Who makes the grade for our European Solheim Cup Dream Team?
Wednesday 16 September 2015 11:23, UK
We picked a European Solheim Cup Dream Team and asked Catriona Matthew to give her verdict on our selections. Here are the results ...
Annika Sorenstam
CM: "World No 1 for years, and she would be a candidate for the best woman golfer of all time along with Kathy Whitworth. I was fortunate to partner Annika on a few occasions, and she was a great partner to have.
Carin Koch
CM: "Carin has a tremendous record in the Solheim Cup. In 2000 she won all three of her matches and holed the winning putt, and she won four-and-a-half points out of five two years later. She is such a good match player."
Dame Laura Davies
CM: "You simply can't have a European team without Laura. She played in all of the first 12 Solheim Cups, and she had such a massive impact on ladies' golf in Europe. She was a dominant figure for 20 years."
Suzann Pettersen
CM: "Suzann brings a certain amount of fire and intensity to the team. I've been lucky enough to be in a few teams with her. She can be quite intimidating, but once you get to know her she's great fun as well."
Sophie Gustafson
CM: "Sophie was a stalwart of the European team and won a lot of tournaments. She was a very big hitter and a great Solheim Cup player."
Catriona Matthew
CM: "I'm happy I managed to squeak in there, I suppose it's because I've been around long enough!"
Trish Johnson
CM: "Trish had a good spell playing in the United States and appeared on a lot of Solheim Cup teams. She is a very gritty competitor, and still playing well - even though she's older than me!"
Alison Nicholas
CM: "She had such a superb run in 1997 when she won the US Open, and she had a great partnership with Laura Davies in the Solheim Cup."
Helen Alfredsson
CM: "Helen is a very fiery, but also a bubbly character and she was great fun to have in the team lifting everyone's spirits."
Maria Hjorth
CM: "I'm good friends with Maria, and she was close to making the team again as a player this year instead of being a vice-captain. Maria played in five Solheim Cups and has a decent record. She's had her struggles over the last few years, but it's great to see her playing well again."
Liselotte Neumann
CM: "She was a good steadying influence on the team. In many ways she's a lot like me, steady, solid and dependable."
Catrin Nilsmark
CM: "She was a great player and captain. She led the side twice in 2003 and 2005. As a player she was a superb putter, and she holed the winning putt for Europe's first win in 1992 at Dalmahoy."