Report from the Solheim Cup

[asitlies3]

Thanks Blue, again very good reporting from you.
Hope you get to see lots of good shots from
both sides.

Go USA!!!

asitlies

[Ricearoni]

Thanks Blue and Willy. I've also heard about the parking situation - sheesh!

Looks like a great deal of fun out there. Enjoy yourselves.

[LoJo]

Nothing like Solheim. Loved every minute when I attended. I envy your being there.

Thanks for the reports.

[MPfan]

Went to the first tournament round today with Mothra87 and lpgafan132,
Followed Morgan and Michelle in the morning and that match ended in a tie, the Americans were 1 up going into 18 but Catriona Matthew rolled in a 12 foot birdie putt to halve the match. Michelle hit the shot of the day on 15 after missing the fairway right.She hit some kind of utility wood over water to reach the par 5 in two.
In the afternoon we followed Natalie and Christina, who closed out their match 4&2.
Wish I could say more right now but I have to get up early tomorrow.
I will try to summarize more for the weekend.

Go USA!

[bangkokbobby]

Thanks Blue and Willie...man, I am super jealous...well...I guess I just have to make sure to be there the next time!!

In the meantime, continue to enjoy your weekends, guys...can't wait for more reports!

[Putter]

And thank YOU, MPFan!

[Blue]

Here's a quick report for Day 1 because I have to leave for the course now. Reportedly the organizers are going to do something about the parking/travel situation, but it probably won't change things too much.

The LPGA obviously cut big corners on this event. Besides the lack of shuttle buses that resulted in 2-4 hour delays for most people driving to the course yesterday, there are long lines for porta-potties because there are not very many (they were scrambling to bring extras late in the day yesterday but they didn't have any handwashers -- bring your own hand sanitizer), and for food -- not many food tents and only a few volunteers working them. There also seem to be not many volunteers working altogether. This meant on more than one occassion we saw fans strolling up fairways because there no marshalls to control them. Good side is there was no one to collect parking fees and no one selling beer so not a lot or drunk rowdies.

I heard later that the TV announcers characterized the traffic problem as "this is just how popular this event is!" No, really it was just bad organizing. You can't funnel all the traffic into a single two lane road for the last 3 miles to park people across the street from the entrance.

OK on, to golf! Excuse the typos because I'm typing fast. Also, if you're watching on the Golf Channel, you probably know a lot of this or know it more accurately.

With all the traffic delays, I didn't get to the course until about 11. Went out to the par 3 13 and waited for the morning groups to come through. One highlight was Michelle Wie hitting close to the pin and then hitting a birdie to bring her group back to all-square. They went 1 up on the next hole, though I didn't see it. Michelle's mother, who was walking inside the ropes as were many family and friends of players, went completely ape-sh*t on 13. I didn't see this from anyone else who was inside the ropes all day.

Other highlight of the morning, the Lang-Lincicome group which was on a tear. On 13 Lang hit another birdie to put the group dormie. I didn't get to see them clinch the win on 14 because there was a huge crowd -- huge crowds all day and I decided to grab a quick bite for lunch and grab a good spot for the PM matches.

I wasn't on 18 when the controversy with the Wie-Pressel group happened. All we knew is that they were on that hole forever. I'm still not sure what happened except there was a long wait and then I saw that the hole was halved and obviously the match.

Highlights for the afternoon: On 3, a par 3 with a tee shot over a marshy area with water right a sand to the right and left of the green. US was already 2 up by that point in the match I believe. Inkster had the tee shot for the US, hit it into the deep bunker right of the tee. The Euros hit it to about 20 feet of the hole so we it looked like we'd drop that hole. But Creamer , got it out and about 15 feet above the hole and Inkster sunk it. She was really happy. Afternoon, another Inkster highlight: Her second shot on 12 -- she hit to within inches of the hole. Maybe it was her third shot. I can't remember if 12 is a par 4 or par 5.

The crowds were huge all day until very late in the afternoon when it started raining and looked like there might be thunder and lightning. The temp also dropped. I've never been to the Solheim Cup or anything like this before and I never even watched it on TV before (wasn't broadcast where I was) so this was all new to me. I've been to four US Women's Opens and this was a very different atmosphere. It was super dramatic but because there were only four groups on the course at a time it was also kind of hard to get close. Good thing I have binoculars. I met people from all over the world and the atmosphere was amazing. The fans were super educated. I thought I knew a lot about women's golf, but these people were geniuses.

A few other observations. Lots of people inside the ropes, as I mentioned: family, friends, sponsors, other players. Pat Hurst was walking with Juli Inkster's group both in the AM and PM; she was with someone else who looked like a player or former player I should know but I'm not quite sure who she was. She looked like a slightly older Becky Brewerton or a heavier Heather Daly-Donofrio. Karrie Webb was driving Meg Mallon's golf cart. Patty Sheehan was walking around both inside and outside the ropes and smiling and waving to everyone. She has good energy, as they say. All the players who weren't in afternoon groups were out on the course: Morgan following the Castrale-McPherson group inside the ropes. Michelle outside the ropes around the 15th holes (for those who wonder: no special security), Lang on the cart with Mallon and Karrie Webb.

Thanks Blue - I saw Karrie Webb driving a golf cart on TV as well.

[Blue]

Originally Posted by waldorf

Thanks Blue - I saw Karrie Webb driving a golf cart on TV as well.

I kind of figured everything I'm talking about was shown on TV, discussed in depth, and accompanied by a graphic.

I left out the Fashion Report. This is for Saint-Just-X.

USA: Another unfortunate day. Royal blue pants, shorts, or skirts, the shorts with white top-stitching to make them look like jeans. Baby blue shirts with poofy sleeves. There was an optional vest than had a white band at the bottom that gave the effect of looking like the shirt was untucked. I had one of these in junior high. That was a long time ago.

Europe: Boring, but safe. Black bottom, with white and black color block shirt -- I think that's what it's called.

The US needs to call Tim Gunn in ASAP. Their outfits are retro but not in a good way. When it started to rain, the Europeans had nifty blue and gold Team Europe umbrellas while the USA had boring black and white PING-branded umbrellas with no red, white and blue.

A lot of the fans dressed in patriotic garb. TV probably showed the fan dressed as the Statue of Liberty.

[xman5]

Originally Posted by Blue

The crowds were huge all day until very late in the afternoon when it started raining and looked like there might be thunder and lightning. The temp also dropped. I've never been to the Solheim Cup or anything like this before and I never even watched it on TV before (wasn't broadcast where I was) so this was all new to me. I met people from all over the world and the atmosphere was amazing. The fans were super educated. I thought I knew a lot about women's golf, but these people were geniuses.

Great report.
Get there early.

Pleas don't mess with this event.