It was hard to forecast a European comeback after losing all four of the opening foursomes on Friday morning, but the Solheim Cup has become one of those tournaments that has as many twists and turns as a hurricane and it delivered again on a switchback Sunday afternoon in the Spanish sunshine.
It was being hosted in Spain for the first time and the King of Spain was there at greenside when Carlota Ciganda put her tee shot at the seventeenth to within a metre, enough to secure the point that was needed for Europe to get to 14 points and retain the trophy for a third time in a row.
The fact that a calendar switch means we can enjoy it all again in 12 months time in the US before reverting to a bi-annual event almost feels like asking for too much, it really was that good.
It was a victory carried by the whole team but for Spain’s star and sole member of the team to be the ultimate final point was poetic.
The atmosphere in the stands across the three days and the loving TV shots of the Andalucian venue will have secured its place as a must visit for golfing tourists and will no doubt lead to a surge in young Spanish players to match that created five decades ago by Severiano Ballesteros.
Leona Maguire has secured Europe’s first point of the day, and Caroline Hedwall pulled off a stunning comeback in her game to secure a win that proved vital.
The other European winners were Anna Nordqvist, Maja Stark, with Gemma Dryburgh and Georgia Hall producing the two halves that created an equal share of the points on the final day, and similar over the course of the tournament.
“Jessica Korda tweeted the other day that I was annoying at match play, so the goal this week was to be as annoying as possible,” said Maguire.
“Suzann (Petterson) made it very clear a couple of months ago that I would be playing five [matches] but I think with the energy of this crowd I could have played 10.”
Carlota Ciganda finished up as the top European points scorer winning all four of the matches she played, ahead of Maguire and Lin Grant who both won three of their five.
Lexi Thompson and Megan Khange were the stars for the USA Team winning three of their matches as well.
The Solheim Cup was played in Ireland at Killeen Castle in 2011.
It will be played just outside Washington DC in 12 months time and back in Europe at Cromvoirt in the Netherlands in 2026.
The next time after that it will return to Europe will be 2030, three years after Ireland has hosted the Ryder Cup for a second time. There will have to be consideration given to an Irish bid for that with Dromoland Castle already hinting earlier this month that they would be interested.
It really is an event to put on your bucket list as a sports fan and if it could be back here then all the better.
