Sandra Gal and Carolina Masson will see a lifelong dream come true tomorrow morning when they represent Europe in front their home fans at St Leon-Rot.
It is a proud day for both German players and is something they hope will help to popularise golf within their home country.
“It is something we have both been looking forward to for a long time,” said Gal who will be making her second appearance in the Solheim Cup after making her debut in the winning side at Killeen Castle in Ireland in 2011. “If you ask any girl what it feels like to play in the Solheim Cup they will tell you it’s special and it’s an even greater honour to be playing in front of your home fans.
“I’m expecting great crowds to come out tomorrow. Today it felt like a bit of a ghost town with all the rain but I think that will change tomorrow and I know the Germans are very good in putting up a party.
“My biggest hope is that the Solheim Cup is going to change the image of golf in Germany,” she added. “Hopefully it will give the game a newer and fresher look and one that shows the game is full of passion and enthusiasm because that’s what the Solheim Cup is all about.
Masson plays on her second successive European Solheim Cup team and she is equally excited about the prospect of facing the Americans in her home country.
“It still feels a bit real to be honest,” she said. “Yesterday I was still trying to convince myself we were here for the Solheim Cup. It’s unbelievable to play the Solheim Cup at home. It’s really cool and I’m excited about having a good week. I’m going to try to enjoy every moment and make sure I have a really good time.”
The European team go into the match chasing an unprecedented third successive victory and the team are hoping to build on the team chemistry which helped them to win 18-10 last time out when Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall became the first player in Solheim Cup history to win five points out of five in the match.
“It’s almost the same team so we are looking to create the same spirit,” said Karine Icher from France. “I think at night we will try to relax and think about something other than golf. We do a lot of laughing and that’s why we are a very happy team.
“It’s not very different from two years ago. “We will try to play as good golf as we can even if things get tough. We’ll try to do our best.”
