Northern Virginia welcomes the golf world as Solheim Cup kicks off

GAINESVILLE, Va. — After years of planning, it’s finally time for Northern Virginia to welcome the world’s best in women’s golf. 

The Robert Trent Jones Golf Club is ready to put on a Solheim Cup show, with its stately Georgian clubhouse gates opened for a rolling, tree-lined and windswept test between the United States and Europe along the shores of Lake Manassas.

“I think this is a very nice piece of property. I think this is a very typical American golf course,” European captain Suzann Pettersen said. “LPGA has obviously played a lot of events in Virginia in history. For me, this reminds me of a lot of the courses we’ve been at previously. I think it’s in spectacular shape.”

Normally a biennial match-play event, the cup named for golf equipment designer Karsten Solheim is being contested in back-to-back years after the Ryder Cup was moved to odd-numbered years because of the pandemic. With such a quick turnaround, both Pettersen and U.S. captain Stacy Lewis are reprising their 2023 roles.

“I wouldn’t say my perspective has changed,” Lewis said. “I’ve just really enjoyed the last, I guess, almost three years. It’s been some of the most fun times I’ve had. It’s been a lot of work. It’s been sleepless nights at times, but it’s been a lot of fun.”

The weekend kicked off with a star-spangled opening ceremony Thursday, complete with team introductions, a military flyover and country music concert behind the clubhouse. On paper, the homestanding Americans are the favorites, boasting both the world Nos. 1 and 2, Nelly Korda and Lilia Vu.

“I love match play,” Vu said. “I feel like there’s really no fear and no pressure. You go out and try to score the best you can. If not, just try again the next hole.”

Korda has won six times on the LPGA Tour this year and was the first American to clinch her spot on the team. Her success has her in the starting position, leading the U.S. off along with Allisen Corpuz in the first foursome match against Europe’s Charley Hull and Esther Henseleit in front of a first tee crowd of a couple thousand screaming fans just after sunrise Friday.

“There’s nothing like it,” Korda said. “There’s nothing like walking onto that first tee and feeling all those nerves. I think it’s something super exciting too and refreshing to have a teammate, have teammates and captains and people to lean on when you normally don’t.”

Europe is defending the trophy after a 14-14 tie last year in Spain allowed them to retain the title. A win at RTJ would be only the third for the Europeans on U.S. soil and give them possession of the cup for a record fourth-straight time.

“I think playing away, you’re always an underdog. I think that’s how we’ve always looked at it,” Pettersen said. “Yeah, if you look at the previous three Solheims, we’ve come out on the high side, and we’re going to try and keep that going for sure.”

For Lewis, her dozen all have Solheim experience except for two — Sarah Schmelzel and Charlottesville native Lauren Coughlin — and with her leadership and the team’s experience, there’s an expectation for the U.S. to stop the European streak.

“Stacy’s been awesome. Honestly, I don’t feel like anything’s drastically changed from last year,” said California native Andrea Lee. “She’s very level-headed. She knows that we’re doing our own thing, we’re doing our best for our team and for ourselves out there, and she trusts us. That allows us to put a lot of faith and trust in her.”

The competition is taking on increased meaning during a week of commemorations surrounding the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The American team toured the Pentagon and other Washington landmarks in recent days and Lewis said their uniforms and golf bags were inspired by the military and the Constitution.

“To go around the nation’s capital,” Lewis said, “and just bring some understanding for these players of what having this American flag on their sleeve really means … it would mean a tremendous amount to win here.”