'Captaincy commodities won Solheim Cup for US'

Forming a squad that is greater than nan sum of its parts is nan cardinal to occurrence successful squad golf.

Finding those intangible advantages; an improbable but successful partnership, cajoling an out-of-form subordinate into an unerring demon, identifying your team’s strengths and exposing an opponent’s weakness.

These are nan captaincy commodities that make nan difference.

We saw Luke Donald do it for Europe past twelvemonth astatine nan Ryder Cup, likewise Catriona Matthew for Great Britain and Ireland astatine this month’s Curtis Cup and now we person witnessed nan aforesaid from Stacy Lewis for nan United States astatine nan Solheim Cup.

Yes, it is nan players who descend nan putts, but it is nan captains who travel up pinch nan strategies to put nan golfers successful nan champion framework of mind to execute astir efficiently.

In this respect Lewis comprehensively outplayed her other number Suzann Pettersen.

Never mind that nan Americans were nan higher classed squad - Europe person overturned specified evident disadvantages connected galore occasions successful Solheim and Ryder Cups.

It was Lewis’ analytical attack compared pinch Pettersen’s "gut and instinct" that made nan quality successful America’s 15 1/2 - 12 1/2 triumph astatine nan Robert Trent Jones Golf Club successful Virginia connected Sunday.

She had enlisted stats guru Justin Ray to supply capacity insights that could pass her decisions. As importantly, they offered empirical justification to players and truthful they could understand and judge perchance contentious strategical calls.

Pettersen, meanwhile, relied connected golfing small heart - thing she possesses by nan barrowload aft specified a successful career. But that was not capable connected this occasion.

It resulted successful Leona Maguire being benched for each barroom 1 fourball convention connected Friday earlier Sunday’s singles, pinch small difficult grounds to backmost specified a arguable move.

It was a large call, made to look alternatively foolish erstwhile nan Irishwoman trounced Ally Ewing 4&3 arsenic Europe mounted their improbable and yet forlorn fightback.

An aggrieved Maguire, Europe’s astir successful subordinate successful nan erstwhile 2 Solheim Cups, says she was not fixed an mentation for being benched. She deserved amended and aft nan title Pettersen refused to elaborate.

The Irish prima had been short of shape coming into nan match, but had won connected circuit successful early summertime and was decent astatine nan caller Irish Open wherever she was 15th. She had won 7 of her 10 erstwhile Solheim Cup matches.

And she still holds a 100% grounds successful singles. Maguire has nan stats to backmost up emotion angry astatine her curen during nan first 2 days of nan lucifer erstwhile Europe grounded to triumph a session.

By contrast, Ray’s information informed Lewis’ partnerships that helped nan US return what proved a decisive 6-2 lead connected Friday.

"He's been a immense plus for nan past 2 and a half years, from each nan telephone calls to nan random texts," Lewis said of her statistical ally.

"I had a small freak-out infinitesimal past week. I was trying to fig retired pairings and I couldn't get it done and we did a telephone and he sewage maine backmost connected track.

"He's been a awesome friend, and he loves his stats. But he loves golf, and he loves watching this squad compete."

Lewis will not divulge nan secrets unearthed by specified elaborate study but did corroborate they importantly shifted her approach. "We've ever tried to play each of our players successful fourballs," she said.

"So we did immoderate research, and nan past 5 winning Ryder Cup teams didn't play each of their players successful fourball. We've done that successful nan past to get everybody fresh for singles."

This argumentation was ditched successful Virginia. "This twelvemonth I said I'm going to put retired nan champion imaginable pairings I tin for each session, and if it doesn't get everybody successful fourballs, past it doesn't get everybody successful fourballs," Lewis said.

"That was thing I learned past clip that we're astir apt going to support doing going forward."

Last clip was only 12 months ago, erstwhile Pettersen’s Europeans spiritedly came from 4-0 down successful nan foursomes (another illustration of being out-thought) to unit a 14-14 tie.

It kept nan trophy successful continental hands for a 3rd clip and meant nan US were hopeless for occurrence past week. That script could person brought hostility and anxiety, perchance undermining their golf.

But Lewis’ calm, informed activity fostered awesome spirit. The usually reserved world number 1 Nelly Korda was a revelation, skipping joyfully onto nan first tee aft pumping retired large euphony connected nan US squad bus.

"This was astir apt nan astir nosy I've had connected a play people ever," said nan 26-year-old Floridian. "Just nan team, nan squad environment, nan caddies, everyone getting along, nan fans.

"Everyone was truthful incredible. We each vibed really good disconnected of each other. This is astir apt nan astir I've laughed and nan astir I've fist pumped ever connected a play course."

Lewis could only approve. "They needed to person nosy and they needed to bask this," she acknowledged. "They besides needed to play bully golf.

"I deliberation location was a batch of hostility of trying to play cleanable play and not enjoying it successful nan process.

"This squad enjoyed this week much than nan play itself. They had truthful overmuch nosy together.

"They picked each different up erstwhile they needed it."

These are traits that person for truthful agelong been nan sphere of Europe successful these biennial jousts - some for nan women successful Solheim and nan men successful nan Ryder Cup.

Lewis came up pinch an attack and strategy that showed that she, astatine least, is an American who now comprehends nan existent dynamics that output occurrence successful these matches.