It's at the end of the press conference before this year's Solheim Cup at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, a few miles outside of Washington DC, that Maja Stark gets the question about Swedish dominance.
The seemingly bold statement above was said with a hint of humor, but Stark has a point. With more seriousness in her voice, the 24-year-old, one of four Swedes on this year's European team, says:
It feels a bit strange to say that it feels like we're used to it, since it's been like this for as long as we've lived. Around the time we (Stark and Linn Grant) were born, there were Helen Alfredsson, Annika Sörenstam, Charlotta Sörenstam, Carin Koch… There have been so many that it doesn't feel unusual that there are so many Swedes here.
Made debut last year
Stark sits on the podium next to close friend Grant, and together the Scanian duo made their debut on the Spanish Finca Cortesín course a year ago. The Swedish Solheim Cup adventure started a bit nervously with a loss in the first match. But then it took off, and both ended up with a plus statistic when Europe finally managed to retain the trophy after great drama in the tied 14-14 match against the USA.
Linn Grant says that the debut was so much fun that the rest of the season felt a bit dull.
In the back of my mind, I wish every week could be like this, because it's surreal and with all the emotions you feel when you play. You're nervous, you're scared, you're happy – the adrenaline. It's a completely different level of golf, she says.
Screams and "fist pumps"
Both Grant and Stark feel more comfortable this time, now that the debut is out of the way.
Last time, there were so many question marks around how I would react to this? How would I feel on the first tee? I usually don't make big gestures when I putt, but then suddenly at Solheim, I started screaming and doing "fist pumps" and everything. I had no idea it would come out. Now I know it can happen this week, says Stark.
Besides Stark and Grant, Anna Nordqvist and Madelene Sagström are also part of Europe's team. Nordqvist, who is also one of the vice-captains, is playing Solheim Cup for the ninth time in a row. Sagström is participating for the fourth time.
The USA, with world number one Nelly Korda and world number two Lilia Vu on the team, is this year's big favorite on home soil, despite not having won since 2017.
Carl Göransson/TT
Facts: Europe's team in Solheim Cup
TT
Norwegian Suzann Pettersen is once again captain of Europe's team, where Sweden contributes with a third of the players. The team:
Sweden (4): Anna Nordqvist, Madelene Sagström, Maja Stark, Linn Grant.
England (2): Charley Hull, Georgia Hall.
France (1): Céline Boutier.
Germany (1): Esther Henseleit.
Denmark (1): Emily Pedersen.
Switzerland (1): Albane Valenzuela.
Ireland (1): Leona Maguire.
Spain (1): Carlota Ciganda.
A total of 14 Swedes have participated in Solheim Cup since its start in 1990. Anna Nordqvist is now the first to play the team competition for the ninth time.
Number of starts:
9: Anna Nordqvist
8: Helen Alfredsson, Sophie Gustafson, Annika Sörenstam
6: Liselotte Neumann
5: Catrin Nilsmark, Caroline Hedwall, Maria Hjorth (now McBride)
4: Carin Koch, Madelene Sagström
2: Linn Grant, Maja Stark
1: Charlotta Sörenstam, Linda Wessberg
