The United States Solheim Cup team did what it was supposed to do.
The best team won on Sunday out in Des Moines, it was no contest, really. Wasn’t expected to be.
Julie Inkster’s band of women had too much firepower and too much talent for Annika Sorenstam’s European team.
Final count was 16 1/2 to 11 1/2.
There was little drama in this three-day domination, very little. Once the Americans skunked the Europeans in the Friday afternoon matches, the long-term handwriting was on the wall, if their was a wall. No wall, just a scoreboard. The numbers didn’t lie.
Neither did the gap in talent between the two teams. Europe was thin enough on talent then their most high-profile player, Suzann Pettersen, withdrew due to injury.
That injury forced Sorenstam to throw one of her assistant captains into the mix — 47-year-old Catriona Matthew.
No, no drama but there was one incredible, memorable match on the way to 16 1/2 points.
Inkster threw her best player at Europe right out of the blocks and Sorenstam did the same.
It was world’s No. 2 Lexi Thompson against world’s No. 12 Anna Nordqvist. Strength vs. strength.
The day couldn’t have started worse for Thompson. She would have had to play better to look awful the first three holes.
Lexi missed a three-foot putt at the first and lost the hole. One down.
Lexi shanked a wedge at the second hole. Two down.
Lexi shanked a nine-iron at the third hole. Three down.
Thompson staggered out of the box like a wino on a three-day bender. It wasn’t pretty.
By the ninth hole, Nordqvist had built a four-up lead and the match didn’t appear worth watching.
Thompson got a hug from her captain then encouragement from legend Nancy Lopez. Then something happened.
Thompson would come up with a seven-hole run seldom seen in the world of golf.
Starting at the 10th hole, she went: birdie, eagle, par, birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie. Eight-under par through those seven holes. Her eagle at 15 drew her to even with Nordqvist then a nice birdie putt at 16 put her ahead for the first time in the match.
It was at the 17th when Thompson Achilles Heel showed itself. She had a four-foot putt to win the match and missed. She gave life to Nordqvist.
Nordqvist took total advantage at 18 after Thompson’s second shot left her a 20-footer for birdie. Nordqvist stuffed her approach within a foot for a conceded birdie.
Thompson’s putt missed and the match was halved. Probably fitting. Both fought hard, really hard, especially Thompson.
“That had to be the weirdest round of golf I’ve every played, a crazy round,” Thompson said afterward. “I shoot two-over on the front, eight-under on the back? I don’t think I was awake on the front nine. I was all-in on the back. I shot lights out.”
Nordqvist was visibly shaken after Thompson’s birdie putt at the 16th, but pulled herself together to tie the match.
“I’m speechless,” she said. “Just no words. The shot she made for eagle at 11 was impressive, so was her putt for eagle at 15 and then her birdie putt at 16. I’m completely exhausted right now.”
Thompson’s performance over those final nine holes turned the tide for her team. The scoreboard went from blue early to red late and after all was said and done, the singles matches ended in a 6-6 standoff.
But it was the five-point margin coming in that made the U.S. simply too tough to beat.
The U.S. was supposed to win big and did. In the process, Inkster joined Judi Rankin on the short list of captains who have guided back-to-back winning Solheim teams.
The turnout was strong, folks in Des Moines were happy.
They should be, Hawkeye football is right around the corner.
