An email conversation with Laura Davies: 'Playing the Open would be a great experience'

Michelle Wie and women against men, Following Liverpool and England to football glory, horses, cards, casinos and gambling

Is it something you would consider? Or are there better things - and more lucrative options - that could fill your time? As for there being a better thing to do, I can't think of anything I would rather try to do.

The ratio of players who made it through qualifying last year to the Open itself was something like 1 in 400. If you were a bookmaker, what odds would you give on a woman golfer playing in next year's Open? The question of odds would run at about 5,000-1 and I don't think you would get many takers. Not that long shots don't come in sometimes.

Do you envisage a time when women routinely play on the men's tour? Does it matter? I think Michelle [Wie] wants to play on the men's tour a bit, but I don't think it will happen for a while and not many other girls are looking to do that because we have a big hurdle in Annika [Sorenstam]. She needs to be the one for all of us to beat before we even think of the men's tour on a regular basis.

Do you think the phenomenal attention given to Michelle Wie could be detrimental to her golf? And if she asked you for one bit of advice about maintaining a long and successful career, what would you tell her? Michelle has had a lot of attention since she was about 12 years old so I think she must be used to it already, so it doesn't take away from performance. As for some advice, she should do what makes her happy and not what everyone around her wants her to do. That will help to keep her happy and interested in doing what is important in any pro sport, which is winning.

You are the only golfer to have played in all nine Solheim Cups to date. How important in your personal and professional priorities is it to you make it 10 in a row at Halmstad in 2007? The Solheim Cup is very important to me and the next one is already in my focus. I will make sure I have enough points to qualify without needing a captain's pick.

You are well known as a fan of numerous sports. What five events, in order of importance, would choose to see live? I would love to see England in the World Cup Final so that has to be the number one thing to do, hopefully beating the Germans in the final. Number two would be the same thing but the European championship. Number three, Liverpool winning the European Cup again but with me in the stands somewhere. Number four would have to be a trip to Australia to watch the Ashes with the Barmy Army. And last, the Lions tour of New Zealand.

And which sport other than golf would you have liked to play professionally, if you had had the chance or ability? I think tennis would have been a good choice. They earn more than we do.

I believe you own a share of a few horses. What is the biggest buzz you've had as an owner so far? I haven't owned many horses and up to now only one winner. It was Kova Hall a few months ago but I was away and didn't see it live, so that doesn't count. Hopefully the real horse racing buzz is still to come.

You are a fervent Liverpool fan. Where did you watch this year's Champions' League final? What were your thoughts at half-time? And at the end? I was in Austria in a bar watching the final and at half-time I wanted it to be over but stayed and watched, hoping it wouldn't be five or six-nil to them. As we know now, anything is possible. It was so far the most enjoyable game of footy I have ever seen, only to be outdone by the England 3-0 win in the World Cup final next year!

You like a gamble. I don't suppose you had a bet at half-time at 300-1 or whatever was available, did you? As for having a bet on it, no one could have fancied that bet, even at 300-1.

What is the biggest winning (and losing) bet you have ever placed, either on a sporting event or in a casino? My biggest winning bet would be ... oh yes, that would be none of your business.

What is the best Liverpool can hope for this season in the Premiership? And in Europe? Liverpool will finish second or third this year, of that I am certain. As for the European Cup, never say never, but that would be amazing.

What is your favourite course in the world? Royal Birkdale would be the fairest tournament course that I have played on and for that alone I think it is my favourite around the world.

You are friends with John Daly. How do you think he will respond to his missed putt the other week in the play-off with Tiger? And what do you find is the best way to get over setbacks? I know John quite well and I am sure he will have no problem getting over that. These things happen sometimes. I'm sure he would love to have beaten Tiger because I think he respects him so much, and to beat him would have been great for the rest of his season. The best way to get over a setback like that is to get straight back into contention the following week and usually things work out the second time around.

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* Born: 5 October 1963.

Amateur honours: Curtis Cup 1984; South Eastern Champion 1983, 1984; English Intermediate Champion 1983; Welsh Open Champion 1984.

LPGA victories (20), including: 1987 US Women's Open; 1988 LPGA Tucson Open, Jamie Farr Toledo Classic; 1991 Inamori Classic; 1994 Sara Lee Classic, LPGA Championship; 1996 LPGA Championship; 1998 PageNet Tour Championship. In 1996 named Player of the Year.

European Tour victories (27), including: 1992 European Tour Open, English Open, BMW Italian Open; 1993 English Open; 1994 Irish Open; 1995 Evian Masters, Irish Open, Welsh Open, English Open; 1996 Evian Masters, English Open; 1998 Chrysler Open; 1999 Chrysler Open, WPGA Championship, Compaq Open, Praia d'El Rey European Cup; 2000 TSN Ladies World Cup; 2001 WPGA International Matchplay; 2002 P4 Norwegian Masters; 2003 ANZ Ladies Masters; 2004 AAMI Women's Australian Open.

Solheim Cup participations: 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005.

Davies is alone in having played in all nine stagings of the trophy.

Away from the clubhouse: Is a fan of all sports, plays football (she has a floodlit pitch at home), loves cars - including her Ferrari, working around the house and shopping.