2003 Solheim Cup

The 8th Solheim Cup Match was held between September 12 and September 14, 2003 at Barsebäck Golf & Country Club, Loddekopinge, Skåne, Sweden, the first time the contest had been held outside the US or UK. When Rosie Jones conceded a birdie putt to Catriona Matthew giving her a 3&1 win, Europe got the 14½ points they required to win the Solheim Cup for the third time. With the match over as a contest, amid some controversy, four of the five remaining matches were conceded. This made the final score 17½ to 10½.

Teams

The European team consisted of seven automatic qualifiers and five wild card picks from Captain Catrin Nilsmark. cite web
title = European Solheim Cup Team Finalized
publisher = The Golf Channel
date = 2003-08-25
url = http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=15104&select=10704
accessdate = 2007-03-18 ] cite web
title = European Team announced
publisher = LET (Ladies European Tour)
date = 2003-08-25
author = Martin Park
url = http://www.ladieseuropeantour.com/content/let_content_news.php?Id=4249&page=101
accessdate = 2007-03-18 ] The US team consisted of 10 automatic qualifiers and two picks from Captain Patty Sheehan. cite web
title = Sheehan announces US Team
publisher = LET (Ladies European Tour)
date = 2003-08-25
url = http://www.ladieseuropeantour.com/content/let_content_news.php?Id=4246&page=101
accessdate = 2007-03-18 ] cite web
title = Sheehan Announces Selections
publisher = The Golf Channel
date = 2003-08-25
url = http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=15104&select=10692
accessdate = 2007-03-18 ]

Europe
*Captain
**flagicon|SWE Catrin Nilsmark (Captain) - Gothenburg, Sweden

*Automatic qualifiers
**flagicon|SWE Annika Sörenstam - Stockholm, Sweden
**flagicon|ENG Laura Davies - Coventry, England
**flagicon|SWE Sophie Gustafson - Särö, Sweden
**flagicon|GER Elisabeth Esterl - Dingolfing, Germany
**flagicon|DEN Iben Tinning - Copenhagen, Denmark
**flagicon|Spain Ana-Belen Sanchez - Malaga, Spain
**flagicon|SCO Mhairi McKay - Glasgow, Scotland

*Captains Picks
**flagicon|SWE Carin Koch - Kungalv, Sweden
**flagicon|SCO Catriona Matthew - North Berwick, Scotland
**flagicon|FRA Patricia Meunier-Lebouc - Dijon, France
**flagicon|SCO Janice Moodie - Glasgow, Scotland
**flagicon|NOR Suzann Pettersen - Oslo, Norway

USA
*Captain
**flagicon|USA Patty Sheehan (Captain) - Middlebury,Vermont

*Automatic qualifiers
**flagicon|USA Juli Inkster - Santa Cruz, California
**flagicon|USA Rosie Jones - Santa Ana, California
**flagicon|USA Beth Daniel - Charleston, South Carolina
**flagicon|USA Michele Redman - Zanesville, Ohio
**flagicon|USA Laura Diaz - Scotia, New York
**flagicon|USA Cristie Kerr - Miami, Florida
**flagicon|USA Meg Mallon - Natick, Massachusetts
**flagicon|USA Angela Stanford - Fort Worth, Texas
**flagicon|USA Kelly Robbins - Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
**flagicon|USA Wendy Ward - San Antonio, Texas

*Captains Picks
**flagicon|USA Heather Bowie - Washington, D.C
**flagicon|USA Kelli Kuehne - Dallas, Texas

Format

The match format was unchanged from 2002. A total of 28 points were available, divided among four periods of team play, followed by one period of singles play. The first period, on Friday morning, was four rounds of foursomes. This was followed in the afternoon by four rounds of four-balls. This schedule was repeated on the Saturday morning and afternoon. The four periods on Friday and Saturday accounted for 16 points. During these team periods, the players played in teams of two. All players had to play in at least one session of the first two days . The final 12 points were decided in a round of singles matchplay, in which all 24 players (12 from each team) took part.

Day One

Foursomes

The European team started Day 1 strongly, dominating the foursomes matches. The first point was won by the Scottish pairing of Catriona Matthew and Janice Moodie. A birdie putt on 15 sealed the 5&3 win for the Scottish pairing who had, somewhat controversially, not been picked for the 2002 team. cite web
title = Europe dominates morning foursomes
publisher = LET
date = 2003-09-12
url = http://www.ladieseuropeantour.com/content/let_content_news.php?Id=4293
accessdate = 2007-03-18 ] The second European point was also gained on the 15th green. Annika Sörenstam and Suzann Pettersen had gone 4 up after 11 and closed out the match 4&3. The third victorious European team was Sophie Gustafson and Solheim Cup rookie, Elisabeth Esterl who beat the highly experienced American combination of Meg Mallon and Rosie Jones 3&2 winning the 16th. The US team avoided a morning session whitewash by gaining a half point in the top match. Carin Koch and Laura Davies were one up with five to play but Beth Daniel and Kelly Robbins made a birdie at the 15th and the match was halved. cite web
title = Europeans Take Commanding Lead
publisher = The Golf Channel
date = 2003-09-12
url = http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=15104&select=10895
accessdate = 2007-03-18 ]

Four-ball

The afternoon fourballs started encouragingly for the US team. The European rookie pairing, playing their first match of the week, Ana-Belen Sanchez and Mhairi McKay were well beaten 5&4 by the veteran US combination of Beth Daniel and Juli Inkster. The US won match two as well, Kelli Kuehne and Cristie Kerr teaming up once more to beat Laura Davies and Sophie Gustafson 2&1 winning both the 16th and 17th holes. cite web
title = Europe in Control Heading to Singles
publisher = The Golf Channel
date = 2003-09-13
url = http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=15104&select=10899
accessdate = 2007-03-18 ] The Scottish pair of Janice Moodie and Catriona Matthew got a point back for Europe. They were 1 up after 11, then won the 12th, 14th and 15th to win 4&3.

The final match of the day had a spectacular finish. Laura Diaz and Kelly Robbins had a tap in birdie on the 17th hole only for Annika Sörenstam to halve the hole with a 20 foot putt from the fringe of the green. cite web
title = Sensational finish for Sorenstam and Pettersen
publisher = LET
date = 2003-09-13
url = http://www.ladieseuropeantour.com/content/let_content_news.php?Id=4316
accessdate = 2007-03-18 ] On 18, Diaz had a six foot putt for birdie but missed. Pettersen's birdie putt from ten feet did not miss and Europe had a three point lead going into the final day singles.

Day Three

ingles

Janice Moodie led off for Europe taking a four hole lead after seven holes, eventually beating Kelli Kuehne 3&2. Juli Inkster got the first point of the day for the US team comprehensively beating Carin Koch. Sophie Gustafson beat Heather Bowie 5&4 to leave Bowie pointless for the week.

European rookie Iben Tinning was 3 up at the turn on Wendy Ward and won when Ward mised a par putt on 17. Ana-Belen Sanchez fought hard all day but eventually lost to Michele Redman. Annika Sörenstam was never behind and always in control in her win over Angela Stanford and minutes after she won, Catriona Matthew gained the winning point and the remaining matches were conceded with the winner being whoever was in the lead. The match between Laura Davies and Meg Mallon was level at the time and Davies won because Mallon offered to concede first. cite web
title = Europe wins back The Solheim Cup!
publisher = LET
date = 2003-09-14
url = http://www.ladieseuropeantour.com/content/let_content_news.php?Id=4328
accessdate = 2007-03-18 ] cite web
title = Europe Easily Defeats U.S. for Solheim Cup
publisher = The Golf Channel
date = 2003-09-14
url = http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=15104&select=10903
accessdate = 2007-03-18 ]

ee also

*Solheim Cup

Notes and References

External links

* [http://golf.about.com/od/teamcompetitions/p/2003_solheim.htm 2003 Solheim Cup Match Results]