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And so began the U.S. bid to retain the crystal trophy that was
perched on a stand just behind every player teeing off on Day 1
of the noisiest event in women's golf.
There was star power in the first foursomes match out at 7:40
a.m. local time in the Netherlands, with Team Europe's top two
players, Lottie Woad and Charley Hull, up against Corpuz and
top-ranked Nelly Korda, who were aiming to become the first
pairing to have a 5-0-0 record in Solheim Cups. Woad poured in a
15-footer for birdie at No. 1 to put the Europeans 1 up, as the
party continued about 350 yards back down the fairway.
The first tee is always the place to be in these big teams
events and it lived up to its billing Friday inside the
horseshoe-shaped grandstand containing around 3,000 spectators.
U.S. captain Angela Stanford danced onto the tee after emerging
from the tunnel. Maja Stark and Linn Grant, Europe's Swedish
pairing, swayed their hips to ABBA's “Dancing Queen.” U.S.
rookie Lindy Duncan took video with her cell phone. Irish player
Leona Maguire teed off in Match 3 after chants of “We've got
Maguire, USA is terrified!” and cheers for each of her
backswings.
“They’re living the dream,” European captain Anna Nordqvist said
of the players, “and as a golfer it doesn’t get better than
this.”
It was all very jovial, though, with respectful silence for each
drive in front of a banner that read: “Dutch Courage. European
Glory.”
The United States has an 11-7-1 advantage in a series that dates
to 1990 and needs 14 points to ensure retaining the trophy, two
years after a 15½-12½ win in Virginia.
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