Solheim Cup: Georgia Hall may be Team Europe’s secret weapon
Solheim Cup Alert: Team Europe is bringing a secret weapon to to Des Moines. Her name is Georgia Hall and that spells trouble for the Americans.
Georgia Hall topped the Ladies European Tour Solheim Cup points rankings and she’s been a lock for Team Europe for months. Hall’s also a Solheim Cup rookie, and she’s not started at many LPGA events. The result? She’s an unknown quantity to Captain Juli Inkster and the Team USA players.
That could spell trouble for a team that’s coming to Des Moines locked and loaded and brimming over with confidence that they’re going to notch back-to-back Solheim Cup victories.
By the numbers the Americans are the favorite. But Team USA was also the favorite in 2013 at Colorado Golf Club, and we know how that story ended – not well for Team USA.
The Americans know how to play against Suzann Pettersen, Anna Nordqvist, Charley Hull, Mel Reid, and Caroline Masson. Conversely, of course, those members of Team Europe know how to play against the Team USA members.
Then there’s Georgia Hall.
You can be sure that Captain Inkster and Team USA are studying this video of Hall’s final round at the 2017 Ricoh Women’s British Open.
Hall opened at Kingsbarns with a bogey-free 68, got bogged down a bit in the 3rd round, and then gave it everything she had in the final round, delivering a stunning display of championship-level play under unimaginably testing conditions.
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A look at Hall’s Ricoh Women’s British Open playing stats should strike fear in the hearts of Team USA. Over the 72-hole contest Hall hit 82% of the fairways off the tee and hit 85% of the greens in regulation. She averaged 30 putts per round, matching winner IK Kim’s performance on the putting surface. Just as a point of comparison, Inbee Park, one of the best putters in the game, averaged 29 putts per round at Kingsbarns and Stacy Lewis, who can generally be depended on to hold sway on the greens, averaged 30.5 putts per round. Hall’s ball never found a single Kingsbarns bunker.
That’s the game Georgia Hall is bringing to Des Moines.
I have two pressing questions for which there are no answers, yet: How will Captain Annika Sörenstam pair Georgia Hall for the foursomes and fourballs matches? And How will Captain Julie Inkster defend against her?
The 2017 Solheim Cup will be contended at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club from Thursday, August 17 – Sunday, August 20. Golf Channel’s broadcast coverage of the 15th Solheim Cup begins Thursday, August 17 at 6pm for the opening ceremony. Continuing Golf Channel coverage of the matches begins Friday, August 18, at 9am. All times ET.