Europe rain Supreme

Alan Campbell talks to Helen Alfredsson, who is delighted to be back in the European team, back in Scotland and back on track. But she is grateful to have been chosen in the first place

IN the often grey world of professional golf, Helen Alfredsson provides a splash of much needed colour. Emotional, forthright and possessor of an engagingly warm nature, the 35-year-old Swede is a welcome nonconformist in an era of drab conformity.

How else would you describe a Harley-Davidson-riding woman who, at the age of 18, ran away from her home in Gothenburg to become a model in Paris? And then two years later, when she had moved on as a student to the US International University at San Diego, embarked on an illicit relationship with the great love of her life, former Mexican international footballer Leo Cuellar.

Although they never married, Alfredsson and Cuellar remained a item until the partnership ended earlier this year. A glimpse of the resultant grief can be seen on her face as she explains why her 2000 golf form has been so indifferent.

"I broke up a 15-year relationship," she says, "and it has been hard.

"When you are 25 you would probably think life goes on and golf is your haven, but as you get a little bit older your values change.

"You don't just throw a 15 year relationship down the drain - you go through very emotional ups and downs and you have to be so fine- tuned to play golf.

"If you're not there 100% it's hard to perform well."

Cuellar had been the university soccer coach in San Diego when he started romancing the young Swedish student. Although he would sneak into her dorm at night and leave early in the morning, the pair managed to keep the relationship secret until Alfredsson's final year.

Because of the recent turmoil and her poor results, many reckon Alfredsson was fortunate to be picked by Solheim Cup captain Dale Reid for this weekend's tussle. Her selection makes her one of only five Europeans to have played in all six matches and her 44% success rate in the previous five persuaded Reid there was a bigger picture to consider.

"It has been a very erratic and strange year," Alfredsson admits, "but I did play some tournaments with Dale and she saw it wasn't all bad. I was incredibly thrilled to be picked, but of course your heart goes out to those who didn't get selected."

The person most entitled to be upset at being left out was Scot Catriona Matthew, a member of the 1998 side whose form has been impressive over the intervening two years.

There was a strange, and ironic, twist to the tale when Alfredsson tumbled and damaged her wrist leaving a team function last Tuesday night. For 24 hours her place in the side was in jeopardy, forcing Reid's own hand. Harsh words, and public ones at that, had earlier been exchanged between the two Scots, but amidst a flurry of apologies Matthew agreed to Reid's telephone request to travel from North Berwick to Loch Lomond as a possible replacement.

In the end Alfredsson was declared fit and Matthew was stood down after playing a practice round on Thursday morning. It was an awkward situation for those involved, but one which left Alfredsson with nothing but admiration for her putative replacement.

"My heart goes out to her," she admits. "I feel guilty in a way because she wasn't selected and then had to come here when I got injured with the possibility of playing.

"I'm so impressed with the way she was prepared to come here, then had to go home. I wish she could have stayed here with us. I like her tremendously and she's a great girl."

There is no regret, however, from "Alfie", as she is called, about staying on the team. "The Solheim Cup is the most wonderful event," she states. "You have something very special to fight for every two years. Here are those players you try to beat every single day of your golf life, and then you get to play together in the team. It's a very special feeling.

"When Dale told me I was picked I practiced like crazy. You've got 11 other players and you're not going to be the one to let them down."

Unsurprisingly Alfredsson nominates the 1992 match at Dalmahoy, the second of the series, as her favourite despite poor weather.

"Of course it has to be that match," she says. "We had our butts kicked so badly the first time and then beating them two years later here in Scotland, the home of golf, was special. It was raining and was foggy, but for us it was sunshine the whole week. If you get in the right mood it's funny what that can do."

Having taken up golf at the age of 11, Alfredsson was quickly down to a single figure handicap and became a member of the Swedish youth team. It was a boom time for the sport in her country, and a legacy of it is that no fewer than six of the 12-woman European side this weekend are Swedes.

"I don't know if the women's game in Sweden is as strong coming up now," she points out, "but I think success breeds success.

"Also, golf is sort of new in Sweden, we don't have the old traditions of Scotland. We came right on time with the boom in golf in Sweden."