Carin Koch on captaincy in the run up to the Solheim Cup
We are now just five months away from the matches and you can feel that things are building up towards Germany.
We’ve had the year’s first Major where we had five of our 2013 team in the top 11 spots and I got to spend some time with the players. I watched a few holes but that’s not really the main interest right now, of course I’m following the scores and checking how everyone’s doing but all that will come the nearer we get.
I’m glad that the matches aren’t taking place any time soon as Suzann Pettersen, Azahara Munoz and Gwladys Nocera have all been injured but there is plenty of time to get well again.
Carin Koch: Why the approach to Germany will be in good spirits
Suzann is always key to our efforts and she played really well over the last three rounds at Mission Hills. All the Europeans got together for a meal early in the week and we had a great time, it was all very relaxed and the restaurant helped us put some European flags up. And, just for fun, they made us fortune cookies that we put our own messages in for the players.
Everything’s falling into place, and September seems to be coming around very quickly Obviously the Americans are desperate to win this time and Juli isn’t going to want to be the captain to lose three in a row. Other than a shared press conference we didn’t get too much of a chance to speak but I saw on Facebook that they went to meet George W Bush in Dallas so I think they’re doing a lot of stuff to make up the team spirit already.
Juli sees them every week, which makes it easier to get together with the players, and she’s out there playing as well so they will be as well prepared as ever.
Otherwise I made my debut on Chris Evans’ radio show, which I’ve since been told is a really big deal, and I had dinner with Paul McGinley who was the Ryder Cup captain last year.
Carin Koch on gearing up for the challenge in Germany
There are still a few things to do on a practical level, the clothes and hotel are all taken care of, but now we’re getting down to the preparations of the week, how we want to spend the evenings, what my messages are to the players and how I want to treat the week.
I’m going to Germany at the start of May to play the course so we can see how it is shaping up and that it will be a fair test for both sides. Everything’s falling into place, and September seems to be coming around very quickly. It’s been quite a busy month!
