'Fireworks expected as US seek Solheim success'

Stand by for another weekend of extreme golfing drama because the Solheim Cup has established itself as the sport's most dependable source of thrilling and feisty matchplay.

With the United States desperate to end an unprecedented run of European success, up to 100,000 fans are expected to pack the Robert Trent Jones course in Virginia for the matches which begin on Friday.

This is an area rich with American civil war history and it is surely set to bear witness to stirring sporting hostilities in the coming days.

Of those, a couple of thousand will be cheering Suzann Pettersen’s European team. The rest will be belting out chants of “U-S-A, U-S-A”, to urge the home team to lift the precious trophy for the first time since 2017.

Pettersen and opposite number Stacy Lewis share great mutual respect, especially after last year’s thrilling draw at Finca Cortesin in Spain - the first in the contest's 34-year history.

But they are also uncompromising competitors and the Solheim is no stranger to controversial moments.

To add to the potential spice, this is the first time in nine years since two principle figures in one of the match’s most infamous moments last lined up against each other.

Alison Lee has returned to the US team. She was the player who erroneously picked up her ball in the 2015 match in Germany, thinking a short putt had been conceded by the European pairing of Charley Hull and Pettersen.

The Norwegian, now leading Europe, had other ideas and contentiously claimed that 17th hole and it helped Europe take a 10-6 lead into the closing singles matches.

The Americans were outraged, and the incident proved the inspiration for a stunning fightback and an extraordinary victory for the visitors by the narrowest margin.

Back then Lee was badly shaken by her rookie error and resulting furore, while Pettersen agreed it was not her finest moment. Nearly a decade on, the US golfer is a more mature and composed figure.

She was assured and pointed when asked about the incident this week. “I would say in the moment it was tough,” Lee said. “I was very intimidated at the time.”

But referring to Pettersen, the 29-year-old Californian gave no ground. She said: “I'm not going to lie, I haven't really talked to her at all since then.”

Europe’s skipper has no reason to reopen old wounds. Quite rightly she says “the past is the past and we are way beyond that” and points out that both teams have changed substantially since then.

However history suggests there is plenty of potential for the blue touch paper to be ignited once again.

In 2021 there was a row when Madelene Sagstrom picked up Nelly Korda’s ball as it hung on the edge of the hole. Too quickly, it was deemed.

The Swede was left in rueful tears after the match was lost by a single hole, with Korda being awarded an eagle because her ball might have fallen below ground on that 13th hole.

Sagstrom and Korda, who describes this contest as “unfinished business”, will be on duty on opposite sides once again this week, as will Carlota Ciganda.

The Spaniard, who was an emotional hero on home soil a year ago, benefitted from a contentious drop in Colorado in the 2013 match. This followed an argument that lasted around half an hour over where it should occur.

No one compromised on that occasion and nor did they elsewhere in that contest when it was claimed Europe should have been penalised. This was because a caddie, under instruction from vice-captain Annika Sorenstam, tried to tactically concede an American putt.

And Sorenstam was involved in perhaps the Solheim’s most contentious moment back in 2000. The Swedish legend holed a crucial chip while playing with Janice Moodie at Loch Lomond’s 13th hole.

The US pair of Kelly Roberts and Pat Hurst claimed that, even though their opponent was off the green, she had played out of turn because their ball was further away on the putting surface.

American captain Pat Bradley (auntie of new US Ryder Cup skipper Keegan Bradley) ordered Sorenstam to play again, nullifying the chip in. Europe called it an “unsporting decision”.

Passions always run high in Solheim Cups. "I never really do big gestures and stuff when I make a putt,” Swede Maja Stark, who is playing for the second time, explained.

“All of a sudden at Solheim, I just started screaming and fist pumps and everything. I had no idea that was going to come out.

“So I know that that might happen this week.”

These Europeans are up for the fight - just as they were in Toledo three years ago when they had no travelling support because of Covid travel restrictions.

Defending the trophy in Ohio that week was the continent’s finest hour. It would be a similar scale of achievement were they to do it again here in Virginia.

There is significant mutual respect between the teams; they share the same LPGA tour week in, week out.

But this is no ordinary week. It stirs emotions like no other and there are fierce competitors on both sides.

This means we are likely to witness another compelling contest and a sprinkle of controversy would come as no surprise.