[PHOTO: Scott Taetsch]
The US Solheim Cup team only needed to look at the first tee grandstands to understand that something was wrong. Assistant captain Brittany Lincicome, who walked with the American’s first foursomes pairing of Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz, noticed the lack of fans and typical buzzing energy around Robert Trent Jones Golf Club’s first tee early on Friday, local time.
“It’s disappointing,” US Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis said. “It is what it is. You play in these things for years, and things happen. Unfortunately, it was a big one.”
The American captains were initially oblivious to why the stands were so empty. It took a social media post for the captain’s group to understand the long delays fans faced, with a long line to get a shuttle bus to the course. Lincicome was frustrated once she understood the delay in fans arriving was due to the tournament not having enough shuttles and that the LPGA could be losing out on a critical chance to expand their fanbase.
“Somebody had one job and totally whiffed,” Lincicome said. “It’s really disappointing because these are our fans and if we’re trying to build up women’s golf and golf in general and now we’re going to maybe chase them away, they don’t want to come back tomorrow.”
Korda, playing in her fourth Solheim Cup, felt the energy difference on the first tee until around the fourth or fifth hole when she and Corpuz started feeling the normal Solheim Cup energy. The fans emerged in full force for the lead American pairing around the 14th green, the closest part of the course to where fans were shuttled. Korda and Corpuz fed off the energy, winning the par 5 for their second of four straight holes before closing out their match 3&2.
“Obviously you notice that the stands aren’t full, but what matters is everyone is out here now cheering for us loud,” Korda said. “Obviously we have no part in the transportation issues. With the amount of people that are coming in, I know they’re breaking records with the amount of attendance, it’s going to be tough to get everyone in smoothly.”
Lincicome’s frustrations extended to the missed experience for Lauren Coughlin and the three other Solheim rookies.
“I feel bad, especially like the rookies,” Lincicome said. “Like Lauren, seeing that first tee, that’s not how it should look, just being a veteran, you know?”
The LPGA, beyond a statement acknowledging the transportation challenge, did not provide an answer to multiple requests to confirm the timeline of what happened. A former Solheim Cup player, asking for anonymity, was the only one to point any direct finger at the LPGA.
“I mean, how could they f–k that up so badly?!” the player texted. “At the nation’s freaking capital?!”
US assistant captain Angela Stanford initially compared the shuttle situation to the extended wait times she had to get to courses at past Curtis and Solheim Cups she attended, empathising with the tour on the challenge to bus fans around. When asked about the patience of the fans waiting in line to get to the course today, she only expressed admiration and preached for them to have patience with the tour.
“Makes me love them more,” Stanford said. “That, I mean, isn’t it awesome that there are that many fans that want to come see us?
“Hopefully, they’ll understand. Hopefully they’re being patient with us, and hopefully they’ll get out here and just hopefully they’re a little bit agitated, and they’re ready to yell and scream.”
