Nicholas buoyed by players' form

SOLHEIM CUP 2011:WHO REALLY knows what makes a difference? Still, Europe's captain Alison Nicholas – who has ticked so many boxes in meticulous planning her quest to end the American dominance in the Solheim Cup – hopes some of the Irish rugby team's never-say-die spirit will rub off on her team. To that end, a signed Irish rugby jersey, given to her by Paul O'Connell, will take pride of place in the European team room at Killeen Castle this week.

“I’m very confident in my players, I think we have got a great team,” said Nicholas, who has also organised some motivational videos for her team.

And the performances of her players on either side of the Atlantic over the weekend – Mel Reid winning the Spanish Open and Karen Stupples, one of Nicholas’s “wild-card” picks, finishing fourth on the LPGA Tour – bodes well. “The players are playing well, I’m excited about the week,” she said.

As the United States team arrived into Dublin yesterday on a charter jet from Montgomery in Alabama, only to run into some early transport problems when their team bus incurred mechanical problems, Nicholas met the American team at the airport and, also, perhaps more pertinently, welcomed the remaining members of her own team who had travelled on the same plane.

That air trip might have been on a shared plan, but, from now on, the two teams go their different ways in preparing for a match which Europe have not won since 2003.

And, over the next three days, before the actual match gets under way on Friday, Nicholas – along with vice-captains Jo Morley and Annika Sorenstam – will be attempting to finalise pairings for the foursomes and fourballs.

“We have a fair idea, we just need to test a few things out,” said Nicholas of her potential match-ups.

Nicholas has worked out what she describes as “skeleton pairings, but we might have to change. You always have a Plan A and a Plan B. You’ve got to see how the matches go, and how people are playing and how they are feeling.

“Sometimes players want to rest, they’re tired or have a niggle. You just have to adjust as necessary . . . but, yes, I do have a fair idea of my pairings.”

Of course, it is a captain’s duty to keep such pairings close to her chest. It is all part of the phoney war that takes place in the run-up to any Solheim Cup and, although this is all about a team of 12 players, there is also no doubt the role of Suzann Pettersen, the world number two, will be hugely significant over the coming week.

“Suzann’s a great player. She played fantastically over here for the Irish Open. She’s a good leader. She’s very passionate about the Solheim Cup. I’m sure she will be very inspirational to all my players and particularly to the newcomers.”

Mention of the newcomers brings a certain Caroline Hedwall into the equation. The Swede has made a phenomenal impact in her “rookie” season on tour, but Nicholas admitted she has had the player on her radar since before she turned professional.

“I knew about Caroline. I got tipped off by a few people. Players come along once in a while who come out (from the amateur game) in the professional ranks and continue (winning) . . . I was told she was the business and I put her into the mix early on.

“I think she’s similar to Anna Nordqvist the previous time (in 2009). Caroline’s had an amazing year. She looks a natural player and loves the game. She’s refreshing. She loves to play, loves to compete.”

Nicholas’s vice-captains form something of a “dream team”, with Morley – seemingly always by her side – now joined by Sorenstam who arrived here in Ireland on Sunday. “She’s got a great mind and it is a privilege for me to be able to tap into that. She offers great advice in a very humble way,” observed Nicholas of working with the legendary Swede, a winner of 10 Major championships in an honour-laden career.

Nicholas – aware of Dublin’s win in the All-Ireland and Ireland’s win over Australia in the World Cup – is hoping her own underdogs can maintain that sequence, urging what she calls the “15th club” of the home support to get behind her team.

“The Americans are always a good side, you can’t under-estimate them in any shape or form. If you look at last week’s results, they’ve got top players up there every week. It is going to be a tough match, it is going to be tight.”

She added: “The Solheim Cup is the pinnacle, the showcase of women’s professional golf in the world. It is growing with every occasion. The players thrive to get into this team over every two-year period and it is always on their minds. I realise the situation, that we haven’t won the last three meetings. But the players are hungry to change that. I think they are ready. They are passionate. Hopefully, with the 13th man, the 15th club, behind us, we can change that.”

SOLHEIM CUP 2011: The Teams

Europe

Melissa Reid (England) Laura Davies (England) Suzann Pettersen (Norway) Christel Boeljon (Netherlands) Maria Hjorth (Sweden) Anna Nordqvist (Sweden) Catriona Matthew (Scotland) Sophie Gustafson (Sweden) Azahara Munoz (Spain) Caroline Hedwall (Sweden) Karen Stupples (England) Sandra Gal (Germany)

United States

Cristie Kerr (Florida) Stacy Lewis (Ohio) Morgan Pressel (Florida) Angela Stanford (Texas) Paula Creamer (California) Michelle Wie (Hawaii) Brittany Lincicome (Florida) Brittany Lang (Virginia) Juli Inkster (California) Christina Kim (California) Vicky Hurst (Maryland) Ryann OToole (California)