© Solheim Cup

“I thought this call would come, not knowing if it would be good news or bad news. "

“Over the past six months, I have said to myself that the moments spent as an assistant captain of the Solheim Cup in 2015, 2017 and 2019, were without doubt among the most beautiful experiences of my professional career and would perhaps have prepared to be captain in 2021 at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. "

“I loved being an assistant captain and what I learned from captain Juli Inkster and all those great players from the last three American teams in the Solheim Cup. I loved being on the first tee in this amphitheater with a noise so loud you could feel it. No women's golf event has given me as many shivers and tingling sensations along the arms as the intensity of a Solheim Cup ”

“I also loved the strategy and the details, the planning, the motivation and the discussions. Juli relied on all of her assistants - Nancy Lopez, Wendy Ward and myself - to engage with the players and see who was playing who and which holes were suitable for one type of shot over another. We gave our opinion on the composition of the team. And we took care of a lot of the details so that the players could focus on the game. ”

“Juli has always been open to the idea of ​​using the group system that Paul Azinger created at the Ryder Cup in 2008. It just made sense. The United States is a great country with its peculiarities. It's difficult to create alchemy with twelve independent personalities in three days of pressure. Juli therefore divided the team into three groups, each made up of four players with similar personalities. These four players knew they were going to play together, so they prepared as a group. "

"Europe has another approach which consists of making players from the same country or region play together"

“It was a pleasure for me to learn more about the American players, to see their personalities and to see how they reacted to their teammates and their captain. And it was a joy to be with Juli. It was a great source of motivation and communication. From the first meeting, she told the players what was going to happen and what to expect. She did the most important thing a Solheim Cup captain could do: she took away the surprises. Because of that, and because she was such an inspiration, the players would have moved mountains for her. "

“Deep down inside, I was also hoping to have the chance to bring my personal touch with what I had learned from Juli. "

“But I didn't want to hope too much. I have a wonderful family, a loving husband, two wonderful children, and since retiring I have worked as an assistant to the female golf coach at my alma mater, State University of San José. Life couldn't be much richer or more satisfying. "

“So I tried to get the Solheim Cup out of my head. Then, as I waited alone in my car while my husband, Jeff, did some shopping, my phone rang. It was LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan. I have never been so nervous to answer the phone. My heart melted when Mike said, "I'm sorry to tell you this just now, but I wanted to tell you first." "I think my breathing stopped until he said:" The job is for you if you accept it ""

“I said, 'Of course I want to! ""

“Now that I have had the chance to have this great honor and this enormous responsibility, I am giving everything I have. I will definitely be using the group system again. Why spoil success? And I'm definitely going to go out to see more young players, the ones I haven't had the chance to meet or see play. "

“I played at Club Inverness, but haven't been there since the recent renovations. Can't wait to see how he is now. Of course, there will be less pressure to win at home in front of a fan crowd. But I'm ready to do it and I know our players will be. "

“Juli is the first person I called after hanging up with Mike. I'm sure she knew it before I did. That didn't stop her from being delighted for me. "

“We are two different people, but we are also great friends who love and respect each other. I want to bring the best of what Juli communicated to me and do it with my own personality. I think I have established a lot of trust with the players. I'll have my own assistants and we'll make sure the players know we're there for them. We'll take care of the details. We want them to go out, play, have fun and birdies. "

“Is it different from previous captains? No of course not. But we all do similar things in different ways. I can only hope that my path will be as successful and memorable as those that came before me. "

By Pat Hurst

To know more : http://www.solheimcup.com/

To go further, read our last article on the Solheim Cup

Solheim Cup: Catriona Matthew again captain in 2021