Much is made of the Friday morning pairings when it comes to a Solheim or Ryder Cup, too much if we’re being honest. We’ve had a two-year build-up, weeks of guessing games as to who might lead both teams out and the anticipation tends to get the better of most of us.
Then we’re into the matches, various partnerships pass us by and, before we know it, we’re trying to second-guess who the singles will play out.
What will likely stand the test of time is Stacy Lewis’ decision to lead off with Lexi Thompson whose record coming into the matches was abysmal. In 11 starts this year, which tells you enough on its own, the 28-year-old has missed eight cuts.
Come lunchtime in Spain the Americans had amassed a 4-0 lead, only the second time the Europeans had been whitewashed in Solheim history, and the first in the opening exchanges.
Suzann Pettersen’s team, billed as favourites and the ‘strongest’ ever European side, never led any match at any point.
The tone was set by Thompson and Lewis’ faith in her most experienced player. Looking in from the outside Thompson would be best left until the fourballs, or even the Saturday. Her chipping is suspect, the course is pretty funky and her putting from short range has historically been on a par with her short game.
But, whatever’s been going on behind the scenes, has worked for Thompson a treat. She’d previously switched to a claw grip with the putter that looked to be working beautifully but it was the last-minute nature of bringing Thompson and Megan Khang together that speaks volumes of the captain.
There were only a handful of holes left of Thursday’s practice left when Lewis asked the duo to find a ball that suited them and, come the opening ceremony a few hours later, they were being announced in the lead match.
Thompson would take the opening tee shot, Khang would be left with far shorter shots in and they managed to withstand a European fightback by Maja Stark and Linn Grant.
“Lexi said, play hard, play to win, and we kept on. It was awesome out there. Lexi crushed her drive and that was it. I had some numbers that I didn’t even have in the book. I was like, wow, this is different,” explained Khang.
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