Europeans steady in face of long odds
TOLEDO, Ohio — With only a smattering of Europeans on the grounds at Inverness, nearly every person in attendance Monday yearned for an American comeback.
They would leave disappointed, as Team Europe steeled itself and put the clamps on any alterations to the scoreboard. All week, Europe was steady, determined, and formidable, winning three out of five sessions en route to a 15-13 victory that was more lopsided than the margin suggests.
“I think we were a team of 12,” European captain Catriona Matthew said. “They all contributed. One person doesn’t win it. We needed all 12 of them. So, congratulations to the whole team.”
During a pre-tournament news conference, Mel Reid said she believed this was the strongest Solheim Cup team she has been part of. It was easy to see Saturday when the Europeans edged out to a three-point lead.
Come Monday, it was simply a fact as their roster proved to be dramatically better than America’s despite a significant advantage, based on the world rankings.
“You’ve just got to look at the way the rookies played. They weren’t scared,” Reid said. “They’re completely fearless. You know, they’ve either won or played amazingly well on the LPGA. They’re not scared of these girls.
“Everyone just played amazing. Everyone played their part. The team room and the atmosphere, we have to become a unit to be able to beat such a worldclass American team.”
Decisive putt
Two months ago, Finland’s Matilda Castren wasn’t even eligible to play for the European Solheim Cup because she wasn’t a member of the Ladies European Tour.
On Monday, she drained the putt that retained the Solheim Cup for Europe. “It feels amazing,” she said. “It’s just crazy, crazy. I can’t believe I made that putt.”
The shot to set up the 10footer for birdie was more impressive. Castren, leading Lizette Salas by 1 on No. 18, had a plugged ball in a greenside bunker near the lip. All Castren did was play the shot expertly, flying it across the green, with the ball coming to rest 10 feet from the hole. When Salas’ birdie putt missed, Castren suddenly had the biggest putt of her young career.
The 26-year-old knocked it dead center.
Hole of the day
The first hole doesn’t figure to play much of a factor in match play. That was not the case Monday at Inverness. The 378-yard par 4 requires a good tee shot because of the all-carry second shot. When you need a series of wins and birdies to get the home crowd involved, a fast start is ideal. The U.S. did anything but get out of the gate quickly, losing the first hole in five of 12 matches.
Numbers for dummies
4-7-1: Combined record of the top three ranked players, all Americans — Nelly Korda, Lexi Thompson, and Danielle Kang.
13-9-3: Combined record of the rookies on both teams — Castren, Leona Maguire, Nanna Koertsz-Madsen, Sophia Popov, Jennifer Kupcho, Yealimi Noh and Mina Harigae.
68: World ranking of Emily Kristine Pedersen, who made the putt to give Europe its 15th point and avoid a 14-14 tie.
3-1-1: Carlota Ciganda’s career singles record. She lost her first match Monday to Brittany Altomare.