Spanish golfer Carlota Ciganda took down world number two Nelly Korda to lead the European team in retaining the 2023 Solheim Cup. What was a close match the entire day seemed to have the momentum shift to Nelly Korda when she stuck a shot to about five feet away on the 16th hole with the match being tied.
Ciganda then stepped up and knocked a wedge to within three feet topping the shot of Korda. Korda missed her putt putting Ciganda one up going to the par-3 17th. It was there that Ciganda stepped up and hit a world class shot to three feet, again. Korda missed the green and had to settle for par. Ciganda made birdie ensuring a mathematical tie for Team Europe. The team and entourage stormed the green celebrating the tie for about ten minutes as they would now retain the cup.
Team Europe retains the Solheim Cup but ties to “win” don’t make sense anymore
Kudos to Team Europe on defeating the USA. That included coming back from a 0-4 start on day one morning rounds. Additionally, Carlota Ciganda was the cup MVP with a great performance closing out Nelly Korda on the 17th hole. However, watching the celebration that ensued on the green as the announcers talked viewers through the math that the best the US Team could do was tie if the last match was won just felt antiquated. One side celebrating a tie and the other feeling like they lost?
This was the first tie in Solheim Cup history. However, the United States has been on the receiving side of “cup retention” with a tie. It was the 1969 Ryder Cup played at Royal Birkdale. The event ended in a 16-16 tie and the United States retained the cup winning two years prior. The European Ryder Cup team benefited from a tie retaining the cup back in 1989 at The Belfry.
These events are not exhibitions anymore and are certainly heavily hyped by all sides. Each side has home course advantage every other year. That is plenty of advantage. Let’s think out of the box here. How about the captains making two on the spot picks to go head to head in two alternate shot matches with lowest total score winning the cup? This could be figured out and needs to be as ties no longer make sense in either the Ryder Cup or the Solheim Cup.
Lexi Thompson finished strong to secure the tie
Lexi Thompson took some heat from a poor shot at a critical moment earlier in the event. There was a bit of a testy exchange during the end of the day press conference. Lexi was placed in the anchor spot for the final day. Despite being down early, she fought back and built a nice lead. She had a stelar up and down out of the bunker on the 17th hole to win her match and secure the tie for the US Team.
Lucky for all the fans, the Solheim Cup will be contested again next year. Due to missing an event due to Covid, the event is now going back to back year. This will place it in the year off from the Ryder Cup. The Solheim Cup will be contested September 2024 in the United States at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia.