In the immediate aftermath in Spain last year, U.S. captain Stacy Lewis concentrated on her players. She didn’t want the 14-14 tie to feel like a colossal failure. The cup stayed with Europe, the defending champs. But Lewis felt her team had a done a lot right those three days at Finca Cortesin.
On the plane ride home, however, with daughter Chesnee sleeping by her side, Lewis allowed herself a moment to cry.
“We worked so hard, and we put so much into this,” said Lewis, fighting back tears nearly a year later, “and it was a tie, you know … but that was the only moment I gave myself.”
From then on, it was back to the mission of “unfinished business.” For three years, there’s been no break for Lewis, who like European captain Suzann Pettersen took on the monumental task of heading two Solheim Cups in two years.
Stacy Lewis, captain of Team USA and Suzann Pettersen, captain of Team Europe hold the Solheim Cup trophy prior to the Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin Golf Club on September 19, 2023, in Casares, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
With Team USA winless since 2017 and with five rookies on her squad last year, Lewis couldn’t simply maintain status quo. She needed to shake things up.
Inspired by the resources utilized by Ryder Cup teams, Lewis worked with longtime LPGA partner KPMG to create a new analytics platform for the biennial event. No U.S. captain has ever had so much data at her disposal, and Lewis took advantage in Spain, shaking up her pairings right down to the last minute based on information that was coming in during practice rounds.
There were a couple pairings she tried to push in Spain, and one that was particularly good statistically, but when the players didn’t want to play together, Lewis allowed the human element to prevail.
When it came time to make her three picks for the 2024 team, Lewis found herself pacing the floor of her St. Andrews apartment as the final round of the AIG Women’s British Open unfolded. She had a short list coming into the week, but as the different scenarios for automatic qualifiers began to shift, Lewis’ job got tougher.
Ultimately, the team ended looking exactly like she thought it would several weeks ago, with Lexi Thompson, Jennifer Kupcho and Sarah Schmelzel as the three captain’s picks. Schmelzel and Lauren Coughlin, two thirtysomething late bloomers, are the only rookies on the team. There are nine players returning from Spain, with Alison Lee qualifying for the…
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