By Dave Shedloski
Beware Spanish dancers on American soil in these biennial match-play events.

A Senorita in a red flamenco dress, waving the European colours, danced beside the first tee at Inverness Club Saturday afternoon as the second session of the Solheim Cup commenced, a fair representation of Europe’s mood on an opening day it largely dominated.

Were it not for two nail-biting wins in afternoon four-ball to split the session—one of which came after a controversial rules decision—Team USA would have been staring at a monumental deficit. As it stood, Europe, led by reigning AIG Women’s Open champion Anna Nordqvist and rookies Matilda Castren and Leona Maguire, waltzed to a record-tying 5½-2½ advantage on the strength of an inspired closing flourish in morning foursomes that resulted in capturing 3½ of the available four points.

Seven of eight matches went to the 18th hole, but Europe summoned most of the clutch shots for an unprecedented road advantage.

“It could have went either way. It happens that it didn’t go our way,” U.S. captain Pat Hurst lamented.

“Obviously, absolutely delighted,” European captain Catriona Matthew said. “We got off to a fantastic start winning 3½ to a half and obviously 2-2 in the afternoon was a solid result for us. We knew the Americans would come back fighting, and to get through that session without losing it was great.”

In 1987 at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, about two hours south of here, Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal danced on the 18th green after Europe secured its first Ryder Cup win on Yankee turf. At least he waited until the end.

Not to suggest that this 17th edition of the Solheim Cup is over—far from it. But the Europeans sure got a great head start toward securing their first win in America since 2013. Three times previously has the first-day lead been as large as three points, and each time by the home team on the way to victory. The most recent came in 2017 in Des Moines, Iowa, as the U.S. won by five.

Team USA never has come back from more than two points down after the opening day. And it could have been worse for the Americans, who at one point trailed in all four afternoon four-ball games before gaining a little purchase.

A rules technicality aided their surge to a respectable outcome.

Madelene Sagstrom picked up Nelly Korda’s ball that had come to rest on the edge of the cup at the par-5 13th hole, but match referee Missy Jones deemed that Korda’s 20-foot putt had a chance to drop in. Because Sagstrom removed it before waiting the prescribed 10 seconds, a violation of Rule 13.3b, Korda’s putt for an eagle was deemed to have been holed. Korda and Ally Ewing, who trailed by two early, took a 1-up lead and held off Sagstrom and Nanna Koerstz Madsen, 1 up.

“The ball was laying still, and I decided to pick it up,” Sagstrom said. “I do believe in integrity, and I do value myself high in that aspect, so I would never, ever pick up a ball that had the chance to go in. It was obviously a shock when I walked up to the next tee box to hear that position. I didn’t agree with it myself, but at the end of the day it wasn’t my decision. I’m a little disappointed, sad, feel a little bit bad for the rest of the team now, but we’re going to regroup.”

“A hundred percent believe Madelene did not for one instance think that ball had any chance of going in the hole when he she picked it up, and I don’t honestly believe Nelly or Ally actually thought it was going to go in either,” Matthew added.

The only other U.S. victory came when Lizette Salas sank a five-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole in Match 6 for a 1-up victory with Jennifer Kupcho over Carlota Ciganda and Sophia Popov.

The rest of the day belonged to the visitors, especially Nordqvist and Castren, who dismantled Lexi Thompson and Mina Harigae, 4 and 3, in four-ball in the only match decided by more than one hole. Earlier in the day the European duo opened the 17th Solheim Cup with a 1-up foursomes win over Danielle Kang and Austin Ernst.

“I think overall we played pretty solid today, and when we were off, we weren’t too far off,” Nordqvist, playing in her fourth Solheim Cup, said.

Added Castren: “Getting two points is more than I could ask for.”

It was almost more than Team USA managed all day, largely because of how the morning foursomes played out.

Maguire, the first Irish player to appear in the Solheim Cup, also won twice for Europe. First, she teamed with Mel Reid to deliver a statement 1-up victory over the previously unbeaten sister duo of Nelly and Jessica Korda in a match in which the Europeans never trailed. In the afternoon, Maguire and Georgia Hall broke a tie with Hall’s birdie at 15 for another 1-up decision over Brittany Altomare and Yealimi Noh.

Arguably the biggest match was the last in foursomes as Charlie Hull and Emily Pederson rallied from 2 down with four to play to steal a 1-up victory against Thompson and Altomare. The Euros converted three birdies, at 15, 16 and 18, with Pederson draining a four-footer on the home hole to complete the rally after Thompson had saved par from seven feet.

Also crushing for USA was the result of Match 2 in which the American team of Ewing and Megan Khang led for the first 17 holes, but only came away with a half-point. Hall and Celine Boutier, who went undefeated two years ago in three matches together at Gleneagles, won the last two holes. Ewing had a chance for the full point but missed from four feet for par.

“They’re playing fine,” Hurst said of her team. “Like I said, it could have went either way. I don’t want them to be down on themselves. If they just go out and play like they know how to play, we’ll do fine.”

The post Europeans outplay Americans when it counts, surge to big early lead appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Dave Shedloski
When is a ball not in the hole considered to be holed? That question was answered Saturday afternoon at the Solheim Cup when American Nelly Korda “made” an eagle at the par-5 13th hole at Inverness Club.

Korda lagged her curling 20-foot eagle attempt to the right edge of the cup, and in that circumstance, she would have 10 seconds to see if the ball would drop in. The catch is the opposing team also has to wait the stipulated amount of time to see if the ball falls in. But Europe’s Madelene Sagstrom, determining that the ball was not going to drop—it clearly was not moving or oscillating—picked up the ball after a few seconds and tossed it back to Korda, who still was on her knees after reacting to watching her putt miss by a sliver. Europe was already in with a 4 on Nanna Koerstz Madsen’s birdie.

Match referee Missy Jones immediately pointed out the rules infraction and awarded the hole to Korda and teammate Ally Ewing in the four-ball match. Despite arguments from Sagstrom, Koerstz Madsen and European captain Catriona Matthew, Jones’ ruling stood.

Solheim Cup with some big time rules controversy pic.twitter.com/2wPQjhnDXD

— Fore Play (@ForePlayPod) September 4, 2021

The decision gave the U.S. pair a 1-up lead, and Korda and Ewing made it stand for a 1-up victory, its first of the day, after the Euros had taken an early 2-up lead.

“Obviously, I wasn’t following the rules about leaving the ball for 10 seconds, but I do believe in integrity and honour of the game of golf, and I would never pick up a putt that had a chance to go in,” said Sagstrom, who felt “frustrated, angry and sad,” by the ruling. “I personally don’t agree with the decision with the ball being on the edge, but I didn’t follow the 10-second rule, so it sucks right now because I feel like I let my team down.”

Sagstrom violated Rule 13.3b, which states that “if the opponent in match play deliberately lifts or moves the player’s ball overhanging the hole before the waiting time has ended, the player’s ball is treated as holed with the previous stroke.”

An LPGA statement further clarified that in addition to Jones, the chief referee, match observer and TV observer all deemed that Korda’s putt was overhanging the hole, if ever so slightly, and that it was picked up by Sagstrom well before 10 seconds expired.

The group waited on the 14th tee until replays were reviewed. Things grew awkward the rest of the way, Sagstrom said, after having words with Korda. “We had a good cozy match before 14. We come in and got in that little argument with Nelly on that tee box, because she obviously knew that it was not going to go in, but the rules are rules, so that’s what she wants to follow.”

“If they want to win on something like that, that’s on them,” Madsen added. “I think it’s going to fuel a little bit of fire upstairs, so they’d better watch out tomorrow.”

“Yeah, it was definitely awkward, and you don’t want to win a hole like that,” Korda said. “I got off the green, and we kind of were talking, and Missy already came up to us and was like, ‘I’m calling it in, I want to check it out.’ We didn’t even have a say honestly.”

Neither Jones nor chief referee Sue Witters were made available for comment.

The post A strange rules controversy brews at Solheim Cup on Nelly Korda’s conceded birdie appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The good news? It seems highly unlikely that the course will experience the weather it was hit with on Wednesday, when a late April cold front brought with it an unsettling site.

Q: Hey @LPGA why don’t you play the @TheSolheimCup in April?
A: Have you seen @InvernessClubGS this morning :))
Bring on Sept – it’ll be rockin!! pic.twitter.com/9kzBjDuwzt

— Michael Whan (@USGAMike) April 21, 2021

Thankfully, there is plenty of time to get the golf course in order—there are 136 days until the first session begins—so a late April snowstorm shouldn’t have any impact the competition. However, like golfers who sees a bad shot from a player in their group just before they step to the tee, this lasting mental image in the heads of tournament organizers can’t be helpful in terms of boosting confidence that September will be that much better.

Suddenly, a little rain and wind don’t looks so bad afterall.

The post If the Solheim Cup was being played this week at Inverness Club, there would be a serious problem appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Keely Levins
Of the many scheduling changes that occurred in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, one big one was the Ryder Cup being postponed to 2021. In turn, the PGA of America and European Tour announced a shift in the Ryder Cup’s overall schedule moving forward; the biennial matches would be played in odd-numbered years instead of the even years it had been held since 2002. It was a move that was not only a big deal for PGA Tour players trying to make the teams, but also for the LPGA—because odd years have been when the tour has held the biennial Solheim Cup.

In 2021, both the Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup will be played in the United States, at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio, and Whistling Straits outside of Milwaukee, Wis., respectively. And in 2023, the Solheim Cup will be played in Spain, a week before the Ryder Cup will be held in Italy.

From then on, however, the LPGA Tour announced on Monday that it will hold the Solheim Cup in even-numbered years, citing the Ryder Cup’s shift as the reason for its change.

“With the world sporting schedule changing so much due to current difficulties, we felt it was in the best interest of the Solheim Cup to return to an off-year rotation with the Ryder Cup,” Dennis Baggett, Executive Director of the Solheim Cup, said. “When the competition returns to the United States in 2024, I have no doubt fans will have an incredible opportunity to celebrate the best women golfers from the United States and Europe as they represent their home countries.”

The Solheim Cup was originally played in even-numbered years starting with its inception in 1990 until 2002. But when Sept. 11 caused the Ryder Cup to postpone and shift its schedule, the Solheim Cup moved to odd-numbered years. That created a unique instance where the Solheim Cup was played in consecutive years (2002 and 2003) similar to what will happen in 2023 and 2024.

In the first week of September 2021, Catriona Matthew’s European Team will defend the cup against Team USA captained by Pat Hurst.

The post Solheim Cup moving to even-numbered years starting in 2024 appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Keely Levins
The 2021 Solheim Cup at Ohio’s Inverness Club is a year away, but conversations about the teams have already begun. More specifically, conversations about how the teams will be built.

Given the changes to and shortening of the LPGA Tour and LET schedules, respectively, due to the coronavirus, Team Europe announced on Monday that it will alter its selection process. Specifically, it will increase the number of captain’s picks Catriona Matthew can make from four to six while adjusting how many players come off the two points lists it uses to fill out its automatic qualifiers.

Let’s use the 2019 Solheim Cup as an example. For that year’s victorious European team, the first three players qualified off a Solheim Cup points list based on play only in LET events. The next five came from the Rolex World Rankings, with the final four were chosen by Matthew. One of those captain’s picks was Suzann Pettersen, who famously dropped her putt on 18 to win the cup for Team Europe.

In 2021, the first two players will come of the LET points list, and then four will come off the Rolex Rankings, with Matthew rounding out the team with six selections.

“We just felt with the players not playing as much, and all the schedules being up in the air, that it was just nice to do that and give you a bit more options and what you might do going forward next year,” Matthew said.

As for U.S. squad, team selection currently includes the top eight players from the Solheim Cup points list, two players from Rolex Rankings and two captain’s picks. While no official changes have been made as of yet, American captain Pat Hurst is hoping to add a few more captain’s picks as well.

“Definitely more than two … I think four would be great,” Hurst said. “I don’t know if we’ll get that. Who knows. … Let’s keep our fingers crossed and see if we can get four.”

Matthew proved how valuable a captain’s pick can be with her choice of Pettersen in 2019, filling the void of experienced leadership and seeing it pay off with the winning putt. With six picks, Matthew will have even more control over the makeup and balance of her team. It’s hard not to think that Europe having six captain’s picks to Team USA’s two is an advantage as they prepare to defend at Inverness in 2021.

The post The 2021 Solheim Cup is a year away, and captain’s picks could be more of a factor than ever appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

But the Hinkle Tree at the Inverness Club in Toledo was a notorious historical golf landmark for more than 40 years until its demise earlier this week when it was cut down after winds partially uprooted it.

“I was somewhat surprised it lasted that long,” former USGA executive director David Fay said on Saturday, recalling the tree’s appearance overnight at the 1979 U.S. Open. “It didn’t look like it would survive the week.”

The tree had stood sentry by the eighth tee at Inverness since the second round of the ’79 U.S. Open. The eighth was a dogleg par-5, and in the first round, Lon Hinkle played a 1-iron tee shot through a gap in the trees and down the adjacent 17th fairway, leaving him a 2-iron to the green.

The fact that Hinkle was co-leading the tournament helped thrust his shortcut into the news. But by the start of play in the second round, in an effort to block the gap in the trees down the 17th fairway, a 20-foot Black Hills spruce was planted there.

Fay, then the tournament relations manager and in his first year with the USGA, learned about it early the next morning.

“It certainly got the attention of then-USGA President Sandy Tatum, who did have a conversation with Jim Hand, chairman of the championship committee and P.J. Boatwright,” Fay said. “The club was instructed to buy a tree. I got in very early the next morning, 4:30, and Bob Yoder, chairman of Inverness’s green committee, came in with a little smile and a receipt. He held it a little over my desk and it fluttered down. I said, ‘What’s this?’

It was a receipt for $120, “for a tree your people ordered,” Yoder said.

Fay initially thought it was some sort of a joke, “maybe a rookie hazing thing,” he said. Nonetheless, Fay went out to the eighth tee box. “I see this mangy-looking thing. It was pretty rinky-dink. I was flabbergasted.”

Hinkle, meanwhile, learned of the tree via the media before he teed off in the second round. He was peppered with questions that he was unable to answer.

“By the time I got there [to the eighth hole] I was four over for the day,” Hinkle said via phone from his Montana home. “I looked at that little tree and thought, ‘son of a gun, this is what all that noise was about?’ ”

So he went over it with a driver and had only a 6-iron into the green. Hinkle went on to tie for 53rd in the U.S. Open. Though Hinkle, now 70, won three PGA Tour events, he’ll best be remembered for the Hinkle Tree.

“That’s probably true,” he said. “I recognized that pretty quick, that that was something I would have to deal with the rest of my golfing career.

“The best part of the whole deal, as I went back [to Inverness] years later, my picture was on the wall in the locker room along with Hogan and Gene Sarazen and Sam Snead and Walter Hagen. That was pretty cool.”

As for Inverness itself, any mention of it also likely will bring to mind the Hinkle Tree ahead of all the history that has transpired there.

“I suspect that if someone were to say the Inverness Club and the U.S. Open, they wouldn’t be talking about Harry Vardon, who almost won at age 50,” Fay said. “They wouldn’t have remembered it for Bob Jones’ first U.S. Open [in 1920]. They wouldn’t remember the longest U.S. Open of all time, Billy Burke and George Von Elm in 1931. They wouldn’t remember that that was the place the pros finally were allowed in the clubhouse. They wouldn’t know Inverness was where the concept of the USGA Green Section was created in 1920. But they would probably remember the ’79 Open and the Hinkle Tree.”

There is a postscript to the ’79 Open, incidentally. In 1980, the U.S. Women’s Open was played at the original course, now defunct, at the Richland Country Club in Nashville. During Wednesday’s practice round, Fay was out on the course and saw Beth Daniel severely cutting a dogleg, “straight-lining it,” Fay said.

He reached Boatwright on the radio and asked him to venture out to have a look.

“He ambles out of the cart and takes a look,” Fay said. “He said, ‘David, go over to the shop and get another tee sign prepared.’ He said, ‘walk forward. I’ll tell you when you to stop.’ I went 18, maybe 20 paces. ‘We’re going to play it from there.’

“He looked at me and smiled and said, ‘We aren’t going to need any f***ing tree this week.’ And he starts laughing.”

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