The Sublime Solheim Cup

I can't wait for the Ryder Cup to come to Medinah in 2012. In fact, I've been eagerly awaiting it since the announcement was made way back in October 1998.

That's so long ago, Tiger Woods had just one major to his credit. So long ago, Mark McGwire had just hit 70 homers and we believed it a legitimate feat. So long ago, we weren't certain Michael Jordan had played his final game as a Bull.

Point is, I possess a lot of long-held expectations for the 2012 Ryder Cup -- and now I have one more: I expect the PGA and Medinah to pull off a Ryder Cup as satisfactory for all concerned as the LPGA and Rich Harvest Farms just did with the Solheim Cup. That's no small task.

Sunday's weather (sunny, puffy clouds, mid-70s), crowds (large, loud, sportsmanlike) and competition (fierce, roller-coaster, riveting) couldn't have been more perfect.

Starting at 10:05 a.m. -- when top USA player Paula Creamer and top Euro player Suzann Pettersen teed off No. 1 to start the singles -- and ending at 5:42 -- when the victorious Americans gleefully posed for their official team photos with the Solheim Cup on the driving range -- it was a pinnacle for women's golf. Heck, it was a pinnacle for golf, period.

Here's somewhat of a timeline for what I witnessed on Jerry Rich's immaculate course.

10:10 a.m.: With Creamer and Pettersen on their way to the first green and the USA's Angela Stanford and Wales' Becky Brewerton waiting to tee off, the jammed bleachers at the first tee are rocking.
"Red! White! Blue! Cup stays here!"
Then a fistful of European fans waving flags starting singing (to the tune of "My Bonnie" ): "Bring back, oh bring back, bring back the Solheim today."
And the rest of the fans in the stands screamed, "No way!"
Then, as if the stands were filled with Sox fans, the crowd surged into "Na-na-na-na, hey-hey-hey, goodbye."

10:35 a.m.: As Pettersen hits her tee shot at the par-3 No. 3, a rube in the stands yells, "Get in the bunker!" A lady nearby says, "That wasn't very nice."

At the green, a dude spots Creamer's parents and asks his female companion for confirmation. "Is that her mom? I wish I was her dad. I'd be rich!"

11:02 a.m.: We get to the fifth tee, where the green is a replica of the Masters' fabled par-3 No. 12. At the green, one man reports he got there at 8:15 a.m. to claim his spot -- and he wasn't the first one to get there. That's major-tournament-worthy dedication right there.

12:45 p.m.: Uncle Sam -- complete with star-spangled top hat, blue overcoat and red pinstriped pants -- shows up at the 12th green to cheer for Creamer and all subsequent American players. Uncle Sam turned out to be Amanda Linklater of Grand Rapids, Mich., who purchased the suit for $50 so she'd be ready to attend her second Solheim Cup.

(She wasn't the only fan in a uniform. Scattered throughout the course were high school golf teams wearing their official uniforms. I saw Rosary's and Glenbard South's teams, among others.)

1:45 p.m.: Creamer wraps up her victory over Pettersen at the 16th green. Coupled with Stanford's 5 and 4 whipping of Brewerton, the United States owns a 10-8 lead. But there's a problem for the U.S. side. Europe leads 5 of the other 10 matches, while America leads just 2. That means if everyone stays status quo, Europe wins 15-13.

3:35 p.m.: Morgan Pressel, playing in the 11th of the 12 matches, clinches the Cup for America at No. 16 when Anna Nordqvist misses a par putt. That sets off a flag-waving frenzy that lasts, in some form or another, for nearly an hour.

Eventually, everyone gathers at the 18th green. where the American players, coaches, caddies and families can't stop hugging each other. B.J. Wie, Michelle's father, can't stop taking pictures of people hugging his talented daughter who came into her own this weekend.

Euro coach Alison Nicholas, meanwhile, can't hide her dampened eyes behind her sunglasses. I wonder what percent of her tears are because her team couldn't quite pull off the victory -- and what percent are due to the fact it's the end of a time-consuming but enjoyable 18-month journey.

5 p.m.: Nicholas offers a terrific speech at the closing ceremonies that earns a standing ovation for herself and her team.

5:45 p.m.: The American team troops to the driving range to take a zillion pictures with the Solheim Cup. Wie looked particularly happy to have a chance to hold the cup -- hugging it tight while the rest of the team came over to prepare for the official (and interminable) team photos.

The photo session even includes the Northern Illinois ROTC members who were part of the closing ceremony. Oh, and the girls make sure to take a picture with Bunker, the omnipresent golden retriever who belongs to RHF superintendent Jeff VerCautren.

All in all, a great end to a remarkable week. Your turn, Ryder Cup. Come back soon, Solheim.

LW