Rookie shines
You would have been laughed off the table had you argued prior to the Solheim Cup matches at the Inverness Club that a rookie would lead the way. The premier team-based event in women’s golf has seen even steely veterans with otherwise-sterling careers buckle under the weight of great expectations. That said, you would have had the last laugh, because, in the aftermath of Team Europe’s stunning retention of the hardware in hostile territory, a rookie did shine brightest.
To be sure, you had a decent chance to be right on paper. With seven first-timers donning Solheim Cup colors in Toledo, Ohio, you’d at least have relied on middling odds to back up your contention. That said, appearance is one thing and performance is quite another. The annals of the biennial spectacle are littered as much by outstanding play as by cringe-inducing moments. It’s precisely why the proceedings have been uniformly compelling. Forget about the scores; every swing on every hole is crucial.
Which is why, for the most part, newcomers struggle not to make mistakes, let alone spearhead a winning charge. It’s also why Leona Maguire’s accomplishment is nothing short of remarkable. The fact that she proved to be first among equals in foreign soil serves only to underscore the magnitude of her achievement. When all was said and done, she was the only player on both sides to suit up in every single match through the three days of competition — and with reason; four victories and a tie had her a whopping 1.5 points clear of any other participant.
For longtime habitues of the sport, Maguire isn’t really a new face. Prior to turning professional, she ranked number one in the world amateur golf ranking for 135 weeks, the longest ever. Then, she starred in such notables as the Curtis Cup, the Junior Solheim Cup, and the Junior Ryder Cup. Now, she’s moving up the ranks with steady play along with the two triumphs on her resume; since June, she hasn’t posted a score outside the top 15 — a streak spanning seven stops.
How Europe will fare at Finca Cortesin in 2023 is the subject of another discussion. Experience carried the day for it two years ago, capped by a for-the-ages putt on the last hole of the last match of the last day; Suzann Pettersen, the heroine at Gleneagles, promptly retired. This time around, it rightly deserves to bask in glory, celebrating in the United States for just the second time in Solheim Cup history on the strength of Maguire’s excellent showing. And she’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
Courtside