Today is always a difficult day. With so many loved ones lost to a terrible tragedy and many more still grieving 23 years later, it’s a day that not many know how to approach.
Team USA Captain Stacy Lewis has been preparing for this day for over a year. “That was one of the first things I noticed actually when I saw the dates of this event and that I was going to be captain, and it’s really what has steered my direction with what I’ve done with the team this week. We put an emphasis on being appreciative of what we get to do because we live in this great country.”
All her assistant captains and players can attest to the thoughtfulness Lewis has put into every detail of the week, from the moments of silence during the practice round this morning to the uniforms she chose with U.S. generals to represent the six different military branches throughout the week.
“[The team’s golf bags have] tons of history, from the script of the Constitution to the stars and the stripes,” says Lewis. “Everything I’ve done this week has been because of 9/11 this week.”
An important way to never forget is to continue learning. Team USA had the opportunity this week to tour the Pentagon and learn from three- and four-star generals. Former president Barack Obama also met with the team.
Four-time Solheim Cup Team USA member Megan Khang commented on the latter part of the day, saying “[Obama knowing our names] was super cool and it just shows how much women’s golf is growing and how big this event is itself.”
In addition to Team USA’s tributes, the Solheim Cup partnered with SERVPRO to host the First Responders Celebrity 9-Hole Challenge today. Six groups comprised of two first responders and two celebrities played holes 1-5 and 11-14. The following teams, named after their celebrity counterpart, took to the Robert Trent Jones course:
Group 1:
- Team Rivera: Tony Damico and Ron Rivera
- Team Zimmerman: Bryan Ross and Ryan Zimmerman
Group 2:
- Team Gonzalez: Dave Hutchinson and LouLou Gonzalez
- Team Bookholdt: Mark Price and Haley Bookholdt
Group 3:
- Team Higgins: Jason Masters and Ben Higgins
- Team Clark: Patrick Doherty and Zac Clark
Group 4:
- Team Alzner: Joshua Lehman and Karl Alzner
- Team Chychrun: Brayden Masters and Jakob Chychrum
Group 5:
- Team Smith: Paul Pepitone and Taylor Smith
- Team Wells: Gerry Murphy and Wells Adams
Group 6:
- Team Newton: Paul Mazzei and Kathryn Newton
- Team Andres: Michael Bethel and Jose Andrews
Each player had their own caddie and standard bearers with the score. Teams Newton, Adams and Bookholdt tied for first at 4-under.
With so much American pride at the Solheim Cup, it will be only fitting for Team USA to break Europe’s winning streak on Sunday in honor of our fallen heroes.
