The Tour Blog
Welcome to the Tour Blog, where Golfweek reporters Jeff Babineau,
Jeff Rude, Rex Hoggard, Dave Seanor, Alex Miceli, James Achenbach, Alistair Tait and
Beth Ann Baldry deliver the latest inside news and happenings on the
PGA Tour, LPGA and European Tour.
Editor's note: This is the archived
material from the Solheim Cup.
HALMSTAD, Sweden – The Solheim Cup captains are announcing their singles lineup when they come into the media center in about 30 minutes (9 p.m. Swedish time). What’s wrong with this picture? Saturday’s foursomes session hasn’t finished! So much for putting together a strategy based on the standings. Maybe captains do get too much credit in these team competitions.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Sept. 15
HALMSTAD, Sweden – Was pleased to learn today that the media center can withstand wind gusts of up to 110 mph. Right now it's only gusting at about 40 mph. That said, it’s loud as hell inside here and the lights are swaying from the ceiling. I’ve had enough and am going outside to watch golf all afternoon.
– Jay A. Coffin
Posted Sept. 15
HALMSTAD, Sweden – Thank goodness for the Junior Solheim Cup teams. Without them, the atmosphere would have been dead on the first tee for the start of the Solheim Cup.
The two teams gathered behind the first tee at around 7:30 a.m. and whooped it up big time from then until the last foursomes match went off at 8:50. They sang songs, cheered individual players and even hailed the caddies.
The European team may have won the Junior Solheim Cup, but they lost the singing battle.
The Europeans turned up with song sheets and looked like they’d spent all their time working on their games rather than the songs. The U.S. kids had no such problem. They could have passed for a cheerleading team.
Their song choices were a little strange for a golf tournament. They sang “She’ll be Coming ’Round the Mountain,” “Yellow Submarine” and a version of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back,” with “putts” replacing “butts” in the line “We like big putts and we cannot lie...” – Go figure!
Still, it made for the sort of brilliant, convivial atmosphere you don’t get at the Ryder Cup. Well done kids.
– Alistair Tait
Posted Sept. 14
HALMSTAD, Sweden – The sun is out (finally) and Team Europe is seeing a bit of light in that Annika Sorenstam is starting to put some red numbers on the board. After losing her opening match paired with Catriona Matthew, 4 and 2, against Sherri Steinhauer and Laura Diaz, the Swede failed to notch a birdie on the front nine of fourball competition.
But she’s starting to give Maria Hjorth a little help on the back side with birdies on Nos. 11 and 13. However, USA still leads the match, 1 up. Sorenstam is in danger of being shut out on Day 1 for the first time in her Solheim Cup career. Europe can’t win this thing without her.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Sept. 14
HALMSTAD, Sweden – Watched all four matches tee off this morning then went to the merchandise tent along with the U.S. Junior Solheim Cup team. Bought a ski cap because it’s a little chilly and was looking for a Solheim Cup logoed ball for my little boy’s golf ball collection. Was told the Solheim Cup balls were sold out, which strikes me as odd because it seems like there haven’t been 100 people here all week.
The gallery is quite large this morning, however. Perhaps they all bought logoed balls on the way to the first tee.
– Jay A. Coffin
Posted Sept. 14
HALMSTAD, Sweden – Couple quick observations from the Solheim Cup opening ceremony:
• The U.S. team gave a standing ovation to European Solheim Cup captain Helen Alfredsson and Laura Davies, who has played in all 10 Solheim Cups. The Europeans did not stand either time.
• LPGA founders Louise Suggs and Marilynn Smith raised the U.S. flag while playing the "Star Spangled Banner."
• It was the most serious I’ve ever seen Helen Alfredsson. EVER. She threw in a couple zingers late, but mostly stuck to her script.
– Jay A. Coffin
Posted Sept. 13
HALMSTAD, Sweden – Laura Davies is a reporter’s dream. Funny, frank and original. It’s no wonder journalists scurry to get a seat when Davies enters the interview room. Davies, the only player to participate in every Solheim Cup since its inception in 1990, was joined by Suzann Pettersen Thursday for an 11 a.m. press conference.
Here are few of today’s gems:
On her relationships with the American players: “We’re all good friends now. None of the American -- maybe one ...
When pressed for a name, Davies said, “I would never tell you. It’s a 12-to-1 chance. I’ll let you make a guess.”
On playing practice rounds: “Just misery for me. ... I must admit the first three practice rounds, I just don’t enjoy them. Whether that makes me a bad professional, I have no idea.”
On fitness: “Everyone goes on about all this fitness and it’s walking and swinging a club. I don’t buy into it at all.”
On her captain, Helen Alfredsson: “You always hear her before you see her. ... Communication side, has been as good a captain as I’ve seen. I mean, tactic-wise we’ll have to wait and see. But if we win, she’s a great captain. If we lose, she’s a bad captain. You never hear of anyone being a great captain when they’re not holding the trophy. It’s up to us now to make her a great captain.”
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Sept. 13
HALMSTAD, Sweden – Helen Alfredsson didn’t hold back when asked about European stalwart Laura Davies. When things aren’t going well for LD on the course, it’s more than obvious. Captain Alfredsson made it clear she wouldn’t hesitate to put the Englishwoman in her place.
“I’ve known her for so many years, and she knows she can’t pull any of those tricks with me,” Alfredsson said. “I’ve seen her in some bad conditions together in town so, you know, I have that on her. And if she doesn’t behave, she knows that I’m going to let a few out.”
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Sept. 13
HALMSTAD, Sweden – Needed sunglasses to shield my eyes from the bling coming from Annika’s rock during today’s press conference. Good thing she takes the monster off when she plays.
– Jay A. Coffin
Posted Sept. 12
HALMSTAD, Sweden – For the Europeans to find success at the Solheim Cup, they’ll need their core group of veterans at their finest. Suzann Pettersen, fresh off her victory three weeks ago in front of the home crowd at the SAS Masters in Norway, fell ill with the flu last week and arrived in Sweden Monday feeling less than refreshed.
Word is she’s regained her form, a welcome bit of news for the home team.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Sept. 12
HALMSTAD, Sweden – It’s not the Oscars gift bag but the ones here at the Solheim Cup are pretty spiffy nonetheless.
Both teams were showered with gifts from various sponsors. The Solheim family threw in video iPods and Bose headphones, while Canon gave each player a new PowerShot camera. And there were clothes aplenty.
The coolest gift of all?
“The most useful one for all of us was the foot tanner we got because we got white feet,” European rookie Becky Brewerton said. “I didn’t know they had them. It was great to get them.”
Sometimes it’s the little things that matter most.
– Jay A. Coffin
Posted Sept. 12
HALMSTAD, Sweden – The sun peeking through the clouds Tuesday afternoon was a welcome sight in this corner of the world, where it’s been an abnormally wet summer. It was a near picture-perfect afternoon here for team photographs on the 18th fairway.
Not surprisingly, the good weather isn’t expected to last. Showers are forecasted for Wednesday morning and much of the weekend with highs in the mid-50s Saturday and Sunday.
While the American team looks good on paper, playing in cold, rainy conditions on foreign soil has never been its strong point. But don’t tell the U.S. rookies that.
“I don’t know if we really think of ourselves as rookies,” said captain’s pick Nicole Castrale. “At least I don’t. We play with these players day in and day out, and they don’t treat us like we’re rookies. Except Juli Inkster told me I had to pack her luggage on the way home.”
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Sept. 11
HALMSTAD, Sweden – So far the theme for this week in Sweden is “cozy,” and we’re not talking team chemistry. American players and officials who are accustomed to wide open spaces likely found their quarters at Halmstad a little on the small side, particularly those who have a sink in the shower.
Perhaps they’ll carry over that close-knit mentality to Friday foursomes.
– Beth Ann Baldry
Posted Sept. 11
Posted: 11/13/2007
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