Juli Inkster’s strategy paid off.
From eliminating the face paint and rah-rah that consumed Team U.S.A’s energy to her controversial selection of Paula Creamer as Captain’s Pick to her use of the pod system, Inkster stood by her strategy and led the Americans to the largest comeback in the history of the Solheim Cup Sunday, defeating Team Europe 14 ½ to 13 ½ to win the Cup.
“I love my lineup,” said Inkster. “I loved the way they stacked up today. I just have so many people I have to thank. It's a great feeling.”
Team U.S.A. trailed 10 to 6 entering the Sunday Singles Matches, the same margin the U.S. Ryder Cup Team overcame to win in their epic comeback at Brookline in 1999. The Americans had never come from more than 2-down to win the Solheim Cup.
“I was on them all week,” said Inkster. “You've got to play with heart. You've got to play with fire in your belly. Never give up. I saw my team out there today, it didn't look good early, they hung in there.”
Unlike in the Ryder Cup where the Americans won seven of the first eight matches and got up to a hot start early, today Team U.S.A. was back-loaded, winning seven of their last eight matches to clinch 8 ½ of the 12 possible points on Sunday.
It was Gerina Piller’s position in the sixth match of the day that proved to be the most critical, needing to drain a long putt for par on the 18th hole to win her match 1-up and ensure Team Europe, already with 13 ½ points, would not receive the critical half point they needed to retain the Cup.
“For some reason I looked up at the board and all I saw was 13 and a half. I'm like this is it, it's all on me. It meant a lot to not let my team down,” said Piller. “Juli has been talking about playing for the girl in front of you and behind you. I just dug deep. And I really wanted to make that for my team.”
The girls behind her went on to win five of the six final matches. Inkster again showing her faith in Creamer, placed her in the critical anchor position, the final match of the day.
“She played great this week,” said Inkster. “I've got a ton of confidence in Paula. I knew if I needed a 4-footer to make, I knew she would make it. I put her in last and it turned out great.”
Creamer clinched the final point, closing out Sandra Gal 4&3 to seal the win for Team U.S.A.
“This is big,” said Creamer. “Everybody questioned why I was here. And I'm just proud of myself and proud of my team for believing in me and, of course, Juli for picking me and putting me on this team. The way it finished today, it just is icing on the cake.”
Inkster used a modified pod system this week, modeled after the successful strategy used by Paul Azinger in leading the U.S. Ryder Cup Team to victory in 2008 at Valhalla. Players were grouped together based on like-mindedness and personality, spending time together both on and off the course, including speaking to the media in their pods during the week’s press conferences.
‘We went in about a year and a half ago with a plan,” said Stacy Lewis. “We kind of started this whole pod thing and everybody kind of, everybody bought into it. And we became a closer team because of it. And Juli worked really hard on that, and I think deserves a lot of credit for it.”
Inkster was able to take advantage of a team that was nearly identical to that of 2013, who had already formed bonds and relationships and knew the failures of the last matches. If this team remains the same in two years, given the bond within this now victorious team who made history with a winning strategy, Europe will have their work cut out for themselves in 2017. And Inkster may just be the one again leading the way.
“I'm going to go to October Fest and drink on it, I mean think on it, sorry,” said Inkster. “I would love to do it.”
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