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“I Was Pretty Nervous” – Andy Murray Celebrates Golf Debut at Pro-Am

Andy Murray at the BMW PGA Championship 2024 Pro-Am on the DP World Tour. (Photo: Getty)
Andy Murray at the BMW PGA Championship 2024 Pro-Am on the DP World Tour. (Photo: Getty)

“I played tennis. I now play golf” – With these words, Andy Murray announced that he would be switching to golf when his tennis career came to an end. A few weeks later, he was able to put his skills to the test for the first time in the Pro-Am of the BMW PGA Championship 2024 on the DP World Tour and gave a thoroughly respectable performance alongside Robert MacIntyre. Afterwards, Murray spoke about the event and his future as a golfer.

The Leaderboard of the BMW PGA Championship 2024

Andy Murray: “A Brilliant Experience For Me”

Q. How was that?

ANDY MURRAY: It was good. A brilliant experience for me. To be out there with one of the best in the world for me, it was brilliant.

Q. How nervous were you?

ANDY MURRAY: I was pretty nervous. I couldn’t really feel my arms and legs. I didn’t really hit any balls on the range beforehand. Yeah, I was feeling it. But it got better. It got better as the round went on.

Q. How does this compare to walking out at Wimbledon? More nervous?

ANDY MURRAY: It’s a different sort of nerves. Different sort of nerves because you are comfortable in the sort of tennis environment. I’m not thinking I’m going to walk out on the tennis court and forget how to hit the ball. You just, you want to perform well. Whereas here, you’re sort of nervous about — there’s people standing like five metres away from where I’m driving, and I’m like, I’m useless at this game.

Yeah, you just want to try and keep the ball in play and don’t mess up too much.

Q. Quite a group, wasn’t it?

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, Anton is the entertainer out there. Jimmy was really, really nice. He can hit the ball miles. And obviously playing with Bob MacIntyre, being a Scot, is really special, yeah.

Q. Does this give you the bug? Do you want more of this? Possibly, who knows, Dunhill in a couple of weeks’ time?

ANDY MURRAY: I’m happy playing in front of nobody to be honest. But yeah, look, I really enjoy like playing. I’ve obviously got a lot of free time just now, so playing a few times a week. Yeah, having lessons and just enjoying having something to focus my attention on.

Yeah, like I said, lots of free time to do it.

Q. And in terms of having free time, Anton Du Beke, one of your partners today, your mother’s been on Strictly. Could we see another Murray there in 12 months’ time?

ANDY MURRAY: That’s highly unlikely. Don’t know what my brother will be doing. But it certainly won’t be me, that’s for sure.

Q. How many hours have you put in on the range since you retired?

ANDY MURRAY: I haven’t played loads weekends but during the week, probably a few hours, 2 1/2, three hours probably.

I think my expectations currently are pretty low. I’m not expecting to play very well. But yeah, I can see how if you’re playing a lot and practising a lot and getting better and better, that changes.

But no, I haven’t been hard on myself yet.

Q. Getting down to scratch, is that a real aim? How long will it take you?

ANDY MURRAY: A couple years probably. I think so. I mean, I’m obviously getting to practise a lot more than the average person. I obviously played a bit when I was younger, and if I can get the right sort of lessons and practise the right things, then yeah, I’ve got a chance of doing that I think in a couple years.

Will you the lessons have made a huge difference. That’s been the most important thing for me. I used to go down to the range and hit lots of balls, and I could hit a few good ones.

But if you have a fundamental flaw in your swing or what you’re doing, it doesn’t matter how many balls you hit on the range. So getting lessons and practising those things is helping.

Q. Your parents have a house in Dunblane. Fancy hitting a few balls up there?

ANDY MURRAY: That’s where we used to tee off on the second tee. In the evenings, we would go out with our parents or grandparents and start on the second tee and play four or five holes in the summers after tennis training or after school, and that’s how we sort of got into school as a family thing. Got to spend time with our dad or our grandparents which was really nice.

Yeah, I want to spend more time up in Scotland now that I’ve got more free time.

Q. Do you see a membership coming your way?

ANDY MURRAY: I have a membership there. I got a membership at Dunblane. There’s obviously so many amazing courses up in Scotland. Look forward to getting to play on some of them.

Q. Your father was on the bag today. Bob won the Canadian Open with his dad on the bag. Was that a topic of conversation?

ANDY MURRAY: My dad might be getting the sack after his performance today. He spent most of his time sort of following Bob around. Like, I need my clubs; I need to putt.

But no, it was brilliant. For me, it’s special, during my tennis career, I didn’t get to spend loads of time with my dad travel and everything. So getting to do that, it was a really cool day, as well. I don’t know if he’ll want to caddie for me again but I enjoyed having him here.

Q. What was the high point, your favourite shot, and more importantly, the low point, the worst shot?

ANDY MURRAY: The low point was I had an approach shot over water about 85 yards. For me, those distances, that’s the thing I found really difficult, the sort of 50- to 80-yard shots I found hard. We were talking on the build up to it. Me and Jimmy were like, “I hate these shots,” and both of us hit it right in the middle of the water completely fat.

So for me, that was — I hit one bad — like really bad drive. For the most part it was solid. It was better than what I was expecting.

Q. A few fist-pumps out there today?

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I’ve not lost that. Still enjoyed scoring and hitting good shots and stuff. I’m not bothered whether I win or lose in an event like this, but I still want to try to do as well as I can and I still enjoy competing.

Obviously it’s never going to replace what you had on the tennis court, but being out there with your friends and competing with them and against yourself and stuff is fun.

So today, yeah, you hit enough bad shots in golf, you’ve got to give yourself a pat on back when you hit the odd good one.

Q. Have you lost weight?

ANDY MURRAY: I haven’t been to the gym for five weeks. I said to my wife, I was like, Look, I’m going to make sure when I stop, I’m going to make sure I stay in good shape.

And she said, Oh, if you’re just going to go and play golf, I don’t want that. I was — No, no, I’ll get myself in the gym, make sure I stay in shape.

I went to the gym three of the first four days after I stopped, worked really hard, and then went up to Scotland for a couple of days for a holiday, and haven’t been back since. It’s been five weeks I’ve not been in the gym, longest ever for me probably. I don’t know if it’s like appetite, if I’m not eating as much, but we obviously have like loads of the sport drinks have got lot of calories in them, and I only really drink water and coffee now.

So I don’t know, I think just less calories and probably loss of muscle. I’ve lost about 11, 12 pounds. It’s a lot. I was expecting the opposite to happen. It’s about five kilos, yeah.

Andy Murray at the Pro-Am of the BMW PGA Championship 2024

A look at Andy Murray’s highlights definitely shows a good disposition – especially knowing that the former tennis star has only been training for a few weeks. Murray hit the odd good shot alongside Robert MacIntyre.

In addition to compatriot MacIntyre, Murray also met Rory McIlroy.

The Scot responded to the countless comments on X (Twitter) about improving his golf swing with a wink: “Huge thanks to all the amateur golfers on social media for their constructive criticism of my golf swing. Much appreciated.”

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Highlights Tours

Rory McIlroy On LIV-Deal: “Half the Players Don’t Want the Deal”

Rory McIlroy at the BMW PGA Championship 2024. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy at the BMW PGA Championship 2024. (Photo: Getty)

A key topic at Rory McIlroy’s press conference ahead of the BMW PGA Championship 2024 was the potential deal between LIV Golf, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. The 35-year-old spoke about the central role of the Ministry of Justice and the divided opinions of players on both tours. Popular PGA Tour pro Michael S. Kim, among others, commented on the topic on X (Twitter).

The Leaderboard of the BMW PGA Championship 2024

Rory McIlroy: “Would Benefit Some People For A Deal Not To Get Done”

Q. What do you think is the major stumbling block or blocks holding up any chance of a deal between LIV and PGA TOUR and the DP World Tour?

RORY McILROY: Department of Justice. Maybe different interests from the players’ side. I’d say — it’s pretty similar. I’d say maybe half the players on LIV want the deal to get done; half probably don’t. I’d say it’s probably similar on the PGA TOUR. Because just like anything, everyone’s looking out for themselves and their best interests. You know, it would benefit some people for a deal not to get done, but it would obviously benefit some people for a deal to get done.

Yeah, I think there’s different opinions amongst the players about what should happen, and I think when you have a members’ run organisation, it complicates things a little bit, especially when should of those players are having to make decisions on the business side of things. So those are the two. I think the tours want it to happen. The investors certainly want it to happen because they can see the benefit for themselves.

But right now, it’s DOJ and differing opinions of the players.

Q. You know much more about LIV and things but we heard in the last few days that the last meeting that was last week, or just before that, but there was a more optimistic or it there is a more optimistic mood about that as a result of that meeting. As I say, you know much more about this than we do. Is that your feeling, too?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I believe so. I wasn’t a part of those meetings, so I don’t — I may be know a touch more than you do but not a ton.

But yeah, as I said, I think one of the stumbling blocks is the Department of Justice, and I think — I think trying to approach that from a collaborative standpoint, I think seems to be the best way forward.

So yeah, I think to me it seems like the people that are really making the decisions are all rowing in the same direction, which is a really good thing. And even if they are all rowing in the same direction, it still doesn’t mean that a deal may get done because it’s just a very complicated set of circumstances.

But yeah, from what I hear, there’s optimism there, and that’s good to see.

Q. As you said, it’s a very complex scenario at the moment for the game in general. I just wonder what your feelings are with regard to the DP World Tour, the reports this week of potentially a deal being done that could have some kind of relationship with the PIF or with LIV, would that be in any way desirable in your opinion to in some way find a pathway out of this?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, you know, if things don’t materialise with the PGA TOUR, I think it would — you know, it would — I think it would maybe bring The European Tour back to like the ’80s and ’90s when there was like really two strong tours.

But it keeps the game divided and I don’t like that. You know, I really want the game to come back together. It would be Plan B. It would be maybe an alternative to the best solution.

And look, selfishly as a European, it would be wonderful to get that investment and to use that money in the right way for this tour. But it still keeps the game divided, which I just can’t quite get on board with, and I’d love to see everything and everyone come back together.

Michael S. Kim: “Do I want a deal? My short answer is No but I don’t care much”

On X (Twitter), PGA Tour pro Michael S. Kim was among those reacting to Rory McIlroy’s press conference. Kim, who is hardly known on the PGA Tour, now has almost 126,000 followers on X. The reason for this comparatively high number is his entertaining posts on the platform and his insights into life as a professional golfer. He wrote about McIlroy’s press conference: “Do I want a deal? My short answer is No but I don’t care much.” The 31-year-old explained that, in his opinion, a deal would only affect the top 30 golfers in the world anyway and would not have a major impact on the other players on the tours. He also doubted that the return of some LIV players to tournaments on the PGA Tour would have little impact on spectator numbers and therefore the financial aspect. A more sensible focus would be to improve the TV broadcasts.

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Highlights Tours LIV Tour PGA Tour

Solheim Cup Seven Times More Popular than Rahm’s Double Victory

The teams were supported by thousands of fans on site and behind the screens. (Photo: Getty)
The teams were supported by thousands of fans on site and behind the screens. (Photo: Getty)

A look at the viewing figures for last week’s golf TV broadcasts shows that the women’s events were by far the most popular with golf fans. The Solheim Cup was a highlight in the women’s tournament calendar that dominated the TV landscape. Neither the LIV Golf League nor the PGA Tour aroused anywhere near as much interest.

Solheim Cup 2024 dominated the ratings

Compared to the last Solheim Cup, which took place in Spain in 2022, the ratings increased significantly in this year’s edition, according to Josh Carpenter from Sports Business Journal. The singles matches on Sunday in particular sparked interest behind the screens, with an average of 657,000 viewers watching on NBC on the final day, more than twice as many viewers as the previous edition of the continental competition. On Saturday, the ratings were similarly high with 634,000 viewers. The figures were particularly pleasing in view of the fact that the Cup fell on the second Sunday of the National Football League. As the Cup finished in the early afternoon in the Eastern time zone, the events did not overlap for the most part.

LIV Golf and PGA Tour put in the shade

The season finale in the individual rankings of the LIV Golf League took place at the same time as the Solheim Cup. Also one of the highlights of the year, it didn’t stand a chance against the women’s competition. Although Jon Rahm won the tournament in Chicago and thus also the season title, the tournament attracted far less attention with only around 89,000 spectators. On Saturday there were still 134,000 spectators.

However, the PGA Tour received the least attention, with just 69,000 spectators. The Procore Championship was the first event of the Fall Series, which was watched by only around a tenth of the spectators who were rooting for the ladies.

The figures for the Solheim Cup are particularly pleasing in terms of viewing figures throughout the year. The declining ratings were notable throughout the PGA Tour season and were underscored by double-digit declines for all three FedEx Cup Playoff events, according to Sports Media Watch. The Tour Championship saw a 13 percent drop in viewership, while the FedEx St. Jude Championship was down 31 percent and the BMW Championship was down 19 percent.

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Highlights Tours

World Golf Ranking: Kizzire Enters Top 100, Theegala Knocks on Top 10

World Golf Ranking: Patton Kizzire and Sahith Theegala. (Photos: Getty)
World Golf Ranking: Patton Kizzire and Sahith Theegala. (Photos: Getty)

The latest World Golf Ranking demonstrates notable stability among top American golfers. As of this week, Scottie Scheffler continues to dominate as the world’s top-ranked golfer. He retains his first-place position with an average points score unchanged from last week. Fellow American Xander Schauffele also maintains his second-place ranking, closely behind Scheffler, with no movement from his prior standing. Both players showcase consistent performance metrics, highlighting their sustained excellence on the world stage.

See the complete Official World Golf Ranking here

Further Analysis on American Players in the World Golf Ranking

In addition to Scheffler and Schauffele, Collin Morikawa remains steadfast in fourth place in the World Golf Ranking, reflecting no change from last week. Wyndham Clark, another top contender, continues to hold his sixth-place ranking, mirroring last week’s position. Patrick Cantlay rounds out the top five American golfers, maintaining his ninth-place status from the previous week’s rankings. All three players have demonstrated consistency in their average points scores.

While Bryson DeChambeau still holds the 10th place, Sahith Theegala is moving up to 11th and is knocking on the Top 10. Further down the rankings, there is good news from Patton Kizzire. Following his victory on the PGA Tour, the 38-year-old climbs 158 places to enter the top 100 in 99th place.

Top 10 Players in the World Golf Ranking

At the pinnacle of the Ranking, Scottie Scheffler retains his top spot, followed closely by Xander Schauffele in second place. Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland holds steady in third, with Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg occupying the fifth spot. Notable changes within the top ten include Adam Scott of Australia advancing from eighteenth to seventeenth, showcasing his upward momentum. Bryson DeChambeau of the USA, positioned tenth, remains unchanged from last week. The stability of leading positions highlights the high level of competition and performance among the globe’s elite golfers.

Player NameCurrent RankingRanking Last WeekAverage Points
Scottie Scheffler11—
Xander Schauffele22—
Collin Morikawa44—
Wyndham Clark66—
Patrick Cantlay99—
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Highlights Tours

World Golf Ranking: Rory McIlroy On Top, Smith Enters Top 100

World Golf Ranking: Rory McIlroy and Jordan Smith. (Photos: Getty)
World Golf Ranking: Rory McIlroy and Jordan Smith. (Photos: Getty)

The World Golf Ranking has seen few notable shifts this week, particularly among British, Welsh, and Scottish players. Rory McIlroy, from Northern Ireland, remains the highest-ranked among them, holding steady at position 3 with an average points score of 8.57. Tommy Fleetwood, the top English player, has moved from rank 11 to 12, showing a slight decline. Fleetwood’s average points score stands at 4.2.

See the complete Official World Golf Ranking here

World Golf Ranking: Jordan Smith Enters the Top 100

Robert MacIntyre, representing Scotland, stays consistent at rank 16 with an average points score of 3.75. Aaron Rai, also from England, maintains his position at rank 22. Matt Fitzpatrick, another English player, retains his 28th position. Lastly, Justin Rose, another notable English golfer, holds his 36th rank, showing no change from the previous week. Tyrrell Hatton, yet another English golfer, has slipped from rank 37 to 38.

There is good news from Jordan Smith. Following his seventh place at the Amgen Irish Open on the DP World Tour, the Englishman has climbed into the top 100.

Top 10 in the World Golf Ranking

In the top ten, Scottie Scheffler from the USA remains the leader. Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy follow in second and third positions, respectively. Collin Morikawa holds on to fourth place, and Ludvig Aberg from Sweden retains his fifth place. Wyndham Clark, Hideki Matsuyama, and Viktor Hovland from Norway occupy the sixth, seventh, and eighth positions, respectively. Patrick Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau from the USA stay in the ninth and tenth spots, respectively, with no changes in their rankings.

RANKINGPLAYER NAMENATIONALITYAVERAGE POINTS
3Rory McIlroyNIR8.57
12Tommy FleetwoodENG4.2
16Robert MacIntyreSCO3.75
22Aaron RaiENG3.22
28Matt FitzpatrickENG2.9
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Equipment Highlights Tours

WITB Jon Rahm: The Winning Equipment at the LIV Chicago Event

Jon Rahms WITB for the Masters Tournament 2024. (Image: Getty)
Jon Rahms WITB for the Masters Tournament 2024. (Image: Getty)

Another win for Jon Rahm at the LIV Tour. In Chicago Rahm captured the victory with a three shot lead in front of Sergio Garcia and Joaquin Niemann. The Spaniard thus crowned his debut season on the tour. with the “Individual Champion” title. In his golfbag is an array of old and new club from his longterm partner Callaway. With the new Ai Smoke series and the Chrome Soft golf ball Rahm trusts the 2024 innovations coming from Callaway as well.

WITB Jon Rahm 2024

(Image: Callaway)

Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5°)

(Image: Callaway)

Fairways Woods: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond T (16° and 18°)

Image: Callaway

Irons: Callaway Apex UT 

Image: Callaway

Irons: Callaway Apex Pro (4)

(Image: Callaway)

Irons: Callaway Apex TCB (5-10) 

(Image: Callaway)

Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (52-10, 56-12, 60-10)

(Image: Callaway)

Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Rossie S 

(Image: Callaway)

Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X 

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Highlights Tours

Solheim Cup 2024: “The Most Fun I’ve Had on a Golf Course” -Team USA’s Winner Press Conference

Team USA at the Press Conference after winning the Solheim Cup 2024. (Photo: Getty)
Team USA at the Press Conference after winning the Solheim Cup 2024. (Photo: Getty)

The Solheim Cup 2024 seemed to have been decided after the first two days of the tournament and after the first singles matches at the latest. However, Team Europe fought their way back into the competition in impressive fashion and ensured excitement on the final day, which was ultimately decided by Lilia Vu in favor of the Americans. Afterwards, a visibly relieved and happy Team USA answered questions from the media. The winners’ press conference.

Solheim Cup 2024: Proud US fans and European criticism of Pettersen

Solheim Cup 2024: “Maybe she’ll make another one” – Thompson-Farewell?

THE MODERATOR: Hello, everyone, and welcome to the media center for the 2024 Solheim Cup. I am joined by the victorious United States team. Stacy, just talk about how proud you are of this team and the week you all have had.

STACY LEWIS: Yeah, it was an amazing week from the start. We started the week off Monday going around D.C. and we had a great day.

From the moment this team was together, they were together. There was no we needed a couple days or anything like that. The vibe in the team room was amazing, the way they got along, the way they support each other. Our group of caddies were off-the-charts keeping the team room loose, making sure everybody had fun, and it showed. It showed in the golf that was played.

I’m just so proud of them. I’m proud that they get this moment where they get to celebrate tonight and win this Cup.

Q. Megan, you went back-to-back years undefeated in the Solheim Cup, a huge feat. Heck yeah. Just talk about how important both those experiences were for you.

To be able to go undefeated for both Solheims, it’s been incredible and a dream come true. Hopefully keep the streak alive and make the next Solheim Cup in 2026 in the Netherlands.

Q. Rose, you went 4-0 this week. I believe you never saw the 16th hole. Talk about your week and how awesome it was.

ROSE ZHANG: Oh, it’s been absolutely incredible. I feel like starting off the beginning of the week, I just felt so comfortable with everyone. The whole team has just been — they’ve just been so friendly, and everyone has had a good time in the team room, on the golf course. Like Stacy said, it translated over to the golf course.

I felt a lot more loose than I did last year, and it was good vibes all around.

Q. Lilia, you earned the point to capture the victory for the U.S. Team. How important was that for not only yourself but for the team?

LILIA VU: It was so important. I felt like in the middle of the match the wheels were kind of falling off. 16 I hit it through the green and into the bunker and I knew I had to make up-and-down.

And then somehow birdied 17 and was able to hit it really close on 18. I knew — I looked at the leaderboard, saw we had 14 points, and like Stacy said at the beginning of the week, half points matter. I only had one goal was to get it close and get that birdie.

Q. Stacy, when you accepted the captaincy in 2022, you said that the team needed you now. What did the team need back then, and do you think you met what the team needed?

STACY LEWIS: They needed to have fun and they needed to enjoy this. This needed to do that but also needed to play good golf. I think there was a lot of tension of trying to play perfect golf and not enjoying it in the process.

This team enjoyed this week more than the golf itself. They had so much fun together. They picked each other up when they needed it. They did whatever I asked of them. They were great, offering feedback on pairings.

Q. Lauren, I’m curious of the experience of playing in your home state and winning in your home state was like for you?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: I mean, it was my first Solheim so I don’t really have anything else to compare it to, but it was an amazing week. I wouldn’t change anything. I had an absolute blast with everybody out here, the caddies, my teammates, captains, our families that were around. It was a very special week.

Q. Lexi, potentially that was your final moment with your teammates out there. What did it mean to get a win in your potential final Cup?

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, it was very special. It meant the world to me just to be here and to be part of this team. These girls are incredible.

Words can’t really describe just the personalities on this team and the talent that each and every one of them has. Like they’ve all said, from the beginning of the week, there was just something about this team that was different, the atmosphere, the energy from the team rooms to the bus rides to the first tee experience.

There was nothing like it, and just how we all came together and had fun and played some amazing golf on top of it. It was just great to be part of it.

Q. Stacy, you turned and you passed the Cup to Lexi, kind of reminded me of the Stanley Cup in hockey when players do that. Why was it important for her to have that moment?

STACY LEWIS: Because she deserves that moment. I think she was kind of one of those first players to really get that first tee going loud and going crazy, and I think the Solheim Cup is what it is because Lexi started that, and she started with that energy.

All of my favorite Lexi memories are at the Solheim Cup. I’m just super proud of her. I know today was hard. It was a hard day for her emotionally, I think. Just proud of her fight.

She’s been a leader of this team for a long time. On and off, she leads by the way she prepares and the way she goes about her business. Who knows, maybe she’ll make another one.

Q. Rose, we asked you earlier this week what is it about playing in this air that fits your comfort zone. After going 4-0 here, do you think it might be the grass, the air? Any thoughts after another win outside D.C.?

ROSE ZHANG: Maybe the grass and the air. I’d like to say — it’s just been really comfortable to be playing on bentgrass and playing on these types of golf courses. The fans, I’ve always just thought about how great the fans were.

When they came out and just represented USA and how loud they were, it was just so cool to witness and to feel that inside the ropes.

The first time that I really played back in 2020, it was still COVID, and it was the U.S. Amateur. I don’t really consider that a full-on experience. I’d only consider that the golf course.

Other than that, this week has been just incredible with the golf course and the fans.

STACY LEWIS: I will add that in my day she had the highest course fit rating of anybody on this team, so there’s that part, too. The golf course was made for you, Rose.

Solheim Cup 2024 – Nelly Korda: “Probably the most fun I’ve had on a golf course ever”

Q. Nelly, I’m curious where this week ranks on the fun scale for you over the course of your career.

NELLY KORDA: This was probably the most fun I’ve had on a golf course ever. Just the team, the team environment, the caddies, everyone getting along, the fans. Everyone was so incredible. We all vibed really well off of each other. This is probably the most I’ve laughed and the most I’ve fist pumped ever on a golf course. It was just an amazing week and a dream come true.

Q. Where are the big bottles of champagne?

STACY LEWIS: We haven’t even been back to the team room yet. I think there were a couple. I think they drank them already.

Q. That was a little bit of a joke, but you look a little bit drained up there. You look very relieved. Do you feel like a burden has been lifted and you can just exhale?

STACY LEWIS: I feel that way. I don’t know how the rest of them feel. How do you guys feel?

MEGAN KHANG: I got some choice words that I’m not going to say, but we feel good.

ANGELA STANFORD: We feel like a million dollars, because we got the Cup.

Q. Do you feel like you celebrate in a more mature way than the guys?

STACY LEWIS: We haven’t gotten a chance to yet.

MEGAN KHANG: Have them bring the bottles out and we’ll see.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: We haven’t gotten to celebrate yet.

Q. Lauren, you mentioned that I think you came here four times beforehand. In any of those times did you ever practice a putt to win the Cup?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: So Terry, my caddie, came up the week before Canada, and on the 18th hole he put a putt down and he said, this is to win the Solheim Cup, and I made it.

Q. Suzann was in here just a little while ago and she was a little emotional. Have there been moments since you won that it’s been a little overwhelming for you or that the emotions have really hit you?

STACY LEWIS: Right now, no. Similar to her, in Spain, it didn’t really hit me until I got on the airplane and I was sitting on the airplane with my daughter and she was sleeping and I just lost it and I started crying.

I was like, we did all this work for these girls to play to a tie, and that was literally the only moment. From that point though on it was right back to work because I don’t want that to happen again.

There were parts of this journey that were hard. It was busy. There was a lot of work at times. There were frustrating things at times.

But that’s part of it, and just to watch them celebrate and to see Lilia pull off that shot in that moment was just really, really special.

Q. Do you think now after you leave here you’ll be able to finally, like you said, exhale and enjoy the moment?

STACY LEWIS: Yeah, the shoulders are already down, so we’re going to enjoy the moment. We’re going to celebrate. This has been seven years in the making for a lot of the women on this stage.

There’s a lot — actually 10 that haven’t had this celebration yet, so we’re going back to the team room to celebrate.

Q. Knowing how much you love analytics, now that the matches are over, can you share some of the specific metrics you were using to help determine some of the pairings?

STACY LEWIS: No. No. I mean, a lot of it, it’s got to stay within this team. The assistants know it. We know what works, and I think I’ve got the buy-in now from this team, as well.

But yeah, we’re going to keep a lot of that to ourselves. But I’ll tell you one thing is this team played really, really good this week. It doesn’t matter the pairings or any of that. If you play really, really good golf, you’re going to win.

Q. Stacy, the business is now finished. Can you just speak to what that means?

STACY LEWIS: It’s a little strange, to be honest. I don’t know what I’m going to do next week now.

Yeah, I mean, the job was to get the Cup, and we finished the job. I don’t know what we do now. I hadn’t thought past this moment, to be honest.

Other than we celebrate, I’ve got to get my daughter back home to go to school on Tuesday, but past that, I don’t know what’s next.

MEGAN KHANG: But that’s Tuesday, and it’s Sunday.

STACY LEWIS: Exactly. That’s my point.

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Solheim Cup 2024: Proud US Fans and European Criticism of Pettersen

Team USA wins the Solheim Cup 2024 in front of a home crowd. (Photo: Getty)
Team USA wins the Solheim Cup 2024 in front of a home crowd. (Photo: Getty)

The Solheim Cup 2024 was deservedly won by Team USA. The hosts were particularly impressive on the first two days in the Foursomes and Fourballs and their triumph created a great atmosphere among US fans on social media. While a large proportion of European fans were proud of their team’s performance, there was also a lot of criticism of Solheim captain Suzann Pettersen on social media – with Leona Maguire in the middle.

Team USA wins the Solheim Cup 2024

Solheim Cup 2024: Much criticism of captain Pettersen’s decisions

Alongside many positive reactions to Team Europe’s performance, much of the criticism from European fans on X (Twitter) was directed at captain Suzann Pettersen. At the center of the discussions surrounding Pettersen’s decisions regarding playing times and pairings was Ireland’s Leona Maguire. She had only played one fourball match on Friday (6&4 USA) and did not play at all on Saturday. According to Maguire, she played her singles match on Sunday with “extra motivation” and impressed with a dominant victory against Ally Ewing (4&3). After losing the Solheim Cup 2024, the Irishwoman was a little frustrated about the few appearances: “I feel like I’ve been playing really great golf all week in practice and it was a bitter pill to swallow to be sat out for as many sessions as I was. [Pettersen] didn’t give much reason, to be honest.” Maguire also responded to a post on X about her singles win by saying “form is temporary, class is permanent” – a possible dig at captain Suzann Pettersen’s decision.

Leona Maguire was definitely not alone in her frustration on social media. For example, X-user @poconnell383 wrote: “Very bizarre selections – no Leona all Saturday.” A similar sentiment was shared by @ColmMurf: “Pleased to see Leona’s one-on-one proved her captain inept. How she was picked for just one game was outrageous.” And @NeilFonda also expressed surprise at the European captain’s decisions: “It’s absolutely outrageous that Pettersen hasn’t explained why Leona McGuire was left out of 3 sessions!”

It is therefore not surprising that some European fans are calling for a new team captain for the 2026 Solheim Cup in the Netherlands. X-user @HoundDogBedtime, for example, also blamed Pettersen’s decisions for the defeat: “I hope they pick up on the mistakes Pettersen made: Captain’s picks and match compositions were extremely poor.” Users like @john_cross4 and @mantom62 even spoke openly in favor of a new captain.

Alongside all the criticism, however, there are also countless comments from European fans who are proud of Team Europe. Posts like the one from X user @Ursina70 piled up: “Great team, what a battle in the singles! I enjoyed every moment and almost lost my voice shouting “GO Europe” in the middle of that huge US crowd…”

Solheim Cup 2024: Euphoria among US fans and praise from the European camp

Unsurprisingly, there is euphoria among US fans on social media now that the Solheim Cup is back in the hands of Team USA for the first time since 2017. There are countless comments like @golfrichmar under posts on the US women’s X account: “Way to make it interesting ladies and thanks for bringing the Cup back home where it belongs.”

But many European fans like @reid1234576 also praised the performance of the American golfers: “Devastated for Europe, but USA played amazing”

In two years’ time, Team Europe will have the opportunity to regain the trophy in the Netherlands. Possibly again with Esther Henseleit and Leona Maguire and without team captain Suzann Pettersen.

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Solheim Cup 2024: “Housegate” – First Drama Even Before the Start of the Tournament

Team rooms at the Solheim Cup 2024 (Foto: Getty)
Team rooms at the Solheim Cup 2024 (Foto: Getty)

The Solheim Cup is always good for drama, the best example being the story of the tearful “Gimme Gates” of 2015 involving Suzann Pettersen and Charley Hull, which was rekindled with the return of Alison Lee to the American team. The 2024 Solheim Cup had its first controversy even before the start. As Sky Sports reported, there was a dispute about the European team room. The Europeans made themselves a little too comfortable for the taste of their opponents.

The two team rooms, which are more like team houses, are located near the driving range of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course and as hosts, the Americans had first choice. They left the Europeans the smaller of the two houses, which has the advantage of being directly adjacent to the driving range. Team USA complained when Team Europe used the driving bays in the house, saying that this was not permitted under the contract and that the tables and chairs that Team Europe had placed outside were also against the contract.

US skipper Stacy Lewis explained why these seemingly mundane facts upset the American team: “The inside of their hut doesn’t have much room for tables, so their tables have to be outside. Our players were warming up while having breakfast and chatting. We just tried to give everyone some space so we didn’t have to listen to them eat breakfast. There’s no bad blood.” The problem was solved, they said, by simply moving Team USA further down the driving range.

A Look Into the Past

It’s not just dramas that are being rehashed at the Solheim Cup. The LPGA Tour dug deep into the stars’ social media and found some very special pictures that were crying out to be signed.

“Full Glam” Before the Start of the Tournament

Before the team colors take center stage on Friday, the players had have the opportunity to really dress up at the tournament’s accompanying events. While the players familiarize themselves with the course the days before, the first of these highlights was scheduled for Wednesday with the gala dinner. The Smithsonian American Art Museum with its impressive Kogod Courtyard was prepared for the event. Team Europe appeared together in cream-colored outfits, while Team USA presented itself in navy and black dresses.

And before the tournament can really get underway, one thing is still missing: the opening ceremony.

Support for Team Europe

Team Europe may not have a former president who has visited the team, but it still gets all kinds of support from European (golf) stars.

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Jon Rahm and the Ryder Cup Question

Jon Rahm at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome. (Image: Getty)
Jon Rahm at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome. (Image: Getty)

Jon Rahm could miss the 2025 Ryder Cup. In order to be eligible for the team event, Rahm needs to be eligible to play on the DP World Tour. He will only retain this if he plays four events (excluding majors) on the DP World Tour before the end of the 2024 season. The Spaniard has currently only played one event with his appearance at the Olympics. The Spaniard would like to fulfill the other three appearances at the Open de Espana, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and the Andalucia Masters. However, in order to be allowed to play there at all, he must pay the fines imposed by the Tour or appeal against them. The two-time major champion commented on the issue ahead of the LIV event in Chicago.

Jon Rahm: “ I Don’t Intend to Pay the Fines”

“We keep trying to have a discussion with [the DPWT] about how we can make this happen” said Rahm, who was asked about the issue at the LIV Chicago PK. The 29-year-old doesn’t have much time left, as the first of the three tournaments on the agenda, the Open de Espana, takes place from September 26-29.

Rahm’s LIV teammate Tyrrell Hatton has appealed against the sanctions (fines and suspensions). This appeal allows for a provisional stay of execution and thus participation in the DP World Tour tournaments. Even if the DP World Tour ultimately wins the case (previous cases involving other players have gone in the Tour’s favor), the players can still take part in the tournaments thanks to the postponement and thus meet the required number of participations.

Update: According to ESPN Jon Rahm appealed against the sanctions on Thursday and is therefore allowed to play DP World Tour events until an independent panel decides whether he has to pay the fine.

Brooks Koepka also Wants to Play in the Links Championship – Just Like the LIV Boss in 2023

Brooks Koepka also announced in the run-up to the tournament in Chicago that he wants to tee it up at the Links Championship in October. “St. Andrews is my favorite course in the world,” Koepka said. The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship takes place on three courses, including the Old Course in St. Andrews. LIV players are regular guests on the former European Tour – but not only the players, but also PIF boss Yasir Al-Rumayyan. He took part in the prestigious Links Championship as an amateur in 2023. Curious: the head of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia was initially known by the pseudonym Andrew Watermann.

Incidentally, Al-Rumayyan’s LIV golfers have already won seven tournaments in the current DP World Tour season, and five of the first six events of the season were won by LIV players.