ADA O'SULLIVAN INTERVIEW
ADA O’SULLIVAN’S POST-MATCH INTERVIEW
Interviewer: Craig Smith (USGA Press Officer)
CRAIG SMITH: Martina Gillen, Ada O'Sullivan, and Breanne Loucks. Ada, you fought back, you made a real good game of it this morning, what's the mood? Disappointed, obviously.
ADA O'SULLIVAN: Obviously, the mood is disappointed, is of disappointment. This morning we knew going out that we had to win at least two points and anything more than that was going to be a bonus. Obviously we were going out to win three. Two and a half was fantastic.
We didn't think it was impossible to win five out of six points this afternoon. But it seemed to change momentum. I was up around back of nine, 10, and in and around those holes where it was kind of swinging. Up until then we were looking good. It went to swinging towards USA after that.
You have to take your hat off to them. They outclassed us again this afternoon over the finishing holes. At the same time we knew going out if we could try and put some points on the board early, we were hoping for big wins early, we didn't come off with them. But they are to be complemented on a fantastic win. Martina played well as did Breanne. Three points out of three is great for your first Curtis Cup. But no, it just didn't happen for us this afternoon. As simple as that. At one stage it was looking good, but after that it just turned around.
CRAIG SMITH: Breanne, for you, when I saw you at the end, very mixed emotions. Obviously happy for yourself, 3 0 and yet tears for the team.
BREANNE LOUCKS: Yeah, we had such a good morning. We came out, we were coming out to win and get those three points on the board. And two and a half was great, as Ada said. And we really enjoyed it this morning. We were really up for it this afternoon. Martina won her match, which was fantastic, and still, until quite near the end we still looked like we could bring it back and still win. And yeah, mixed emotions there.
Q. I get to ask the tough one, I guess. Your team came back, played fantastically. But it still doesn't obscure the fact that GB&I is now the Americans are 25 6 3 in the series. Which a lot of people have suggested that perhaps they should go to a European team as opposed to just GB&I. Would that better serve the Curtis Cup, do you think?
ADA O'SULLIVAN: It's not one I've actually thought about it, being very honest. I don't think so. That's being very honest. I think one good move which I've heard yesterday is now it's going to be a three day event. I think that's going to be absolutely superb. I have tried for that for my last, after Formby. I feel it's very unfair to the players to come and expect them to reach your top form over two days. It's very difficult, if you don't reach play well yesterday it's very difficult to put you in today.
Plus the fact that hopefully four ball will go into it and I think it was singles, all eight played on the last afternoon or day, I think that would be fantastic. But, no, I mean I do believe that the quality is there in you're talking about in GB&I golf and actually to take on the Americans. And I'm sure when it comes to Saint Andrews in two year's time, with a three day event, you'll see a very much, either a GB&I win or obviously a very much closer affair.
Q. Obviously you don't have to make this decision next year, but I was curious as to why Kiran sat out both matches today since she was one of two points yesterday.
ADA O'SULLIVAN: Kiran would have been she won her singles match yesterday afternoon, but Kiran obviously had to try and get foursomes going. And Tricia and Kiran didn't jell yesterday. Kiran is obviously very talented as a golfer and very much an individual. And in foursomes this morning I believed that we actually needed people to actually rally one another. So hence you're talking about Claire Coughlan was left out and we brought in Breanne to play with Mel. And you're talking about Tara who played so well yesterday, with Tricia. And that was the reason. It was a very close call this afternoon whether she would go out or not. I'm not saying in favor of our players, there was three we just felt, because the players were so upbeat this morning that we felt, yeah, keep them out there. They were used to the conditions, plus the greens had got a lot quicker out there as well. So that's the decision. We took nothing to reflect on her, she's a great player. Just with the feeling of the day and the way the play had gone this morning.
Q. Did you see a difference in attitude a difference in what kind of difference did you see in your team today compared to yesterday?
ADA O'SULLIVAN: The main difference was that they were hitting through the ball. They weren't afraid, they weren't trying to steer the ball. They were attacking more. Our par 3s at our team meeting last night we agreed were critical. We were very poor at them yesterday. We played very well on them today. We needed to get to have to a good start. So we tried to par as many holes as we could at the start. And we had a lot of pars with a few birdies as well. So our start was far, far better. The team themselves I think their back was against the wall today, so they couldn't allow it, even though yesterday they were playing defensively, today they couldn't, they had to go for it.
CRAIG SMITH: Martina, when you were out there, you ended your match quite early, obviously to give the rest of your team a boost. Where did you go and what did you do and what was going through your mind? Who did you go to rally when you were done with your match?
MARTINA GILLEN: Well, Breanne was right behind me and I didn't realize she was 3 up playing 16. But Breanne, I stayed on to watch her come in. And that was great to see her finish. And I really thought we had a chance there. I didn't realize a couple of the matches were down. But, yeah, I watched Breanne and then Tricia came behind her and I followed her as much all the way in to 18.
CRAIG SMITH: How about just going it through your experience and then go over, Breanne, your experience here at Curtis Cup.
MARTINA GILLEN: My experience? It's definitely the best experience I ever had in golf. Our preparation and everything was second to none. And we gave, everybody gave it 120 percent. And it's just been fantastic. Disappointing that we lost. I thought we could do it, even though we were between a rock and a hard place today, I really thought we could do it at lunch time. And we were like well up for it and it just didn't come off.
BREANNE LOUCKS: Yeah, definitely been my best experience in golf and something that I have always wanted to achieve. I've enjoyed myself so much. Can't believe that I have had such a great weekend. And the last couple of weeks have been great. We have had great team spirit. I met new friends from the U. S. Team and on the great Britain team there too. And it's certainly something that I will never forget, definitely.
CRAIG SMITH: Did you learn something about yourself as well? Being so scrappy and winning?
MARTINA GILLEN: A fighter.
BREANNE LOUCKS: Yeah. Definitely. I believe more in myself now.
Q. Ada, was it all won and lost here or is this, as captain, is there something that you think you could have done differently in the preparation? Or how would you tell your successor to prepare in a different way?
ADA O'SULLIVAN: No, I believe I did everything that I believe that we needed to actually to win here. And any of our preparation, I wouldn't have changed anything that I had done. That's one thing you got to think about that I can go away with and be happy with. But, no, in relation to Mary McKenna who is coming in after me, I'll have long talks about what to do. But I don't think we could have prepared any better for here. Obviously the damage was done on the first day. As I said in yesterday's press interview, the big plus and the big difference was yesterday morning, losing three foursomes I think was a big downer for us. It was very hard to come back from that. I think a lot of damage had been done there. And when the Americans came here and had no wind I thought that it was a disadvantage and it proved to be a major advantage for them. So that's what caught us off yesterday morning.
Q. The team make up that you had, you talked about at the beginning of the week that if the conditions had been different that you may have changed one or two players. Do you think that you put too much into the conditions in making the selection?
ADA O'SULLIVAN: No, not necessarily, we were looking for players that could play links and had a very, very good short game. Everybody here had a good short game. Obviously if it was a parkland course we might have looked at it somewhat differently. People that might carry the ball further, things like that. But I can honestly say that anybody that was on the team had warranted their selection just by the various events that they had played in. But I wouldn't have changed, no.
.
Interviewer: Craig Smith (USGA Press Officer)
CRAIG SMITH: Martina Gillen, Ada O'Sullivan, and Breanne Loucks. Ada, you fought back, you made a real good game of it this morning, what's the mood? Disappointed, obviously.
ADA O'SULLIVAN: Obviously, the mood is disappointed, is of disappointment. This morning we knew going out that we had to win at least two points and anything more than that was going to be a bonus. Obviously we were going out to win three. Two and a half was fantastic.
We didn't think it was impossible to win five out of six points this afternoon. But it seemed to change momentum. I was up around back of nine, 10, and in and around those holes where it was kind of swinging. Up until then we were looking good. It went to swinging towards USA after that.
You have to take your hat off to them. They outclassed us again this afternoon over the finishing holes. At the same time we knew going out if we could try and put some points on the board early, we were hoping for big wins early, we didn't come off with them. But they are to be complemented on a fantastic win. Martina played well as did Breanne. Three points out of three is great for your first Curtis Cup. But no, it just didn't happen for us this afternoon. As simple as that. At one stage it was looking good, but after that it just turned around.
CRAIG SMITH: Breanne, for you, when I saw you at the end, very mixed emotions. Obviously happy for yourself, 3 0 and yet tears for the team.
BREANNE LOUCKS: Yeah, we had such a good morning. We came out, we were coming out to win and get those three points on the board. And two and a half was great, as Ada said. And we really enjoyed it this morning. We were really up for it this afternoon. Martina won her match, which was fantastic, and still, until quite near the end we still looked like we could bring it back and still win. And yeah, mixed emotions there.
Q. I get to ask the tough one, I guess. Your team came back, played fantastically. But it still doesn't obscure the fact that GB&I is now the Americans are 25 6 3 in the series. Which a lot of people have suggested that perhaps they should go to a European team as opposed to just GB&I. Would that better serve the Curtis Cup, do you think?
ADA O'SULLIVAN: It's not one I've actually thought about it, being very honest. I don't think so. That's being very honest. I think one good move which I've heard yesterday is now it's going to be a three day event. I think that's going to be absolutely superb. I have tried for that for my last, after Formby. I feel it's very unfair to the players to come and expect them to reach your top form over two days. It's very difficult, if you don't reach play well yesterday it's very difficult to put you in today.
Plus the fact that hopefully four ball will go into it and I think it was singles, all eight played on the last afternoon or day, I think that would be fantastic. But, no, I mean I do believe that the quality is there in you're talking about in GB&I golf and actually to take on the Americans. And I'm sure when it comes to Saint Andrews in two year's time, with a three day event, you'll see a very much, either a GB&I win or obviously a very much closer affair.
Q. Obviously you don't have to make this decision next year, but I was curious as to why Kiran sat out both matches today since she was one of two points yesterday.
ADA O'SULLIVAN: Kiran would have been she won her singles match yesterday afternoon, but Kiran obviously had to try and get foursomes going. And Tricia and Kiran didn't jell yesterday. Kiran is obviously very talented as a golfer and very much an individual. And in foursomes this morning I believed that we actually needed people to actually rally one another. So hence you're talking about Claire Coughlan was left out and we brought in Breanne to play with Mel. And you're talking about Tara who played so well yesterday, with Tricia. And that was the reason. It was a very close call this afternoon whether she would go out or not. I'm not saying in favor of our players, there was three we just felt, because the players were so upbeat this morning that we felt, yeah, keep them out there. They were used to the conditions, plus the greens had got a lot quicker out there as well. So that's the decision. We took nothing to reflect on her, she's a great player. Just with the feeling of the day and the way the play had gone this morning.
Q. Did you see a difference in attitude a difference in what kind of difference did you see in your team today compared to yesterday?
ADA O'SULLIVAN: The main difference was that they were hitting through the ball. They weren't afraid, they weren't trying to steer the ball. They were attacking more. Our par 3s at our team meeting last night we agreed were critical. We were very poor at them yesterday. We played very well on them today. We needed to get to have to a good start. So we tried to par as many holes as we could at the start. And we had a lot of pars with a few birdies as well. So our start was far, far better. The team themselves I think their back was against the wall today, so they couldn't allow it, even though yesterday they were playing defensively, today they couldn't, they had to go for it.
CRAIG SMITH: Martina, when you were out there, you ended your match quite early, obviously to give the rest of your team a boost. Where did you go and what did you do and what was going through your mind? Who did you go to rally when you were done with your match?
MARTINA GILLEN: Well, Breanne was right behind me and I didn't realize she was 3 up playing 16. But Breanne, I stayed on to watch her come in. And that was great to see her finish. And I really thought we had a chance there. I didn't realize a couple of the matches were down. But, yeah, I watched Breanne and then Tricia came behind her and I followed her as much all the way in to 18.
CRAIG SMITH: How about just going it through your experience and then go over, Breanne, your experience here at Curtis Cup.
MARTINA GILLEN: My experience? It's definitely the best experience I ever had in golf. Our preparation and everything was second to none. And we gave, everybody gave it 120 percent. And it's just been fantastic. Disappointing that we lost. I thought we could do it, even though we were between a rock and a hard place today, I really thought we could do it at lunch time. And we were like well up for it and it just didn't come off.
BREANNE LOUCKS: Yeah, definitely been my best experience in golf and something that I have always wanted to achieve. I've enjoyed myself so much. Can't believe that I have had such a great weekend. And the last couple of weeks have been great. We have had great team spirit. I met new friends from the U. S. Team and on the great Britain team there too. And it's certainly something that I will never forget, definitely.
CRAIG SMITH: Did you learn something about yourself as well? Being so scrappy and winning?
MARTINA GILLEN: A fighter.
BREANNE LOUCKS: Yeah. Definitely. I believe more in myself now.
Q. Ada, was it all won and lost here or is this, as captain, is there something that you think you could have done differently in the preparation? Or how would you tell your successor to prepare in a different way?
ADA O'SULLIVAN: No, I believe I did everything that I believe that we needed to actually to win here. And any of our preparation, I wouldn't have changed anything that I had done. That's one thing you got to think about that I can go away with and be happy with. But, no, in relation to Mary McKenna who is coming in after me, I'll have long talks about what to do. But I don't think we could have prepared any better for here. Obviously the damage was done on the first day. As I said in yesterday's press interview, the big plus and the big difference was yesterday morning, losing three foursomes I think was a big downer for us. It was very hard to come back from that. I think a lot of damage had been done there. And when the Americans came here and had no wind I thought that it was a disadvantage and it proved to be a major advantage for them. So that's what caught us off yesterday morning.
Q. The team make up that you had, you talked about at the beginning of the week that if the conditions had been different that you may have changed one or two players. Do you think that you put too much into the conditions in making the selection?
ADA O'SULLIVAN: No, not necessarily, we were looking for players that could play links and had a very, very good short game. Everybody here had a good short game. Obviously if it was a parkland course we might have looked at it somewhat differently. People that might carry the ball further, things like that. But I can honestly say that anybody that was on the team had warranted their selection just by the various events that they had played in. But I wouldn't have changed, no.
.
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