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The U.S. team rallies from two matches down to beat Europe in the Solheim Cup.
©Associated Press
September 23, 2002
EDINA, Minn. -- Call them brats, over the hill, cocky or no-talents.
Most of all, call the Americans winners -- as in winners of the Solheim Cup after a comeback Sunday that brought one of the top prizes in women's golf back to the United States.
Led by Wendy Ward's clutch effort against Annika Sorenstam, the United States came from two matches down to beat Europe 151/2-121/2 and win the 17-inch Waterford crystal cup.
Moments after the win was clinched, American captain Patty Sheehan dropped her head to the ground in relief and celebration. It was a satisfying victory for the Americans, who listened to the comments of next year's European captain, Catrin Nilsmark, played again and again leading up to the matches.
Nilsmark called Laura Diaz "cocky" and said Cristie Kerr was "a little brat." She criticized Michele Redman for lacking talent and said Meg Mallon's best years were behind her.
The Americans tried to set the shuns aside, but admitted it motivated them.
"It helped us bond together, and it made us want to fight it out," Emilee Klein said last week.
After falling behind 9-7 Saturday, the Americans needed at least 71/2 points to win the cup they lost two years ago at Loch Lomond.
The United States might have expected wins from players like Diaz, Juli Inkster and Pat Hurst, who chipped in on No. 16 to close out her match.
Ward, however, could not have been on the radar.
Ranked 56th on the LPGA money list, Ward faced the world's best player, Sorenstam, and played her even through 18. She had a chance to win on No. 18, but skidded a 4-foot putt past the hole.
It did not matter. She halved the match, earning a half-point the Americans did not expect.
Sorenstam did the unfathomable on No. 14, missing from 2 feet to give Ward a brief 1-up lead.
But as far as miscues, none topped Redman's ordeal in what turned out to be the match of the day.
Leading Suzann Pettersen by five with five holes left, Redman watched the Norwegian chip in on No. 14 to stay in the match. What ensued was a fairway-missing, three-putting meltdown by the American. It was worse on No. 17 when she ran a 25-foot putt past the hole and down a sharp hill, leaving her with a 40-footer for bogey.
On 18, Pettersen hit three solid shots to the par-5 green and made a 15-foot putt to halve the match and give Europe an unexpected half-point.
By then, however, Sorenstam was in trouble and Americans were leading in almost every other match.
"I got the half-point, that's just the way it worked out, the team won and that's all that matters," Redman said. "My teammates pulled me through, and I'm really happy about that."
Sheehan was criticized Saturday when she rested three of her best -- Inkster, Diaz and Mallon -- during the afternoon matches, which Europe swept 4-0. But the move paid off. All three won Sunday as part of an 81/2-31/2 runaway in singles.
"This was very hard," European captain Dale Reid said. "But we didn't make a lot of points. We had a lot of three putts. It just didn't seem to want to drop today."
Beginning in 2003, the Solheim Cup will be played in odd years, so it won't compete with the Ryder Cup, which was put on an even-year schedule after it was postponed in 2001 because of the Sept. 11 attacks.