By Frank Pingue
(Reuters) – Mel Reid was gutted after not being selected to compete for Europe at the 2019 Solheim Cup but said on Thursday that her role as vice captain of that team has given her more to offer as she makes her playing return in the biennial event this week.
The 33-year-old Englishwoman, who picked up her maiden LPGA title last year, relished her role as an assistant at Gleneagles but will much prefer being inside the ropes at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio where play against Team USA begins on Saturday.
“It’s nicer than giving out water bottles, if I’m being honest,” world number 53 Reid, who made her Solheim Cup debut as a player in 2011, told reporters.
“Being an assistant captain or vice captain, I think that it gave me a different perspective of the Solheim Cup, which I think is what I needed. It made me realise I didn’t really want to be apart from this team again.”
Reid, who has gone 4-6-2 as a player in her three occasions representing Europe at the Solheim Cup, said her stint as an assistant with the triumphant 2019 squad taught her how vital communication within a team is to success.
“The more that you communicate with the captains, I think that they again get a better idea of pairings, how you’re feeling. You’ve just got to be completely honest,” said Reid.
“Especially for the rookies they do have to speak up and say — feel comfortable in speaking up and saying if something doesn’t feel right or if they really love this, and that’s probably one of the things I took away from playing that role.”
Reid, a fiery, intense and confident player who feels the Solheim Cup brings out the best in her game, said she almost did not accept the offer from captain Catriona Matthew to be a part of the 2019 team, albeit in a different role.
“When she first called me I said no and then I rang her back quite literally probably 30 seconds later and I was like, I am really sorry, actually I will do it,” said Reid.
“In a situation like that you’ve just got to put yourself — it’s an ego thing really and you’ve got to put your ego aside.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)
