Suzann Pettersen, who repeats in the role of captain of Europe for the Solheim Cup, announced this Wednesday the four assistants who will escort her in the gigantic challenge of winning the trophy for the fourth consecutive time and in enemy territory. In short, in the dream of making a bit more history.
As expected, the Norwegian has chosen to keep the same guard of corps that accompanied her in the successful triumph at Finca Cortesín last year. Thus, her good friend and confidante Caroline Martens, the voice of experience Laura Davies and the perfect link between the players and the captain Anna Nordqvist will repeat. Pettersen’s philosophy is evident, what works is not touched.
However, due to the fact of playing at home in the next edition, from September 13 to 15 of this year at the beautiful Robert Trent Jones Golf Club course in Virginia, Pettersen has decided to reinforce her team of assistants with one more person. It is not just anyone. It is the Englishwoman Melissa Reid, a golfer who, without being among the best in the world, or being the one who has won the most points in the Solheim Cup she has played, has always had a very charismatic role. She is energy. Fire. She comes to be the Ian Poulter of the Solheim, although with a worse balance of points.
Mel Reid has played four editions of the Solheim Cup (2011, 2015, 2017 and 2021), with a balance of 16 matches played and 7.5 points added. She has won six, lost seven and tied three. Her percentage of points added (46.68%) places her as the nineteenth in history among those who have played ten matches or more. As we say, her numbers are not to shoot rockets, but she has always transmitted a very special energy to the team. She won her first point with Laura Davies on the third attempt in the 2011 edition, in the fourball, defeating Michelle Wie and Brittany Lang. In 2015 she played two points with Carlota Ciganda and they did not lose (one victory and one draw) and two years later they lost in the last pairs session. Her last match was the individual of 2021, where she lost against Yealimi Noh by one down. Of the four Solheim Cups in which she has been present, Europe has won two and lost two others.
Last week it was the United States who announced the names of the four vice-captains who will work hand in hand with Stacy Lewis in Virginia. They are four heavyweights of the most recent history of American golf: Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, Brittany Lincicome and Angela Stanford. Lewis has chosen to rejuvenate the profile of her assistants. In addition, all four have a lot of charisma.
