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Examine in each week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the most well liked subjects within the sport, and be a part of the dialog by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we break down the People’ Solheim Cup victory and stay up for an important occasions remaining in 2024.
The People reclaimed the Solheim Cup for the primary time since 2017, beating Europe 15.5-12.5 on Sunday at Robert Trent Jones Golf Membership in Virginia. What was the distinction for the U.S. this time round?
Josh Berhow, managing editor (@Josh_Berhow): The celebs confirmed up. Again in 2019, Lexi and Danielle Kang (two of their top-three gamers) mixed for two factors. In 2021, that duo mixed for two.5 factors. Final yr, Rose Zhang solely secured a half level, and Lilia Vu, who gained two majors final season, earned only a level. This season? Zhang was 4-0! Lauren Coughlin, the most well liked U.S. participant coming into the week, didn’t decelerate, ending 3–0–1 to safe 3.5 factors. Throw in three factors from Nelly Korda, whose solely loss was to a dialed-in Charley Hull on Sunday, and that’s the way you win on house soil.
Sean Zak, senior author (@sean_zak): Generally, it’s so simple as what Josh says above. The very best gamers on the U.S. confirmed up. An much more strict studying is that they merely held serve. They had been the favourite, they’ve the perfect gamers, and so they had been enjoying at house. It’s by no means that easy, however the higher group gained. That’s not all the time the case.
Jonathan Wall, managing gear editor (@jonathanrwall): I concur with my colleagues. The massive names confirmed up and put factors on the board in bunches. The chances enhance drastically in your favor when the large weapons are firing on all cylinders. Fortunately for the People, all of it got here collectively this week.
Who takes house MVP honors for every group?
Berhow: It’s straightforward to simply decide the highest point-earner… however I’m going to select the highest point-earner, particularly since Rose Zhang went from incomes only a half level final yr to 4 this yr. And Rose didn’t simply win this week, she dominated — 3 and a pair of, 5 and 4, 6 and 4, and 6 and 4. She by no means performed the ultimate two holes this week, and three of her 4 matches didn’t make it previous the 14th! I’ll give Hull the European MVP. She earned 3 factors however, extra importantly, took down Nelly Korda within the leadoff match of Sunday singles. If Europe was going to mount a comeback, that needed to occur.
Zak: I’ll lean in Megan Khang’s path for the American honors. She’s the lifeblood of the squad. She will get the perfect golf out of her bestie, Nelly Korda. She thumped Emily Pedersen in her singles match. And Berhow nailed the European honors. Charley Hull, enjoying 5 matches, did every little thing she might to squeeze out factors for the group in blue. Man, she’s enjoyable to look at play golf.
Wall: It needs to be Rose Zhang. She continues to reside as much as the hype on the largest phases. Staff USA was all the time going to wish their stars to step up when it mattered to interrupt the Solheim Cup drought — and Zhang did so when it mattered most. She stored the potential for an all-time Sunday comeback on ice.
Whose efficiency had been you most stunned by?
Berhow: Stunned may not be the best phrase, however Lauren Coughlin had a robust task this week. She gained in every of the previous two months and was enjoying what was primarily a house recreation, which solely added stress on prime of lofty expectations. She delivered, and that’s not straightforward to do.
Zak: I believe Esther Henseleit is the identify to look at for 2025. She didn’t go undefeated and didn’t play 5 matches, however it felt like each time I noticed her hit an strategy, it was flagged. She by no means appeared to shrink back from the second, which you like to see from a rookie (and somebody who was outdoors the highest 100 on the earth originally of 2024). Add it to her silver medal from August, and this might be the summer time that basically launched a profession.
Wall: I’ll go along with the occasion organizers. With an occasion of this magnitude, you’d assume each logistical state of affairs would have been mentioned and analyzed earlier than the opening tee shot on Friday. It was one of many largest blunders I’ve ever seen.
Might European captain Suzann Pettersen have performed something otherwise? What modifications or tweaks would possibly you’ve got made?
Berhow: I don’t assume Leona Maguire was thrilled to play simply twice after she was a key member of the final two Solheim Cups, however she additionally wasn’t nice in a day four-ball matchup on Friday, which led to her lacking all of Saturday. Onerous to second-guess an excessive amount of right here. Like I mentioned earlier than, the People’ greatest gamers did their jobs. And, as Rory McIlroy has instructed us, it’s actually laborious to win these group occasions on the street.
Zak: It’s humorous. The vast majority of this European group was ultimately yr’s Solheim Cup, the place they gained. So we’ve modified location and we’ve modified just a few gamers and earned a barely completely different end result. What provides? Not a lot is the reply. I’m unsure she wanted to do something completely different. The Euros gained 1.5 fewer factors this yr. That may come right down to randomness.
Wall: I hate second-guessing the captains within the aftermath of defeat. They’re attempting to make the perfect choices in the mean time, even when they appear just like the incorrect ones after the very fact. As Josh talked about, solely trotting out Leona Maguire twice in three days is an odd one. She was a key cog within the final triumph for the Europeans and will’ve helped cease the bleeding when issues went sideways throughout group play. Her feedback on social media confirmed she wasn’t proud of the choice. I don’t blame her.
Friday’s first day was marred by transportation points, which left a whole lot of followers stranded for hours within the car parking zone and compelled them to overlook the opening tee photographs. What’s your tackle the snafu and the LPGA’s response to it?
Berhow: We lined this extensively right here, however it sounds just like the weekend was significantly better. How this occurs on the primary event day of the LPGA’s largest occasion of the yr continues to be a head-scratcher, however I’m glad issues had been fastened for Saturday and Sunday and it wasn’t a storyline.
Zak: It’s actually unlucky. It made me actually unhappy to see pictures and movies stream throughout social media of hundreds of people that needed to look at ladies’s golf however couldn’t. Clearly, the LPGA made applicable modifications over the weekend, however you merely can’t make a mistake that large and kill one of many best vibes in all of golf: Friday morning on the first tee.
Wall: Earlier than final week, the worst transportation debacle I ever witnessed was the 2012 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. It took over two hours to go 10 miles on a media shuttle. Some tournament-goers received so annoyed, they determined to stroll to their vehicles. The Solheim Cup debacle was on one other degree. How the LPGA allowed issues to go from dangerous to worse on Friday is baffling. I really feel dangerous for everybody who confirmed up and waited in line for hours, solely to look at the opening tee photographs on their telephone. That ought to by no means occur at an occasion of this magnitude.
Our Dylan Dethier broke down the key occasions nonetheless remaining in 2024. That are you most excited for?
Berhow: The Hero and PNC Problem took a success if Tiger Woods isn’t wholesome sufficient to play following his newest again surgical procedure, however it’s received to be the Presidents Cup. The PGA Tour vs. LIV match is an intriguing angle, however I’ve grown bored of these manufactured made-for-TV occasions.
Zak: I’ll choose the Dunhill Hyperlinks, performed out over three programs on the east coast of Scotland. And never simply with the everyday DP World Tour crowd. This yr’s Dunhill goes to have Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and various the perfect European execs. And for the oldsters who’re prepared to show over to soccer viewing season, that’s OK! The Dunhill will principally be within the morning time. Espresso golf lives on!
Wall: The RSM Basic is a sneaky-good occasion. Guys are cagey as a result of their job is on the road, and it’s robust to beat Sea Island within the fall.