Home turf gives USA slight edge over Europe
We know the captains. We know the course. We now know the teams.
But in reality, we don’t know much about how this year’s Solheim Cup will play out.
U.S. captain Juli Inkster and European counterpart Annika Sorenstam revealed their final rosters Sunday. The Solheim Cup will be contested Aug. 18-20 at Des Moines Golf and Country Club.
The event has become an undeniably more dramatic affair this decade, with the European team gaining considerable ground on what had been an American cakewalk.
Europe edged out a victory in 2011, throttled the USA on the Yanks’ home soil in 2013 and all but coughed away a three-peat two years ago in Germany. The USA needed a four-point comeback on the final day to wrest back the crystal.
So much of the result can hinge on specific pairings of players, but we’ll do our best to handicap what we can. TEE TO GREEN Driving might be important, but getting on the green in the requisite number of shots is the name of course management. Get yourself enough birdie putts, and you’ll be everyone’s match-play friend.
Inkster has emphasized greens in regulation for several months. Comparing the teams lends remarkably even results.
Adding up the greens-in-regulation rankings of all 12 U.S. players on the LPGA tour nets an average position of 35.1.
Take the greens in regulation rates of the European side, no matter their Tour, and insert them to where they’d fall on the LPGA list? The average position is 35.5. Advantage: Even PUTTING Just about every match-play competition comes down to whose putters are warmer.
Past performance is no predictor of future results, but the same rankings experiment done on greens in regulation nets the following: U.S. average, 47.5; Europe, 98.9.
Furthermore, the USA has eight players ranked in the top 50 on Tour in putting. Europe has five in the top 100.
Advantage: Strong, USA CHEMISTRY/TEAMWORK The numbers don’t lie: Europe holds a 107-93 edge in the foursome and four-ball categories.
Inkster enlisted the MeyersBriggs personality test to assist in possible pairings in 2015, and she instituted a pod system — pairing likely teammate groups with one another in practice rounds — that she plans on using again.
Still, the results weren’t groundbreaking: Europe led 10-6 after the first two days in Germany, and it held a 10.5-5.5 stranglehold in 2013. Expect an uphill battle early on.
Advantage: Moderate, Europe HOME TURF The course will be long (almost 6,900 yards) and punishing with wayward drives, but it will reward precision and cool putting.
What will work for the USA will be an expected record crowd and a hostile one.
Advantage: Moderate, USA