United States Solheim Cup team member Christina Kim brings her ‘passion and fire’ to the Lacoste Ladies Open de France starting Thursday and despite her team’s devastating defeat to Europe in Ireland, the charismatic Californian insists that she still has enough energy to bring this week’s trophy home.

“I feel really good right now about my game. I had a very difficult and very good singles match against Maria Hjorth last week who is a fantastic golfer and I’ve got a lot of fire and a lot of passion still in me. I don’t know how, but it’s still in there,” she admitted. “I’m looking forward to having a great week and hopefully showcasing some good golf.”

Kim is a member of both the LPGA and Ladies European Tours and has played in a number of European tournaments since 2009, with a tie for second place at the 2010 Open de Espana Femenino.

She insists that she will be fully focused on the golf this week, despite being close to the tourist attractions of Paris, which she has never visited previously.

“There are a multitude of reasons why I came out here. Number one is to play the game and number two is to promote my tour. The LET is one of my two tours that I play on and I love doing it,” she said. “I would love to have the opportunity but at the same time my number one priority is golf.

“I was already on this side of the pond and I’m a full time member of the Ladies European Tour and I love it out here. I’ve never been to Paris and I’ve never been to France outside of Evian-les-Bains which is s small region close to the Swiss Border. I love to compete and it fitted in with my schedule perfectly.

“I remember when I came to Italy a couple of years ago I spent a whirlwind three days visiting Florence and Rome so I’ve got to do it. I’m thinking on Friday afternoon I should have time to go visit the Eiffel Tower and I would kill to go visit the Louvre. I love museums and seeing pieces of art and can’t wait. Hopefully I’ll have time to visit on Friday.

“I’ve got enough energy to hoist a trophy since I’m still looking for my maiden victory on the LET.”

Highlights of the week so far included sampling the delights of French gastronomy: “I’ve had a great week so far: I’ve had some croissants and some coffee and just chilled and relaxed and it’s been great.”

She will start her assault on the Paris International Golf Course at 1.10pm on Thursday and rated the par-72 layout after playing it in the Pro Am.  

“The golf course is fantastic. The two nines are very deep in contrast. The back nine is very hilly and the front nine is a little bit flatter with a lot more water. Both nines require every shot in the bag which is something I can appreciate in a golf course,” she said.

Although focused on the Lacoste Ladies Open de France, Kim was clearly still on a high after the excitement of The Solheim Cup week.

She said: “Considering that it came down to nearly the last shot it was a testament to how strong the European team was as well as the American team. It was a devastating blow because we really wanted to retain the Cup and I was really happy for Alison because I knew how much she wanted it. I know that the Europeans had been vying for it for such a long time and it was bound to happen.

“I know that we’re really looking forward to 2013, being on home soil, having perfect weather hopefully and making for yet another exciting Solheim Cup. In the end it should end up being is a good fun friendly competition between two teams of people and representing and showcasing the game. That’s what it should be about.

“There is nothing like The Solheim Cup. It’s like the premiership league finals or World Cup finals or whatever you want to call it. There is nothing like it and it takes the game to a completely different level.

“It sometimes really shows who can step to the plate. There is so much passion and so much heart which we do show all the time but it’s just magnified into a completely different world.”