Nicholas believes Irish crowd vital for success

GOLF:IF HINDSIGHT tells us that the 2006 Ryder Cup epitomised the full roar of the Celtic Tiger, perhaps this year's Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle in Dunsany, Co Meath, will provide a bellow of its own.

At least that’s what Europe’s captain Alison Nicholas, something of a Yorkshire terrier in her own playing days, would like to think as she seeks the Irish crowd to become here team’s “13th man” as she put it.

Yesterday, in a room of the Royal College of Physicians on Dublin’s Kildare Street, where steely-eyed oil portraits of past presidents stared down from the ornately plastered walls, the countdown to the event – marking the 150 days to go before Europe’s best women professionals face those from the United States on September 23rd – started in earnest, as Nicholas urged Irish golf fans to get behind her team.

So far, there has already been superb interest in the competition – with in excess of 14,000 tickets sold – and, as the Minister for Sport, Leo Varadkar, more familiar with the college from his days sitting medical exams and attending meetings, informed us, the event is projected to inject almost €35 million into the Irish economy, as well as providing a marketing boost to golf tourism here with television coverage of the Solheim Cup set to reach 400 million homes worldwide and attracting an international media presence of over 500 journalists.

Of the Solheim Cup, the minister remarked: “It’s the kind of showpiece event that can help to regenerate the Irish economy. It will create jobs, generate revenue, promote Ireland as a tourist destination and provide us with the opportunity to present our country in a positive light.”

The last four Solheim Cups – the women’s equivalent of the Ryder Cup and also played biennially – has attracted crowds of more than 100,000 over its three days and the aim is to also match that figure when the match is played at the Jack Nicklaus-signature course on September 23rd-25th.

As Roddy Carr, the director of the Solheim Cup, said in explaining how the event had a different DNA to its male equivalent: “The Ryder Cup is the War on the Shore, it is kill or be killed according to the Seve (Ballesteros) mantra and there is no give or take in it . . . in the female game, there is still the same level of competitiveness, but there is a sharing with the crowd of the joy of being there to do battle.”

Nicholas, meanwhile, has been spreading the message on a tour around the island where she has been meeting Solheim Cup “ambassadors” in their clubs and holding coaching clinics.

“All I know, from going around the country, is that it is going down very, very well. I’m galvanising support and that support is going to be the 13th man, just like it was at The K Club. Hopefully that will help us bring back the cup. Getting the Irish fans involved is so huge for us, they’re so passionate about their sport.”

And Nicholas also confirmed that her vice-captain Annika Sorenstam, who recently gave birth 13 weeks prematurely to a son William, is very much committed to being a part of the backroom team. “I’ve talked to her at length. He’s not on a respirator and he’s had all the tests he can have and everything seems fine. He just needs to put on some weight, he has to be four pounds to be allowed out. she’s had her emotional ups and downs, but so far so good and that’s the most important thing for her.

“But she said it won’t interfere with the Solheim Cup. She’s up for it. She’s an inspiration to the other players and tapping into her brain will be fascinating. She’s got a great mental attitude to life and golf and hopefully the players will learn from that and she can pass on her wisdom,” added Nicholas.

The respective qualifying campaigns are in full swing at the present, with eight automatic places (and four captain’s wild cards) on the European team compared to 10 automatic places (and two captain’s) on the USA team.

As things stand, the eight automatic places on the Europe team are filled by Laura Davies, Melissa Reid, Virginie Lagoutte-Clement, Iben Tinnging (of the money list) and by world number five Suzann Pettersen, Anna Nordqvist, Maria Hjorth and Catriona Matthew off the world rankings.

The USA qualifying is headed by world number three Cristie Kerr with Morgan Pressel, Michelle Wie, Angela Stanford, Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome, Brittany Lang, Stacy Lewis, Christina Kim and Kristy McPherson currently occupying the automatic positions.