Team Europe retained the Solheim Cup after a thrilling 15-13 victory.
The sights were familiar, well-remembered by every golf fan from Gleneagles two years ago: a victorious Captain, Catriona Matthew, hoisted aloft by her beloved Team Europe on the 18th green, chants of "Olé, Olé, Olé” ringing out in cacophonous celebration, and the European team lifting the trophy overhead, having once again defeated the USA Team.
But this was a vey different victory. It’s only the second time in history that Team Europe has won the Cup on American soil — the only other time was in 2013 at Colorado Golf Club. Also, the European Team led wire-to-wire, looking unflappable in the face of home team advantage and a partisan USA crowd. And, instead of a veteran being the hero, as was the case with Suzann Pettersen in Scotland, it was a rookie from Ireland, Leona Maguire, who led the way for the blue and yellow and a rookie from Finland, Matilda Castren, who drained the crucial putt that sealed the deal and returned the Cup to Europe.
Catriona Matthew is now the only European captain ever to win back-to-back Solheim Cups. Thoroughly impressed with her squad’s ability she said:
“Two years ago at Gleneagles in Scotland was fantastic, but this time in America we were up against it. The Americans were a fantastic team this year. They played hard. We just perhaps holed a few more putts and we’re lucky we came out on top."
“I think we were a team of 12. They all contributed. One person doesn't win it, we needed all 12 of them, so just congratulations to the whole team.”
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