Solheim Cup captain Alison Nicholas says time is right to step down

Solheim Cup-winning captain Alison Nicholas says the time is right for her to step down.

A late surge saw Europe's women seal a thrilling victory at Killeen Castle in Ireland on Sunday.

The 15-13 win ended a run of three successive defeats for Europe, who were underdogs before the competition began.

Nicholas said: "I've done it twice now, it's time to pass the baton on to another ex-player who deserves the opportunity to be captain."

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Nicholas, 49, hailed Europe's "sensational" victory.

She said: "Watching is agony. I much preferred to play, so I could do something about it.

"It was sensational. I believed in them. It looked pretty tight at the end. I thought we were going to lose out by one point, it was nailbiting stuff.

"My stomach was in bits. It was incredible with such passion from the girls."

Melissa Reid, who won her singles match against Vicky Hurst, said: "It was massive for us. I think on paper we were going in as underdogs."

Reid, 24, who revealed the team toasted their victory by drinking Guinness out of the cup, added: "Their world ranking was higher than ours but, during the Solheim Cup, that goes out of the equation.

"It's all about the heart and who gets a bit of luck on the greens."

After the epic win and the celebrations that followed, Nicholas said she was now looking looking forward to having a rest and "seeing what the future holds."