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The latest inquest into failure by an American team on European soil involves slow greens, the perception of a premature celebration and a curious absence of statistical backup. Angela Stanford, whose Solheim Cup team were defeated by Europe in the Netherlands on Sunday, warned Jim Furyk’s Ryder Cup contingent to take note.
Stanford used the numbers-based evidence of Justin Ray to assist with decision-making and Furyk will do likewise at Adare Manor next year. In the aftermath of the 15-13 defeat and assessing Ray’s input, Stanford clearly had an underlying gripe. “I’m wondering how honest to be,” she said.
“Justin Ray is extremely helpful. We were missing some pieces this week. Like, in Spain [in 2023] we had people giving us strokes gained in each match, even in practice. And we didn’t have that this year.
“Because I know he’s working with Jim in the Ryder Cup, just now in the locker room, I told him exactly what he needed to do for Jim. Those things do matter and Justin was a huge help. He got us to this point.
“It’s easy to get blown out over here. So I think we had the right formula and he helped us make that formula, so Justin Ray is awesome.”
Pressed on why there was not the adequate backup resource she had referenced, Stanford said: “We just didn’t. See, that’s why I couldn’t be so honest with you.”
It should be remembered that the teams were level, at 8-8, before a Sunday singles session where the USA team stood as the favourites. Following Stanford’s logic, she appears to be implying her team were denied the opportunity to take a lead into day three.
Saturday’s conclusion had felt significant. Extraordinary pieces of play by Jennifer Kupcho on the last two holes meant she and Lindy Duncan claimed an unlikely point against Carlota Ciganda and Céline Boutier. Social media lit up with video of the USA team celebrating with beers on the bus back to their hotel. “They drink on Saturday, we drink on Sunday,” Europe’s team chanted when they made the same journey a day later.
Stanford disputed any sense of untimely euphoria. She had been unwilling to ask the American players to tone down their joy. “That’s kind of tricky because you don’t ever want to take away from that moment,” she said. “The worst thing I could have done is go in there and be like: ‘OK, y’all. Come off this high.’ You don’t want to take away from those moments. We’re never going to see anything like that again.
“I think they handled it very well. We’ve never seen that so we don’t really know how to react. I talked to Kupcho and everybody and they’re like, ‘Yeah, we got good rest, but it did take a minute to come off because it was a pretty high, high.’”
Another element was the putting surfaces. Anna Nordqvist, Europe’s captain, shrugged off any notion of gamesmanship by pointing out “we are in Europe in September”, but the pace of the greens had caught out the USA team.
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“Apparently I didn’t get to know the [greens] superintendent as well as I should have,” Stanford said only half in jest. “Even when we showed up in July here, they were faster. And I don’t think it had anything to do with the rain either.
“Now, saying that, it’s my responsibility to get the team ready. This is the one thing I am kicking myself [about], is that I just didn’t keep pushing, ‘We [have] got to figure out how to hit our putts a little bit harder.’ Which is really difficult, to change the way you putt.
“I’m a little frustrated with myself. Nobody complained about it at all. It’s me saying this right now that I wish I would have maybe hammered it home more; they’re going to be slow, they’re going to be slow, they’re going to be slow. We don’t play on greens this slow usually.”
There is more than enough blame to go around, it seems.
