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8-24-09
While it was Morgan Pressel’s 3 and 2 victory over Anna Nordqvist that clinched the Solheim Cup for the U.S. women, it was Michelle Wie who really helped make it happen.
Wie, a Solheim Cup rookie, went 3-0-1 on the week. She led the Americans to their third straight Solheim Cup victory on Sunday, a 16-12 decision over Europe. Many sports writers say this will be remembered as the event that kicked off Wie’s career.
“I think this is the most fun I've ever had playing golf,” Wie said after her first round. “It was just unbelievable, the crowds, the cheers, the pressure, everything about it. It was the most fun I've ever had on the golf course, and it was nothing like I've ever experienced before.”
Heading into Sunday’s singles matches, the event, held at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill., was tied at 8-8. But the Americans came back and scored eight points during the singles matches, a portion of the matches the U.S. has only lost three times.
Wie’s successful week climaxed on Sunday with a 1-up victory over Helen Alfredsson in singles play. Wie, one of two captain’s picks on the 2009 team, earned three and a half points on the week. Just the second LPGA Tour rookie to play on the U.S. Solheim Cup team, Wie joined Morgan Pressel and fellow Solheim Cup rookie Brittany Lang as the only undefeated Americans.
Lang went 1-0-2 in her rookie effort on the U.S. team, scoring two points. One of her most crucial points came in Sunday singles play when she halved her match against Laura Davies.
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