Solheim Experience Gives Players a Boost

Annika Sorenstam owns 72 wins on the LPGA Tour and 10 major championships. But not one of those came before she was first a member of the Solheim Cup.

For members of both Team U.S.A. and Europe, the experience is often a springboard that provides players with an extra boost of confidence that comes with playing on one of the game’s biggest stages. Many are spurred on to their first win soon after representing their country, regardless of whether their team won or not.

“I think that defeat in Colorado really not only made us disappointed, but really encouraged us to play better golf these past two years,” said Lizette Salas, who won her first title at the 2014 Kingsmill Championship after playing for Team U.S.A. in 2013. “In 2014, we saw a lot of Americans win, like Paula, Michelle, just to name a few, Lexi of course. So that really just gave us the push to show that we can play some good golf.”

Michelle Wie captured her first major championship in 2014 at the U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst Resort, and credits her experiences playing in the Solheim Cup for helping her manage her emotions down the stretch.

“Playing in a major, being in contention, I mean that’s pressure,” said Wie. “There are certain situations where you don’t ever come to that in other tournaments. When you play in the U.S. Open, like last year at Pinehurst, I definitely used moments from Solheim to help me get through it. You definitely learn a lot playing through pressure like that. And also confidence, as well, too, some of the shots I’ve pulled off at Solheim, it’s definitely in my memory bank.”

Confidence is also what Gerina Piller took away from her first Solheim Cup in 2013, evident in the way she played during this year’s matches in helping lift her team to victory with her clutch putt on the 18^th hole during the Sunday Singles Matches.

“For me, personally, it definitely helped my golf game and my confidence to be on that kind of stage and play the golf that we did that week,” Piller said. “It’s definitely one of those medals that you wear proudly on your neck and something that you’ll always be proud of.”

For 2013 rookie Charley Hull, who made history as the youngest member to play in the Solheim Cup at 17 years of age, the event was an introduction of sorts, where she made quite the first impression in defeating veteran Paula Creamer in the Sunday Singles Matches.

“The years after, well even now, I always get you were great at Solheim. I think it gave me a big boost of confidence, as well,” said Hull. “I’m quite grateful, because it really set the standards for me, I felt. And I felt more comfortable knowing that I can beat some of the best players in the world at the time.”

Caroline Hedwall made much the same impression in 2013 in her second Solheim Cup appearance, where she had a perfect 5-0-0 record, a first in the history of the event. But Hedwall has struggled since suffering an injury in March of 2014, often relying on the memories of that historic week to keep her going in a season when she has yet to crack the top-25.

“For me it was just a confidence boost. The next week I played really well on the LPGA in Canada, and then it was a good season,” said Hedwall. “I still think back about that week. I know I can play great golf. I try to get that confidence back.”

Alison Lee and Gerina Piller are the only players from the 2015 Solheim Cup that have yet to win on Tour, hoping the experience of having contributed to Team U.S.A’s historic comeback win will give them the boost they need to breakthrough.

Here's a look at the players from Teams U.S.A. and Europe that went on to win their first event after first making an appearance in the Solheim Cup.