Suzann Pettersen Exclusive

What were you biggest takeaways from Spain?

“I took quite a good time to debrief and analyse all aspects and angles from Spain. I wanted feedback, both good and bad, from everyone involved in the team. I soaked all of that in and tried to sort all that out. 2024 is now on the horizon and we’re back in it. I now have some experience, but you always want to do things better.

“I want to create the best team atmosphere. Which is much needed because we’re going to be facing some hungry Americans. Playing away is never easy so we need to get the girls on board early. I keep in touch with quite a few of the players and I’m going to invest some time in the team.”

There was a lot of talk about what type of captain you would be. What did you think you were like?

“Last time, I spent quite a lot of time trying to figure out what type of captain I would be. What you can expect from me this year is the straightforward me. Probably me more as a player. More than trying to be too nice. I think that’s what I took from last year. That’s what the players expected from me and that is some of the feedback I received. They enjoyed it when I finally showed up with my game face on. I definitely tuned it up a few levels after Friday morning…”

When you think back to September, what is your outstanding memory?

“Obviously everyone will say Carlota’s moment. One thing that was impressive about Carlota from the beginning to the end of the week was her presence. Her feistiness. Her fight. Her hunger to want to do well. This is a dream which was created for her ever since Spain was announced for the Solheim. The passion she has and gets from the crowd is very unique. She literally showed up with her A game which is never an easy task. I was never quite sure how she was going to perform under those circumstances and under that pressure. But she rose to the occasion. It was heart-warming to see it all come down to her match at the end.

“It was a fantastic team effort. You can’t take away from that. To catching up and getting all square to starting all over again on Sunday. We had some amazing matches. Caroline Hedwall, if it wasn’t for her amazing turnaround, Carlota would never have had the chance. You can always namedrop a few players, but it always relies on the team effort. It was extremely fun.

“It was fun to watch Leona Maguire again. It was fun to watch Linn and Maja. They looked like they had never done anything else other than this before. I know they played amazing in the PING Junior Solheim Cups together and other match play events. They’re born superstars in the Solheim Cup. That was extremely fun to see.”

How difficult is it making the captain’s picks?

“When you make your captain’s picks, you’re always hoping they are going to bring their potential. But it’s also about creating the team atmosphere and getting the dynamics in the team room right. There might have been some controversial picks last time, but at the end of the day that’s why we have the captain’s picks. I was very pleased.

“We don’t only need our 12 players showing up in DC. We need a whole army of Europeans behind us supporting every decision we make.”

Who surprised you most in the US team?

“All the US rookies were very impressive. I didn’t necessarily know their games too well because some of them stepped up ever since I retired. So I was super impressed with their determination and demeanour. I was very happy with Lexi Thompson. To play as well as she did. I don’t know if I expected it after seeing her over the last couple of years. But she has the capability, and it was nice to see her given the trust by Stacy and to take a lead in the team.”

Which new players are on your radar this year?

“You have two or three Germans that have put themselves on the list quite comfortably. Esther Henseleit, she played great last year and was on my radar. Alexandra Forsterling is a great player. I got great feedback about her when she won in Tampa from other Solheim players.

“Even though I’m not out there, I have my eyes through the other players. I get constant feedback from what they think and the status of other players. I feel like I’m always in the loop. Olivia Cowan is another one. What’s different now, compared to last year, is that we have a lot more girls who have the potential to be hovering around the top 50 in the world. I’m not even close to dialling in my final number. The list is still very diverse and long.”

How are you preparing the team?

“I’ve always enjoyed the team bonding and team practices I was part of as a player through the years. I have had a lot of debriefs with the European Ryder Cup team. With Luke Donald and his team. I agree with Luke. I think it’s important to get the players on board and get them to the golf course early to see it. It’s easier for them to prepare. We’re going to have a team bonding day the day before our team practice to loosen the atmosphere. I want it to be casual. I don’t want people to be tightened up and pressured. This is all about having fun and getting to know one another better.”

You have added Mel Reid as a vice-captain. What will she bring?

“Mel was an obvious one. She is going to bring everything. She has the passion. She has the heart. She has the soul for the Solheim. I’ve always enjoyed being on the same teams as her. I’m super happy and she was supposed to be part in Spain.”

What do you make of Robert Trent Jones Golf Club?

“I’ve been there. Big site. Big course. It’s going to be a ball striker’s golf course. But we have yet to see that too much. But at the end of the day, it’s going to come down to some great golf to determine who wins. We need to get familiar with the course and the facilities and the surroundings.”

Who do you think will best step into your shoes next?

“I don’t know, we have quite a few candidates! Anna [Nordqvist] is the obvious one. She was great as a vice and I think she is probably next in line.”