Carmel, Ind. – The prevailing theory in golf holds that the single biggest factor in a team competition’s outcome is momentum, the elusive, rippling wave that spreads from a club face or putter head of one player into the crowd and around the grounds, eventually alighting upon the shoulders of teammates spread throughout the course.
However, by Saturday evening at Crooked Stick Golf Club, after the United States had rallied to take an 8-8 tie into today’s decisive 12 singles matches on the final day of the Solheim Cup, a pretty good argument could be made for karma.
Late Friday night, Cristie Kerr decided she couldn’t participate in the morning foursomes matches because of a sore neck. That necessitated a quick decision by U.S captain Nancy Lopez – one that would either be regarded as astute or asinine. Instead of choosing Solheim stalwarts Meg Mallon, Rosie Jones or Beth Daniel, all of whom were available, at 5:20 a.m., Lopez had assistant Donna Caponi knock on the door of Michelle Redman.
Redman, a four-time member of the team, was obviously experienced – it was just mostly the wrong sort. During the 2002 matches, she was ahead by five holes with five to play in her singles match against Suzann Pettersen – and lost each one. The following year, she contributed 2 1/2 points to the American cause, but that was quickly forgotten amid Europe’s 17 1/2-10 1/2 rout.
The attempt to gain back the Cup here didn’t get off to a good start on Friday, the U.S. falling behind 3-1 early, in part because Redman and partner Laura Diaz failed to hold a 3-up lead, eventually losing to Pettersen and Annika Sorenstam.
Even so, said Lopez, “I had to put my faith in Michelle. I needed to give her the chance to get back out there.”
So it was that the morning matches, and perhaps the ultimate result of the biennial competition, came down to Redman. With the U.S. clinging to a 1-up lead after 16 holes, the 40-year-old drained a tricky 15-footer to save a tie.
On the next tee box, it was the Europeans who faltered. Redman’s partner, Pat Hurst, put her drive onto the fairway, but Sorenstam, the world’s No. 1 player, pushed hers into the water.
From that point, in essence, all Redman had to do was get the ball anywhere near the putting surface. Perhaps fearing a case of nerves, the crowd gasped when she backed away from her approach shot. However, teammate Natalie Gulbis, cheerleading up at the green, merely shrugged.
“She does that all the time,” Gulbis joked. “We’re lucky if she doesn’t do it five times.”
Once was enough. Redman hit to just in front of the green and moments later, the Americans were celebrating a crucial win.
“It meant a lot to me,” a joyous Redman said of Lopez’s early-morning decision. “After yesterday especially, it meant a lot. I really wanted to show her that I could go out and do it.”
And, proving that payback is indeed a nasty, nasty proposition, in the afternoon four-ball, the Americans flipped the script on their opponents, falling behind in all four matches before rallying to eke out two of the four available points.
The only victory for the visiting side came from European powerhouses Sorenstam and Laura Davies, who beat Hurst and Christina Kim 3 and 2. Somehow, despite a combined 16 Cups totaling 51 team matches, Sorenstam and Davies had never been paired together.
Traditionally the strongest part of the Americans’ game, Lopez’s squad needs 6 1/2 points from the singles matches to regain the Cup. Europe can retain it with six points.
The U.S. has never lost a Cup on American soil.
“Our mantra now is to ‘finish it off,”‘ Mallon said. “And that’s what we did today.”
Anthony Cotton can be reached at 303-820-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com.
