| Date: Monday December 18 Time: 9:30 p.m. GMT, BBC Radio 5 live |
| Iain Carter talks to captain Suzann Pettersen, vice-captain Dame Laura Davies and others as he revisits a sensational Solheim Cup where Europe retained the trophy with a 14-14 draw in Spain. |
Europe’s stunning fightback to retain the Solheim Cup came only after harsh words from skipper Suzann Pettersen during a team meeting in which she “put to the test” her players.
The Norwegian’s impactful words inspired one of the most memorable weekends of the 2023 golf season as her team recovered from losing the first four matches of the September competition to force a 14-14 draw against the United States.
This meant the crystal trophy remained in the hands of the Europeans for an unprecedented third consecutive match. Yet by lunchtime on the first day, the home side’s prospects at Finca Cortesin in Spain looked bleak to say the least.
America swept Friday’s first session, winning all four matches, including a 5&4 drubbing of Charley Hull and Emily Pedersen by Ally Ewing and freshman Cheyenne Knight.
“We never got a look at it,” assistant captain Dame Laura Davies told the BBC Sounds edition of All About Suzann Pettersen and the Solheim Cup.
“Four-0, never in my wildest dreams did I think we were going to lose four-0,” added the Englishwoman. “We were in the locker room thinking about limiting the damage, not trying to win it.
“Because at four draws, this early and with so many points to play for, you almost think we don’t want to be absolutely beaten here and suffer a record defeat.
“I don’t think we knew what to do, to be honest with you, but Suzann had a great plan and we went out in the afternoon and everything went well.”
Europe won the tournament in four post-lunch balls 3-1, but still trailed 5-3 at the end of the opening day. Pettersen was pleased with the response, but still felt it was time for her team to hear some truths.
“When we all finished on Friday, some kind of devil came through me and I felt like I had to let the players know exactly how I felt,” Pettersen revealed.
The captain says the details should remain for “inner ears”, but it’s clear there were issues in the team room that week that needed to be addressed.
“She came in early with some pretty shapely girls,” Davies said. “But she also explained to them that she was the captain and what she was saying was because, you know, there were a few things that might have gotten under her skin a little bit.
“She just asserted her title as captain and it was the best thing to do.”
Pettersen insists it was a necessary intervention, even though the seeds of the fightback had already been sown by winning the afternoon session. “I have the impression that the players were waiting for this speech,” said the 42-year-old from Oslo.
“It felt like I had been too nice to them earlier in the week and finally I showed up with the fire, the fighting spirit that I had throughout my playing career.”
All was quiet as Pettersen, her husband Christian and vice-captain Davies left the golfers to attend a press conference. “We walked out of the room and it was dead silent after she finished,” Davies said.
“And she asked, ‘Was that too much?’ And her husband Christian said “no, it was great, I really enjoyed it”. That’s when the girls realized they weren’t just there to have fun, they were there to try to win this thing.”
The next morning’s foursome session was split before Carlotta Ciganda and Linn Grant spectacularly closed out a fourball 2&1 victory over Danielle Kang and two-time major winner Lilia Vu to level the overall score at eight heading into the final day.
Fortunes fluctuated throughout a thrilling denouement, but once again Europe looked beaten as they trailed 13-11 and Caroline Hedwall appeared headed for defeat against Ewing as she began to go down the final straight.
Pettersen was confident her team would come within half a point of the 14 required to retain the trophy. But, with three points down, Hedwall made a monster putt on the 13th and that proved the catalyst.
The Swede won the final three holes to secure the vital point that allowed Ciganda to finish the job by beating Nelly Korda. The Spaniard birdied the 16th to take a lead and her captain, out of breath, issued another telling message.
“I just looked at her and said, ‘Is this how you wanted it?'” Pettersen revealed. “‘Everything is in your hands, in Spain, at home, with this crowd watching you. It’s all yours, so there you go. It’s on a silver plate, show me what you’re made of.'”
Ciganda duly obliged, almost hitting his tee shot at the par-three 17th to win the point that meant Europe could not be beaten. “It was very special,” the Spanish star told the program.
“I was very inspired by her and it was an incredible moment for me.”
This caps off three extraordinary days which, from a European perspective, had started so unpromisingly. Pettersen’s impassioned remarks Friday night proved pivotal in delivering one of the great golf stories of the year.
“It was almost nicer to be able to succeed after such a difficult start,” she said. “It was a huge team effort to get everyone on board and turn the ship around.”
