Obviously, as an American I'm extraordinarily pleased that the United States team received the Solheim Cup on Sunday. But with all of the controversy that surrounded it, I also have some mind of my personal.
First of all, it is able to marvel lots of you that I don't really have a hassle with Suzann the use of a little gamesmanship at some point of the suits. While I personally would not want to win the use of it, it's a valid technique that has been used for decades on the Ryder Cup and probable for centuries in case you want to include all of the casual fits that have been played on account that golf become invented. It's commonplace exercise in each recreation.
I assume there had been reasons that this example prompted so much controversy. The first is in reality that Suzann would not admit that is what she did. Regardless of your feelings about gamesmanship, you in all likelihood have a hassle with dishonesty and, if you're ashamed to admit you play thoughts games, you possibly shouldn't play them.
But the bigger hassle is who have become her target. Alison Lee made a rookie mistake, but this is the whole point. She WAS a rookie -- now not only a Solheim Cup rookie, however she's in her rookie yr as a pro. Bear in thoughts that she failed to even claim as a seasoned till after she correctly made it via Q-School final season, so she hasn't even been a pro for a full yr. Using gamesmanship on a rookie like Alison simply comes throughout badly, and I suspect it is why it drew such harsh complaint from even European players like Laura Davies.
Credit Suzann for being the type of lady who can in reality reflect on her moves and then say sorry. And she must get it too. We preserve pronouncing that we want our sport to educate values, and the potential to understand that we are all human and that a sincere apology -- which Suzann issued Monday morning -- merits to be established is actually one of the values we want to pass on.
In case you missed it, Tripp Isenhour made a case on Golf Central that the official on the spot mishandled the whole affair and that The Decisions on the Rules of Golf would have allowed Alison's ball to be replaced and putted without penalty. Here's a link to the Monday Golf Central show if you'd like to hear what he said. The show began with the controversy and Tripp's explanation begins at around the 5:10 mark.
Of course, the whole situation pointed out a real danger of gamesmanship: The target may find new motivation in what he or she sees as a cheap trick and then lift his or her play as a result. Suzann may have won the point in that match, but the backlash likely caused the loss of several points in singles. If you saw the team huddle after it happened then you heard the team consoling Alison... and you heard Stacy Lewis tell the team to use it as motivation. If you're someone who likes to use gamemanship, that's a caveat you should take to heart.
Another thought: Juli Inkster turned into a Hall of Famer earlier than, however she will be a legend now. Think about how Ben Crenshaw and Jose Maria Olazabal are seemed in Ryder Cup circles; Juli joins them as the simplest captains to coach their groups back from 6-10 deficits. The younger gamers already assume she's first-rate. Now, given her personal document in Solheim Cup play, plus her seven majors and 30-something total wins, that is just going to elevate her popularity to a degree that borders on reverence.
Are there any US players whose careers may suddenly get a boost from this Solheim Cup? Gerina Piller and Lizette Salas are likely to get the "Solheim bump," coming through under pressure the way they did. Alison Lee might also, given how she rebounded from the controversy and won her singles match.But I wouldn't be surprised if Angela Stanford got a bump as well; she had the worst record coming in (3-11-3) but she's the one who took down Suzann by making two critical birdies on 15 and 16 after Suzann's run on 11, 13 & 14 squared the match.
Lexi Thompson was already playing well but her performance definitely gave her a new position as a leader on future teams. I don't know that it will have any immediate effect on her game but she should gain some confidence from this. And perhaps Stacy Lewis will look at her struggles in these matches and realize she's got to make some mental adjustments to her game -- I know she feels she needs pressure to perform but she's clearly putting more pressure on herself than is healthy. Her game is just too good for the results she's been getting lately.
As for the Euros, Karine Icher and Mel Reid should have taken some real encouragement from their play, and I think Anna Nordqvist and Carlota Ciganda are in the same situation as Lexi Thompson. I'm not sure how the losses Sunday will affect the rest of the team since they were so overwhelming that they may feel more like a blip in the road once the initial shock wears off.
Overall, a tight competition always helps an event like this. And after this incredible finish, the Solheim Cup should be a much bigger source of interest when 2017 rolls around.
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