Mel Reid determined to prove a point after reaching quarter-finals
Saturday 5 May 2018 19:54, UK
The European Women team of Mel Reid and Carlota Ciganda provided one of the highlights of the group stage at the GolfSixes, but they remain eager to progress further in Sunday's knockout stages.
The English/Spanish combination qualified for the last eight by claiming second place in Group A after defeating defending champions Denmark in a play-off.
The Solheim Cup team-mates will now face Australia's Wade Ormsby and Sam Brazel in the last eight at the Centurion Club and confidence is high.
Reid told Sky Sports: "We are here to prove a point, prove that women's golf doesn't get as much exposure and coverage as it should do. Hopefully getting through to Sunday, people are starting to open their eyes a little bit and realise that we've just competed against the men and beaten them.
"We are just very, very happy. We are very competitive and we're just very happy to be through to tomorrow.
"We have nothing to lose and everything to gain. We are certainly going to go out and give it everything tomorrow, like we always do, and it would be incredible if we just keep winning matches, and you never know what might happen tomorrow."
Ciganda added: "We love playing with each other. We love match play, it's all or nothing. We know how good we are, we are both very relaxed.
"We don't really care if we miss a shot, we just play and try our best. Hopefully we can start winning tomorrow and lift that trophy."
The England Women's team of Charley Hull and Georgia Hall also qualified from Group D as runners-up behind England Men.
Hall holed from 20 feet for an eagle on the final hole to secure a 1-1 draw with the England Men's team of Eddie Pepperell and Matt Wallace, Pepperell having hit a stunning approach to three feet on the par five.
Hall and Hull then thrashed South Africa's George Coetzee and Haydn Porteous 4-1 and although a last-hole eagle from the Swedish pair of Alexander Bjork and Joakim Lagergren left the two teams tied on four points, the English duo advanced by virtue of having won more holes.
They will take on the Irish pair of Paul Dunne and Gavin Moynihan, who finished top of Group C, in the quarter-finals.
"It's really cool to go through, I don't think a lot of people thought we would do that well," said Hull, whose stunning tee shot on the opening hole had prompted Pepperell and Wallace to jokingly make a run for the exit.
"I feel more nervous in this event. I think it's because if you play bad it would make women's golf look bad."
Pepperell and Wallace admitted they were happy to avoid defeat to Hull and Hall before drawing with Sweden and beating South Africa to set up a quarter-final against France.
"We had a good, tough match with the girls and are just relieved to not lose that," Pepperell said. "In the second game we played a bit scrappy at the end but we really wanted to be here tomorrow, so now that we are it's going to be great.
"Every time someone [in the crowd] has been asked who is their favourite golfer, all I keep hearing is Georgia or Charley, so hopefully by the end of tomorrow they will be saying Matt, because he's my favourite golfer!"
