Reid wants to return as Solheim captain

Winning Solheim Cup captain Dale Reid wants to return. And that's OK with her players.

Winning Solheim Cup captain Dale Reid wants to return. And that's OK with her players.

The good-natured Reid, who bragged about lugging her players sandwiches and drinks around during matches and doing their "washing and drying afterward" at waterlogged Loch Loomed, led Europe to its first victory since '92, beating the Americans 14 1/2-11 1/2.

"I think it would be a travesty if Dale and Pam Wright (vice-captain) were not given another go," said Laura Davies, one of five Europeans to play in all six Solheims and the leading point scorer with American Dottie Pepper.

Reid, who played in four Solheims, made it clear she wants to return in 2002 at Interlachen.

"I have to admit I would love to defend it," Reid said. "I don't like to go lying down. I mean, I want to keep that thing going over there. So who knows?

Helen Alfredsson has no doubts. "You will be back," said the Swede, who has also played in all six Solheims.

"I definitely wouldn't be a playing captain, I don't believe in it," Reid said. "It is too tough a job out there. There's no way I could play a round of golf and run after these guys bringing rain suits and towels.

American captain Pat Bradley, who played the Solheim three times, said she didn't expect to be back as captain or player.

"I expect myself to be a spectator," said the 49-year-old American.

"On the American side we have a number of great players in line to take over and - you know - they deserve an opportunity to experience this great moment."

Bradley, who described herself as "single-minded and focused" for 27 years on the LPGA tour before she became captain, bonded with her players with Juli Inkster saying for the first time "we got to know Pat Bradley."

"We played our hearts out for Pat," Meg Mallon said. "Pat was just a great captain. The hardest thing for us right now is the fact we feel we let her down. It's just a shame she didn't take the cup away."

Swede Catrin Nilsmark was the only player to go 3-0. Two others on Europe also won three points - fellow Swede Carin Koch, who dropped the 10-foot clinching putt on Sunday, and Scot Janice Moodie.

The only American with three points was Kelly Robbins, who was embroiled in the 13th-green controversy with Annika Sorenstam. The Swede was forced to replay her shot after she holed a 25-foot (8 meter) chip and the Americans noticed she had played out of turn. Pat Hurst had 2 1/2.

Davies and Pepper, the only American to play in all six, scored 1 1/2 points and are tied as the all-time points leaders with 14.

The most unlucky player must have been Mallon, who lost both of her Friday foursomes (alternate shot) matches with Beth Daniel, going down 1-up each time to Sorenstam and Moodie.

The 37-year-old American halved with Davies and Raquel Carriedo in fourball (bestball) and then defeated France's Patricia Meunier Lebouc in singles 1-up.

"It was a privilege to be a part of those two matches the first day," Mallon said. "I felt Beth played the best golf I'd seen her play in an awful long time, and I felt like I started out not helping her but then we clicked coming to the end of both matches."

"You couldn't have found two better matches between Janice, Annika, Beth and myself."

Mallon also begged reporters not to dwell on the Robbins-Sorenstam incident and the Swede's charge of poor sportsmanship against the Americans. Ironically, Robbins and Sorenstam are close friends on the LPGA tour.

"This is our grandest stage to showcase women's golf and we've once again done a heck of job," she said. "And if you guys fall into that trap again of saying what was bad rather than what was good, you may as well be tabloids."

The 2000 Solheim format had eight foursomes on Friday followed by six fourball matches on Saturday and 12 singles on Sunday. The fourball matches were reduced from eight to six because of the early dusk in October in Scotland.

Reid wants to return to the Ryder Cup format with foursomes and fourball mixed together over the first two days.

"I'd like to see the format the same as Ryder Cup with both foursomes and fourballs. The public recognises that format and everyone watching at home relates to it."