PETTERSEN RELIVES SOLHEIM CUP HIGHS AND LOWS

Suzann Pettersen has had an incredible Solheim Cup journey since first appearing in the biennial tournament as a rookie in 2002.

Over three decades the Norwegian has become synonymous with the prestigious event, staring for Team Europe in nine Solheim Cups in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2019, when she famously holed the winning putt at Gleneagles in Scotland.

Bowing out with a 18-12-6 win-loss-tie record, Pettersen will now captain Team Europe in the next two editions of the Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesín in 2023, and Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in 2024.

Speaking exclusively to the Ladies European Tour (LET) on Episode 3 of the LET Golf Podcast, the two-time major winner takes us through the highs and lows of her illustrious Solheim Cup career…

If I look back at my career, had I not had all the Solheim Cup memories, experiences, and everything that comes with it, a huge part would be missing. The Solheim Cup has been the highest high, but I’ve also had some of the lowest lows in the event.

If you take out the winning aspect, there’s so much more you sit back with in the aftermath. You bond for life with the players. You have memories for life. When you share a journey together with other people it all becomes different. As individual athletes, it definitely means something different. Solheim is the pinnacle of women’s golf. It’s amazing how it always brings out everyone’s best game.

2002: Interlachen

I didn’t really know what to expect. Everything was overwhelming. All the stuff in the room, the reception, being a part of a team, having our own cars. I remember sitting in this American sedan, it was like three seats in the front, I was stuck in the middle and Laura Davies was driving. This was all new to me.

I got to play with superstars who I’d looked up to. They were my role models, icons of the game, and I was fortunate enough to be a part of it. It was amazing. There’s 10 times bigger crowds, 10 times more pressure, and everything is on the line. I think from then on I just loved it.

Obviously you had my famous f-bomb live on TV. That’s probably what I’m most famous for in 2002! But then there was my comeback against Michele Redman. At the time it looked like a crucial point, but in the end we sadly lost. But I think that helped me grow as a person, to be thrown into a situation like that. Being part of one, you then want to be part of all of them moving forward.

Result: Europe 12.5 – USA…