Let battle commence
Team America have the honour of the first tee shot at Killeen Castle just after 7.40am when Michelle Wie or Cristie Kerr will get the 2011 edition of ladies golf’s biggest event underway.
Wie and Kerr face European pair Maria Hjorth and Anna Nordqvist in the opening foursomes of a three day card when many feel the very future of this competition is at stake.
For all the love and affection flowing between the two teams in the build-up to today’s opening shots, rivalry must now overtake conviviality.
“We’re done with the gamesmanship of the past but we are still very competitive and we want to win,” said home team vice-captain and Solheim Cup legend Annika Sorenstam.
“It is important that Europe wins and I always think positive. The USA have won the last three Cups but a lot of our players have beaten some of the US players individually this year so why can’t it happen here in Ireland?
“I believe that anything is possible and this is the week that it will happen for us. We can’t look backwards, we have to look forward.”
Sorenstam also confirmed yesterday she wants to captain Europe in the future, a publicly stated ambition that must only add to the pressure on current skipper Alison Nicholas.
“I would love to do it,” said Sorenstam.
“I am seeing what it takes to be a captain this week and I think Alison is doing a wonderful job.
Major winner Nicholas herself is desperate to atone for her debut defeat in Chicago two years ago and took first blood when she out-manoeuvred her opposite number Rosie Jones with the pairings for this morning’s foursomes.
Jones fully expected Europe to send current world number two Suzann Pettersen and her fellow Scandinavian Sophie Gustafson out in the opening match.
That’s why Jones selected Michelle Wie and Cristie Kerr as her opening match pair – only to discover Pettersen and Gustafson will lead from the back against Julie Inkster and Brittany Lang.
“That’s strike one to Europe – Alison got me there,” admitted Jones ahead of yesterday’s lavish opening ceremony in front of the 800-year-old Killeen Castle.
“I actually thought that she would put Suzann in the opening match, she has a tendency to do that. I was kind of working on what she has done before. That didn’t work out but it will be okay.
“I’ve got heavy hitters in every match so I’m not really worried about it. Michelle and Cristie have played together and have a lot of success together. They’re good leaders, we want to get that point up there on the leaderboard fast.”
Europe lead America in the rookies table – five to three — ahead of today’s opening games but that is not seen as a disadvantage by the home team.
“The Americans are favourites on paper and in the world rankings they are higher up than us but we have a good team, a good blend of experience and young players who are used to winning across the world,” said Scotland’s Catriona Matthew.
“Even though they are Solheim Cup rookies they have all proven that they can win tournaments. We all feel we have a team good enough to win this week.”
England’s Karen Stupples feels the burden of expectancy will be spread across the European team as they look to stop America’s three match winning streak.
“Traditionally, Europe’s top players have had a lot of pressure on them because they’ve known that their points in the singles were going to be huge for the team but that is no longer the case,” said Stupples who partners European Tour winner Melissa Reid against Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome in the second game out this morning.
“This year it is different. We are all playing well, we have all been successful in our own right and there is a real balance to the European team. There isn’t the same kind of pressure as before. We’re going to do just fine.”
7.40 – Hjorth/Nordqvist v Wie/Kerr
7.52 – Stupples/Reid v Creamer/Lincicome
8.04 – Matthew/Munoz v Lewis/Stanford
8.16 – Pettersen/Gustafson v Inkster/Lang
