gets hot like under the collar, but also with birdish sheet that her eye and play. It's like a laser. She just stands there, bang at it. And when

she just plays like that, it's amazing. But when she starts second guessing herself, when she starts backing off, that's when it gets worrying for her, and it gets worrying for us watching as well. She has to... I think if you put her with a noir, the calm, the sweet, it's certainly going to help her. But she is on the edge Caroline, that's where she plays her best golf. And this is where Suzanne is going to have to say to her, look, I picked you, I believe in you, just go and let yourself play. And that's

sometimes Caroline's problem. She can get in the flow both ways. Yeah. Yeah. That makes total sense. I think the other thing going for team Europe is, we're kind of talking about Caroline and Emily. I think you could make the case, the last two of the captains picks. It's a very deep roster. And I don't think, I, you know, Caroline's not gonna have to go out and play five matches. Emily's not gonna go out and play five matches. We're talking about maybe three matches for both, I would think. And so there is some,

I guess, I think it's a luxury for, well, I ask you guys, to me, you made the comment so fear earlier that Team USA perhaps better talent top to bottom. To me, it feels like though, and I don't know why. It just feels like Team Europe has more depth. But I just trust one through 12 more. And maybe that's because there are five rookies on Team USA

and we just don't know about some of them in big spots, but Listen, we're concerned about Danielle. Her golf club still are not here yet. That's a debacle on its its own and for people who are not tracking and if you do not have a Twitter account by chance, that's the only reason why you would know because have a Twitter account by chance. That's the only reason why you would know because she's retweeted it and pushed it out. And I think everybody kind of is understanding the airline debacle. But she flew from Vegas to Amsterdam, Amsterdam down in her golf bag. Her golf travel bag was left. One of, I think her most prized possession, though, is her putter, which she does not travel in her golf travel bag. She has a special rifle like case that she travels with that. Interesting that that made the plane, but her travel bag did not. Well, I think that was a carry on. I don't

think you can carry on a case that's that really? Because I see a case arrived. Oh, so she did. There must just be a specific travel back thing. Yeah. Apparently Amsterdam's notorious for not putting golf clubs on connecting flights. So anyway, she bled out their bling practice round today did not have her clubs. Uh, uh, paying, of course, on site here hooked her up with a rental like set that the team from title list. I think they're coming down from London. They actually made a club exactly to her specs. They're flying down as we speak or supposed to be landing about our time right now, six p.m. But also the airline said that, hey, we've located your bag and they're trying

to get it here as soon as possible. So hopefully, all is right in the world for a player who is, you know, notoriously known for being very, very finicky and picky with her setup. We don't know where her games at. There's a lot of things going on. We don't know where her headspace is going to be at. Other person, Lexi, we have no clue where Lexi's going to be at. She has a game hasn't been great.

It's not been great, but I will say, she put in the reps when she needed to from the time that she knew that she was going to be an auto-call via Rolex points for this team. She didn't need to play in all those events that she ended up playing in and she did, she went back because she knew she needed more tournament reps. The reps just were not, it didn't work out. So I don't know if a week at home, she's posting daily pictures out there of her back grinding. I don't know if she found something who knows if being back in a team environment will spark something there. But I just, you don't know who's going to show up big and you're right.

Those are the first two that I think of the other person. Allison Corpus had an incredible summer has really really puted off as of late concerns there, keeping form wise. And you're right. Maybe, you know, I see where you're coming from with the depth of lining up players, one through 12. I just don't know really what players are going to show up here on the American side. I think looking at it, the players like Liliavu, like Alison Cobb who's Rose Ang, obviously Rose hasn't won a major, but for me, the American side are

looking for them to be their points leaders, but they're unknown, aren't they, in a soloimcook, whereas the Europeans have the people that they know they can rely on and then they've got a sprinkling of some new stuff. And that's maybe where the worry is for you guys is how will they do? But I think you've got to remember that they're winning majors, you know, and that, but obviously there's no soleim record there, but there is major pedigree there. I think Lillia is gonna be fantastic. I'm not worried at all about Lillia.

I be lying if I said I felt the same about Allison, just because she's had some struggles the last month or so, some miscuts, I'm not quite sure if she's as sharp as she was in July when in the US open. as sharp as she was in July when in the US open. I, Andrea Lee, I don't know, you know, true rookie. We'll see same with Cheyenne Knight, true rookie. We'll see the good thing with Andrew, though, formalized, very positive for putting herself in attention.

You know, like I think Andrew is in a lot better spot than the rest. Cheyenne, you're right. Who knows what the rest of this rookie class is going to actually look like points wise there because, you know, I know we're going to get to the question of who's going to make all these points, you know, 28 points that are available. But who, where are these going to come from on the US side? Well, and that's what I was getting to is you start looking at some career records and

you have a Megan Kang who's only one, one match in two previous Soulheim cups. Allie Ewing has won two matches and two prior Soulheim cups. So I, and not saying that either of them or anybody that we said can't have a big week, I guess that's where my feeling of team Europe to me feels like just has more depth, more, I guess more, more women that I trust to go out and get points at this point in time. I think our on team Europe than on team USA for me. So it's going to be fascinating. I, you know, I-

You're gonna win then, yeah? Well, we've talked about European a favorite, is that more so, because maybe it's not on pure talent, but certainly the last two cups they've won and a history of success on European soil, I don't know. I think the Europeans have managed to raise their game going into solheim cups.

So they might not have been winning majors, but they take it to another level at a solheim cup. Then you look at the likes and the leek order. It cost pretty good considering she's been on two losing teams. The Americans need a Lexi and a Nelly to perform really well. I look at the European team and I don't need one person to perform. There isn't a natural leader, other than our captain. Sorry, the European captain, I can't say hour all the time.

There isn't that natural top dog as such in that 12. So there's no pressure on like a melee that you've got to go and you've got to play all four or five games and you've got to win that point because it seems that every time a soul I'm cup comes, we have a Caroline head will go five and a we had a Leon and McGuire go four and a half. It could be any of them. Matilda Castron two years ago was kind of out of nowhere. And I believe got three and a half points.

It's yeah. If I look at the American side, it's I think Lillia has to play five matches. Nelly has to play five matches. And there's just as you said. So if nobody on the European team, I'm not sure if anybody's going to play five matches on the European side, just because I think some of the pairings and the way things work out, it could be everybody's going to get a rest before Sunday. True, but I also look at the American team and I see them becoming more of a team. Now, you know, Megan and Nelly, really good friends, the way the Alison's like talks about

being around everybody and Angel, you know, great kid, no, Angel for a very long time. So I think that they're less of needing that Nelly and Lexi to do well, more maybe we're saying that. They're just in a little transition at the moment. And I do think they'll come together better as a team because the players know that they need to. Coach, man, how is it? Let me put you on the spot.

If we're going for sums in the morning, four ball in the afternoon, talk me through some of your potential team USA pairings for Friday morning. Yeah, I think I'd probably start with Nelly. You're going to be the anchor of this American team. I think Nelly, in the past has paired very, very well with her sister. They've been known to just completely destroy people. I think this is the first team in a while

where Jess is not a part of this team, but Sylvia mentioned earlier her relationship with Megan. We've heard other rumblings of a potential relationship with Cheyenne. So it'll be very, very interesting, but I think Nelly and continuing to talk about who actually the leader of this team is and seeing her step up, but I think her perfect partner there would obviously be Megan, not only based off the relationship, but game,

everything else like that. That's where I would start with. My biggest question here, and I think it's somebody who everybody wants to partner with, but who is actually going to partner with Rose Zhang. Plenty of options because she matches pretty much everybody's game. She is not a short hitter by any means, but she hits the ball far enough. She hits fairways. She's an incredible ballstrike, or the only real blemish there I think you're going to

find is occasionally her putting in how specifically leg putting needs to be dialed in at times. But I think when you look at there, like another one of these, just because we have these five rookies on the team, would you put her with a veteran? Somebody who you have such lofty expectations and you need her to be a big point score for the team. Who would it be big? I didn't really prep the US side, but off the top of my head, you know, Rose, just everything you always hear about roses. She's wise beyond her years.

She's, you know, she's got this natural ability to not get overcome by the moment. So I don't, while she is a rookie, I almost don't think she needs to be paired with a veteran, if that makes sense. So I, you know, I don't know if a team Stanford play is in the mix this week, but you're talking about two people that are just super, super steady super, super steady in an all-shot format. Could you just kind of fairways and greens a team you're upside to death would be where my mind goes. So if you don't know if that's, if you're putting together some for some pairings

for the US, where does your mind naturally go to? Yeah, the Rose one I thought that's is Andrea Lee. Is she? And then she has played with Alison Coppuz in the Curtis Cup, but that was forb all like those type of they look quite like minded, both, both, um, Andrea Lee and Alison towards Rose. So they would be, be my two that I would look to go with her.

Alison's a great one too. I just think the personalities between those three kind of mesh really well. And I think more so in all shot, for some, I think there's something to be said about kind of putting people together that not only their games kind of match, but with that, their personalities match. I'm a little bit of a believer in that. I will say whatever these pairings actually are going to end up shaking out to be, which we'll talk about this on Thursday, post the pairings party party that morning for some session cannot go any worse than it did in Toledo. They ended that morning. American only getting a half a point to your three and a half points. It was terrible. It the only, you know, alley and Danielle were the only

glimmer of hope there with their half point from their half match. That three and a half to a half point two years ago in ForSums, like that's been par for the core. I mean, what is it about Europeans just kicking America? We've won with the last seven years. We win the ForSums. I mean, that's just the way it is. We've got 31 and a half points to America's 24 and a half and very keen when when it's in Europe to get four sums out first,

they feel it's a strength of theirs. I know we go back to it constantly, junior golf and amateur golf. The European team championships are some of the best weeks of our lives. Like honestly, that's how I know Colot is a gander from when we were 13 or 14, playing in those matches. The Swedish team,

the Mayas Stark and Lynn Grant, they're undefeated playing for Sweden together, they've won gold medals, it's just the breeding ground that we feel so natural at playing for ourselves. And there's also that belief that the Europeans think we're good at it and the Americans don't, because we also talk about it and you go there thinking, oh, where four ballers? And you've got to start changing it round a bit because it is just golf. And I do think if there's ever a chance for Team USA to flip some narratives, what a great opportunity this year with five rookies. It's a little bit of a changing of the guard in some senses. I don't

know if this will be the last so-hime for Lexi, maybe Danielle, but you know two stalwarts of American so-hime cup teams. And it feels like now it's going to be the lilies, the nellies, the roses. It's their time. And man, if they could come out and make a statement this year in Forbes and ForSums, that would go a long way. Cody, I was going to ask, is there anybody you would, like, you're looking to hide on the week. I know we've said how horror Lexi's form has been overall in 2023. I gotta think those stasis gonna get everybody out between the morning and afternoon on Friday. Do you think somebody sits the whole day?

No, I think Lexi's gonna get a look for a session on Friday, but if she'd answer your question, if there was one person that I would hide, it would be her. I just don't think that she's going to end up playing three matches. So she'll get a match in on Friday, one on Saturday, and obviously singles, because this one of those things with Lexi is like, you want to hide her, but you always know that like she's everybody's only one round away. There is something in there. There is something in there.

One spark away. She's been the leader of this team and played for for so long, you know, her record does not her record does not reflect, I think, really what Lexi Thompson has not only done for American golf, but overall golf. And you don't sit somebody like that who qualified on points. And what does it say if you do Yeah, sit her If you sit her on Friday if I'm your up. I'm like

Sweet, yeah, they're not believing in the Lexi Thompson and this is the player that went out against Anna Norquist And one of the best matches that's ever happened. She's the leader of that solo line for the last few years. You have to give her a chance. You know, she's just so talented that is a player that can switch it on. You know, if it doesn't happen then, for an apply, I don't think you can sit up before seeing how she goes. I think that's right.

On any other American, or should we turn it quickly to some European pairings, Cody? No, we can go. Again, I think there's so many rookies. I think it's truly a toss. I would love to be flying the wall to see what Stacey is talking about with her captains.

I know just looking at the pairings, how they're playing the practice rounds and trying to feel out who's actually going with who we're kind of starting to get an okay sense with her. But I really, you know, we started off talking about the American team on Stacey taking complete control of this team and going away from the pod system that they've used in the past that famously the Ryder Cup in Presidents cups is used and everything like that,

and really setting them all down and saying, hey, we're, you know, we're playing as a group. And I think by doing that, it's gotten rid of a lot of these little clicks and micro-cultures that have kind of been around a lot of these American team rooms. And it's really cool to see. And I think a lot of that also goes to say with like having Angela and Morgan in the team room. And I don't really know what Natalie's involvement

has been so much in the team. But I know that Angela and Morgan specifically are people who are on later side of their playing careers, obviously not playing anymore, but also hold tight relationships with a lot of these younger players and are mentoring these younger professionals in college kids that are coming at right now. So I think it's a perfect kind of compliment to how Stacy is actually leading this team.

Yeah, yeah. I don't disagree with any of that. I know, I'm partly as like, God, I just, let's get to, well, Thursday evening to when we can get the actual pairings. But if we do turn our attention a little bit to team Europe, Sophie, who do you like in the, in the all shot in the ForSums format? Because that's what looking at team Europe, I was trying to, kind of decide who, of decide who best fit together because I believe, for instance, Carolyn Hedwell has a three in one career record in

ForSum. So I'm not sure if that's where you want her or if she fits better in a four ball type setting. She's in to partner Nortquist, in my opinion. So that would be the natural for me. I think, although they're two rookies, I would definitely put Lingran and Maya Stark together. In all chat, in four sums. Yeah, I would. And they won't be too big for them.

It's not nothing's been too... Lin, I can't tell you how easy going Lingran is. Maya is a bit different. You know, she's a little bit like a puppy dog sometimes, but Lin will calm her down enough to play her on the edge. Lin is ice cold. I've not got enough good things to say about both of their go for unbelievable but in terms of her personality, I know you guys say all the time, stone cold killer. I've got to tell you, ice queen. I would, I'd have, like, I think they'll probably put Carla over to lead the way, but I would have them to lead in the way. I honestly think that that's a tone setter too. Yeah, because if you put those two as rookies and with their history and close relationship, if they go out and get a big win on Friday morning,

I mean, that's a grouping. Then you can ride all through Saturday afternoon, I would think. I mean, they're so good. They're, they're, they are made. That partnership is made for this, for this environment, for this stage. Man, it would be really, really bad if they went out. I know. Yeah. Then it's like, well, what happens if they went out. And lost it. I know. Yeah. Then it's like, well, what happens if they lose? Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. The interesting one is like the bootie age, Georgia Hall, isn't it? So in bootie, you thought, oh, they're nailed on. And then Katrina Matthew put them one game last time and they half and then separated them up. They're, I think, in terms of four sums that they've got to play. And Charlie Halls are funny one for me, because she has a different part. They're like, every soul I'm, it just doesn't matter to her.

It doesn't. She's the kid that's like, I'll just play with anybody. It's like, the Emily Pederson one, kind of works out nicely there. That's where I'd be leaning to. I think we have 10 very good ForSums players there. I think we have 10 very good for some players there. I'm saying Caroline headwalls a bit hit a miss. I might even put her in, but I think our lot can all play for some,

but I think we've got to go big. We've got to pick arguably our best eight players for the for some. I just go at it hard early on. Who would you, I was thinking Carlotta and... I don't know, a club play. Well, I was thinking Leona McGuire, just because I'm thinking personality-wise, they both seem very intense. I don't know, they both of them me as, and Carlotta, of course, is going to be feeling extra emotions playing here in Spain. But they strike me as a kind of a like-minded tandem.

I don't know who Carlotta will be paired with. That's the way I think there'll be loads of Irish down here to support Leona. So, if it's Leona and Carlotta together, that's going to carry a big crowd. Kalota is another one that has never really had a fixed kind of forcements partner. I guess the better question too is if you do line them up one through eight and we're saying head walls going in for sums, who are the four you would leave out because to me it would probably be Madeline Sackstrom, Emily Peterson, probably Gemma Drybera just because she's a rookie and I'm you know tough to put her out in the morning in all shot. But then after that that's where it gets a little

tricky for me. I think so. But that's what players do. I just think isn't that great position to be in where you're thinking, who am I going to not play? It's also going to be interesting how this week folds out with a playing vice captain as well. You know, it'll see obviously, I think, on is, is 100% here as a player, but like, I wonder what her additional duties for this week also are going to be. And is that going to change as she will play more morning sessions versus afternoon sessions because she needs help, you know, Suzanne help needs help

preparing for the other day. Yeah, I can't see Ana playing football and I would see her going out pretty early and singles. When you talk about my question here and you coming from the L.E.T. perspective, is that like, Suzanne has an awesome team. She put her neck out there with these captains, picks that she has. We all know Laura Davies, the name, her history, her lineage, everything she has gone with European golf as a whole. Male or female. Anna playing vice captain, understand that and everything. Who is Caroline Martin's? Martin's.

Martin's. Yeah. I'm literally outside of me doing a little bit of research. How is she a vice captain? So Caroline is Norwegian. She's a good friend of Suzanne Petterson and used to play on the ladies' European tour. And when it, look, I've known her, she's a pan-tour with me. And when it first came out, I was like,

scratch in my head a little bit. But now the more I look at it is Suzanne. And she says this all the time that she's not scary anymore. She's scary, right? And we were all scared of Suzanne and that's what made us so good. It's like, you know, I'm going to kill you all that. Yeah, major intimidation factor. 100%. Right. And that's what everybody on that team thinks of Suzanne like that. She's, I mean, she's so cruising out like, she's great, love her to bits now, but I think she needed, sorry for me saying this Caroline, a fluffy, a little fluffy, you say good car, bad car, yeah, and Caroline is that she's so nice,

so smiley, she's the first one in for the hug, it's not an awkward hug, and she is that one. And imagine, like, I reckon I could tell Caroline, hey, can you get me a banana? I'm not saying that to Laura, I'm not saying it to Anna, and I definitely ain't saying it to Susan. She's going to be the like, of course I can. Everybody needs a team mum. Would you like me to peel the beer banana for you? Yeah. Team mom. She isn't mom. And I'll say that we're kind of joking here, but that's a very important role to play. I really believe that that's an important person to have around the team.

Exactly. They're friends off the course here in suitzan. So when they've been going out, they went to America for maybe four weeks to go and do some research on the players. You don't want to be out there by yourself and there was a pair. You don't think the day is a good travel partner? Well, she wasn't going. Well, of course, but you know, when I think of Burr a very... Oh, yeah, I mean, a very...

...and you never know what's going to happen around her. What, Laura? Yeah. No. You never know what's going to happen around her. What, Laura? Yeah. No. Well, that's coming from somebody who's only met her once, doesn't look really like obviously from her playing career, but she doesn't seem like this teddy bear that you would have a good travel companion with.

I don't understand the quick, but Laura didn't go out to all the LPGA events. I know that, but I'm saying if the invitation was offered from Suzanne to Laura, do you think she would make it good? I'm trying to figure out what all these vice captains roll within the team rooms actually going to be. Laura is as much as Laura Davis is, you know, the star of the European golf, women's golf. She is a team player, a huge team player and will just be in there done that, you know, she gets on great with Charlie, you've never put them to as friends, wouldn't you? But they get on great together. Suzanne needs somebody that she knows well from

the team environment that has been to every single soul home cut, Laura Davis has been a part of. You'd be ridiculous to not have her part of it. Which is, it's so impressive just every single, every single, that's so impressive. Yeah, there's no way you don't ask her. And she says no to be advice, you know, that's fine. But that, that, that was quite a significant role when Katrina Matthew wanted to pick Suzanne. Laura was there to back her and say, yeah, you know, I've played against Suzanne at the peak of her powers. She is a player that could turn it on

when needed. And that is a reason why she was obviously in the Glen Eagles team as well, because Laura Bacter and I think Suzanne wants people that she knows in her corner that she trusts and they're the four. We're talking about Suzanne's attitude and disposition. What a what a delicious matchup against Stacy Lewis. I put them out. Right.

If there's a tie, if it ends it ends up 14, I think they play an 18 whole playoff. But that's what both captains demand from their players. They're excellence. They're will to win, which is why all 12 will go to the very end. I know you say like, of course, they will, but the captain will, that team will be lived through what that captain is. And both Stacy and Susanna, the two ultimate competitors. Do you think we get any controversy this week? Do you think there's gonna be any?

Oh, yeah. Oh, God, I hope so. Yeah, it's always Susanna, isn't it? She's always thinking around it. Yeah, I, yes, absolutely. I don't know what it will be, but I got I hope there's something. I just hope it doesn't have anything else to do with airlines. I would love it. Everybody to have everything they need and to get to Friday morning, everybody prepared, able to play their course with their own gear and kick it off. But, you know, I think, uh, I think I think this combination of Lingrant and Maya are gonna rub some people the wrong way.

I think they're gonna go out there and they're gonna they're gonna rip people's throats out and they're going to be loud and boystrus and it is going to just get underneath the American teams nerves. And that's coming from a very proud team USA supporter, but I think that's what's going to happen here. I love it. I hope I listen. We can be friends starting Monday. I hope we get some genuine, but I won't say hatred, but I want to see that competitiveness. I think that's what makes these at the end of the day, this is an exhibition

golf match, right? But when there's that intensity, and when you can sense that, like, hey, they want to kick their ass, and they want to kick their ass and they want to kick their ass. It's like, yeah, let's, let's do this. Let's watch some golf. I hope Lynn and Maya are maybe rubbing people the wrong way. I listen, I think Lillia strikes me as somebody that is going to be super into this and looking to take scalps. Like that's, that's what I'm.

I would like to see a Lillia Charlie singles. You know after what happened at Wobble Heath, I would love to see that. Yeah, God, that would be sick. Should we do some predictions? That would be a dream singles match right there. Let's start with the big question. Who do you guys have a winning?

I was so positive towards Europe until like a couple of weeks ago and Megan Kang started winning. You got the American status that it says show some signs, but we're on Europe or on home soil. I keep saying we are there's no way I could ever not pick Europe, but I do think it's not going to be a walk over by any stretch in the imagination. I think it's going to be a tight, I think we're in for a very tight so-hung cup. At most like 15 to 13 whichever way, I think it's going to be those kind of deciding

two points there. I have been already to pick Europe. I, you know, the Maya Stark-Ling Grant, thinking of putting them out and writing the two rookies. That is exciting. There's just something nagging about me that's telling me Team USA is going to pull an upset. And I think between losing the last two and truly having an underdog mentality this time around, I think I've always thought it's more enjoyable to feel like an underdog, to play as an underdog. And I think too, you know, the lilies, the allocins, the rows, the new infusion of world class talent into Team USA. I think that's ultimately gonna be the difference maker. I have USA, I'll say 14 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 For it being overseas on European soil, golf course wise, this is an American golf course

with an American grass that the majority of the team that we have on team USA is used to either growing up, playing Bermuda grass or went to college and had tons of reps and now playing, you know, on- Or they've located to Florida. Exactly. Or they're in Florida now where that's all they're playing. Not saying that, obviously, the majority of the European team plays full time

on the LPGA tour, but you see that based off results and there's just something that is when you're used to practicing and playing on it as much as the Americans are, I think that that's going to be a huge advantage here, not just for the little chips and pitches, but specifically the grain on these greens. And when you start getting a little nervy here, it's no longer about just making firm strokes. If you're missing those spots based off the grain, it's just going to whip it right away. Yeah.

Do you have a pick for a top point score for the week? This is going to go totally against because obviously I want you to win. The fact that Nelly Coder won down the road at a place called La Reserva at Sotter Grande, which is a golf course, which is very similar. She would have walked onto Vincacore Tazane, looked at her, Kelly Jason and gone finally, you know, this is a golf course that I can really get my teeth into. I think Nelly will play a lot and I think she'll be the top point scorer. Cody, how a lot as in you think she'll get five looks for look for look. I think a lot

is anybody goes five because honestly, if it's not like Nelly or Lily of the I don't think anybody will go all five on on the US side or well, I don't think anybody on Europe's going to go all five. No, I know I've I got a feeling I have this thing like, when we go, they shouldn't play all five. I'm like, if they're your best player, like, playing all five, they can have next week off. You know, would I would I rather have a slightly tired, nelly coder or play against Andrea Lee? Like, I'd rather play against Andrea Lee than a tired, nelly coder if I'm, if I'm out there. Yeah, I'd say a top point scores will be from the European side. And I'd say that that's going to be the link, right?

I'll be four looks. So it would not be surprised me at all. She goes, wow, just something different. I like where your head was with that was at Sophia with a Nelly, but I'll take Lillia. I think Lillia is rested. She has not played and she was not in Cincinnati two weeks ago. So she's going to come in very rested.

I would look to her to play all five and that's kind of my guiding light for top point score. How about a top rookie? And this could be either side. Cody, I think you've, yeah. Well, let's say Lauren Gran, it's tough to have a different choice. I find it really hard to say Lingerant to rookie. I honestly do because of how much I think of her as a player. So I'm going to go Linger around. And I guess I'm having to say Liliaboo because I'm just thinking like, oh, yeah, of course, she's going to be top rookie. If I think she's top point score. And I will say this, I think as we wrap up this podcast, the Soul Hunt Cup preview, it's it's absolutely phenomenal that Rose is on this

team with a victory. And it's just like, when we think back to how long she's been a professional golfer for, she's been a professional golfer for the exact same amount of days that Ludwig has. And they both are getting ready to tee up in their first team competitions with victories under their belt after being professional golfers for a little over like 112 days. It's truly phenomenal stuff. And I think obviously I did not pick Rose's top point skater. But she's so good in team events. This is truly like to the world. And I don't, hopefully everybody has had the opportunity to see and watch Roseplay,

but this is going to be a different side of her where like this steady, no emotion, like absolute killer comes out and you're going to, it's going to be impressive. It's really cool to watch. When I said that I was very confident on Europe and then I switched, it was when Rose 10 Pro. Yeah, yeah. I mean, that makes total sense. I my only worry with Rose is it's just, it's been a whirlwind for 112 days, right?

And I just wonder if at some point she's just going to be tired. And it's the beauty of being young, I guess, 20, 20 years old. You don't quite get as tired, but I am. You don't get tired at all. She's also playing. I'm sorry, like the energy carriage you through. I don't think you get tired at so long. The other thing too is that like this is, I think this is a perfect event for Rose who we know, like, I don't know, and this doesn't need to turn into a completely like rose segment. But I think you would probably say that you would expect her to have better results in the events

that she's played up to this point. Outside of the win, obviously, great start, you know, top 10s at her first three events, but probably the, the, it seemed like she was the best buyer when we saw her in London. Yeah, seemed like she was, she just was hitting shots. You're like, Oh, God, that's not the Rose. I know at all. And it's been a little, you're exactly right, Cody. Since that point, it's been like, Oh, the results are fine. She's made some cuts, but nothing like great by any stretch.

I think this is a perfect event. We're fine. Somebody who, who pairs up well with her. It's not just rose out there being rose and having all this, I got a, I got a, you know, playing content. I understand that team events bring different pressures into it, but I also think like, man, you know what, made roses really, really good in college or teammates. Yeah. And I think this is just something that like, it's going to be very natural for her and a spark. It's going to light and like, she's going to be off to the races.

And as you said, she raises the level of everybody else. It's yields. Yeah. Well, it's going to be a long week. We're recording this on Tuesday. I think just like the golfers, we got to pace ourselves a little bit. You know, usually we're used to this getting kicked off Thursday morning, but we got to wait that extra day.

Parings will come Thursday evening. Cody mentioned, I think we're going to do a little, we'll get the Carter brothers in here and do some live reaction to the actual pairings come Thursday evening. And then, yeah, it's going to be three great days at golf. Sophia, you're going to be on the, uh, Sophie. He said, you know what? I would try that. Sophia, because that's like, is that a little bit spell it, your friend? I'm not having like a nice thing. It's wrong. I assume because I miss. Call me so everybody name. Okay, we're just going to go. So honestly, I, I confused myself in there.

That's why I've been calling myself the last couple of things. And I was like, if we just call everything enough, we'll just have it covered every which way. But yeah, good luck on the television this week. You're going to have a busy week, maybe the busiest walking to go. But thank you so much for joining us and we'll maybe we can steal a little of your time for one of these live shows. Yeah, let's see how much we got right and old

that we got wrong. Welcome to the show. I mean, there's always a lot wrong. Randy, before we get people out of here, a quick programming note to out of everything else you shared. This here, Nulling podcast is going to be our Tuesday podcast for this week, but I would invite and encourage everyone to please go check out our YouTube page Wednesday evening, a 9 p.m. Eastern premiere of a great story from executive producer DJ Piawski and Tron Carter, great production work by Matt Golden, focusing on a story by a close friend of ours, Jim Hartzel. Jim and Tron went over to Western Scotland earlier this year. We were able to document the entire thing, comes out to be about a 50, 55 minute, pretty much film that we put together titled When Revelation Comes, a matching the title of his book.

If you haven't picked out or seen his book anywhere by back nine press, please go look for it. But it's a very emotional story told by Jim. And for people who do not know, one of Jim's sons, Jordan, passed away a couple years back and he really was able to find fellowship and a sense of community and everything through golf. And specifically,

through a lot of the friends and colleagues that he's met in Western Scotland going back 20 years now from his trips there. But very, very excited for that. Please everybody go watch the video and we'll be back here on Thursday. Yeah. Well said, amen. They'll also be a podcast episode with Jim as a as a tack along, if you will, to the film. So thank you for mentioning that.

So thank you so much for your time. Code man, thank you for your time. And cheers everybody for listening. Jews. Give it a right club. Be the right club today. Yes. Be.

That is better than most. How about in? That is better than most. Better than most. Better than most.