The Europeans and Americans have both been trying to dampen expectations before the tournament gets underway Friday.
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“If you look at the rankings, the Americans have such a strong team”, Koch told reporters at the St Leon-Rot Golf Club in Heidelberg ahead of the opening foursomes today. “They are so much higher-ranked than we are”.
Europe are led by 44-year-old Carin Koch, who won two of her four Solheim Cup appearances as a player. I think their average in the world ranking is 24 or 25, and we’re 50.
Scotland’s Catriona Matthew, who will be making her eighth appearance in the event, said: “They are going to go in as favourites”.
As with the men Europe’s biggest asset is unity and team spirit with five of the 12 players having served their apprenticeship in the same Junior Solheim Cup side. All of us are hoping she will be fit to play at some stage before Sunday, for the sake of the matches. And you can’t put on paper somebody’s heart. “I think they lost the last two cups and there is definitely more pressure on them”. “They have personalities that go together and so do their games”.
The banter was all good natured, though, and there were beaming smiles and flag-waving aplenty from both sets of fans.
“My team is ready to go”.
Inkster expected to name Lee in the first morning foursome but the 20-year-old was taken ill with a stomach bug.
Inkster had picked Creamer and Brittany Lang to join the automatically qualified Lee, Stanford, Lewis, Thompson, Kerr, Wie, Salas, Lincicome, Morgan Pressel and Gerina Piller. “Catriona has the experience, can play with anyone and is always calm”, she said. Reid didn’t make the last team, and has admitted she nearly quit golf altogether in 2014 after a poor season on the Ladies European Tour as she struggled to cope with the death of her mother, Joy, in a vehicle accident in 2012.
The confidence Inkster has shown in Creamer – who has a 12-6-5 record in five previous Solheim Cups – by playing her right off the bat could be a psychological boost for Creamer.
“She thinks she’s getting better and as soon as she starts eating something it doesn’t sit well with her. I don’t want her heave-hoing out on the golf course, it’s not fun”. I felt like I had the guts to take it on in all matters. For a time, it wasn’t looking good. “I got to play with Annika (Sorenstam) and against some great Americans such as Juli”.
“But the past month it really has been night and day”. The Captain’s Agreement stipulates that every player must play in at least one match over the first two days of the competition unless the player is unable to play on Friday and/or Saturday due to injury, illness or personal bereavement. “And this week, too”, Wie said on Wednesday. I’m excited to be here. “I just wish I was that age again”. Caroline Hedwall (Sweden), Caroline Masson (Germany) and Karine Icher (France) are Europe captain Koch’s other picks. All have been linked to the explosive golf swing which shot her to prominence in the first place.
However, America’s Angela Stanford, who is ranked 35 in the world, countered: “I wouldn’t consider Europe underdogs”.
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After a run of three straight wins the USA team was defeated in Ireland in 2011 before suffering a thumping 18-10 defeat – it’s first on home soil – last time round. In 1990, the Solheim family, in conjunction with the LPGA and the LET, developed the concept and became the title sponsor for the Solheim Cup, professional golf’s worldwide match-play competition for women.
