Follow us on Google Discover Anna Nordqvist claimed that many do not understand how high the standard is at the Solheim Cup as she explained her decision to send Charley Hull out first in the Sunday singles.
Europe regained the Solheim Cup at Bernardus this past week. While the 15-13 scoreline suggests that the event went down to the wire, there was never really a single moment on Sunday where it appeared as though Team USA would win.
Who was your standout performer at the Solheim Cup?
Europe secured a 15-13 victory in the Netherlands!
Nordqvist appeared to take a gamble by sending Charley Hull out in the top match after a disappointing first two days for the Brit.
Anna Nordqvist reflects on sending Charley Hull out first for the singles at the Solheim Cup
Hull had lost three of her first four matches in the Netherlands alongside Lottie Woad. Nevertheless, her captain never lost faith in the 30-year-old.
That decision proved to be a good one, with Hull beating Megan Khang 3&2 to secure Europe’s first point of the afternoon.
And when asked about preparing her order for the singles, Nordqvist insisted that Hull had played a lot better than many would realise.
Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP via Getty Images
“So we were looking at the stats yesterday to see the players that had made the most birdies in the first couple days, and [of the] top four players, we had Carlota Ciganda, Charley Hull, and Lottie Woad. So what most people don’t understand is the best golfers in the world are competing in these two days, and Lottie and Charley played really good golf and the U.S. just played a little bit better,” she said.
“So there was no doubt putting out Charley first. Being the leader of this team, we knew she was going to deliver. It was blue on the board early. Lottie’s been very steady this week. It was nice to see her finally hole some putts and seeing her make the winning point.
“Nanna came out really hot today. It was nice to see her smiling. Her and the other three girls that sat out yesterday afternoon, they came to the first tee. They were the ones in the grandstand laughing and cheering and they were really good teammates. And if we look back at the week, that’s one of the moments I’m going to remember most because that’s what a good teammate is to me.”
Why Charley Hull and Lottie Woad may still be one of Europe’s most likely pairings for Valhalla
Hull is the enigma of the European side. When she is at her best, she is almost impossible to compete with, as Nelly Korda found out in the singles two years ago.
But she appears to be someone who is far less comfortable in the team environment than others. And that may explain why she has had so many different partners in the Solheim Cup over the years.
Many European fans would have at least split Hull and Woad up for Saturday afternoon if they had been given the chance. But Nordqvist deserves credit for sticking to her plan.
Obviously, the assessments would have been completely different had Europe gone on to lose. It did appear that Hull and Woad just struggled to hit the crucial shots over the first two days.
It will be very interesting to see whether Hull and Woad continue together in 2028 at Valhalla.
Nordqvist staying on for another spell as captain makes sense after her recent retirement from playing. And if she does decide to continue, then she may be confident that Woad is the right person to bring the best out of Hull in Kentucky.
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