Inkster's play helps US pull into a tie
CARMEL, Ind. -- At the 10th green there had been a few hops, a skip, and two pirouettes. The 16th green, where she had closed out the match, Juli Inkster let loose with a wiggle, some emphatic fist pumps, a few more hops, and a little bit of the twist. Now, with only a few moments to spare before she'd have to return to the golf course for the afternoon session, Inkster spotted daughter Cori, 11, and gave her a big hug.
''Mom can dance," Inkster suggested, only Cori laughed, because there was little proof of that.
But she can play, particularly when the theater is grand and the spotlight warm, as it is at Crooked Stick Golf Club where the ninth edition of the Solheim Cup is being played out.
Inkster, 45, remains a golfer of unmatched spirit and one who embodies what this international team competition is all about. Sidelined with an infected finger during Friday's first session, Inkster was the key to a win and a halve that helped the Americans climb out of a hole yesterday. Going 3-1 in foursomes, then 2-2 in four-ball, the Americans pushed into an 8-8 tie entering today's finale of 12 singles matches.
Looking to win on American soil for the first time, Europe will need just 6 points to keep the cup; captain Nancy Lopez's team will need at least 6 1/2 to take it back, a mission Inkster is eager to help with.
She certainly was there for more than eight hours in suffocating humidity, starting with her morning foursomes assignment alongside Paula Creamer that resulted in a 3-and-2 win over Laura Davies and Maria Hjorth, and culminating in her grueling four-ball match with Beth Daniel. In possession of a one-hole lead for most of the back nine, Inkster and Daniel escaped with a half-point, but only because Iben Tinning, paired with Trish Johnson, missed a 6-footer for birdie at the 18th hole.
But Inkster was not alone in scripting a day of scintillating highlights. Her exuberant teammate, Creamer, won twice (she and Cristie Kerr won, 1 up, in a four-ball match against Carin Koch and Catriona Matthew). And perhaps most notable was the turnaround for Europe's dynamic leaders, Annika Sorenstam and Davies.
Sorenstam's day began with a foursomes pairing with Matthew and with two of the three matches ahead of her going poorly, European hopes were pinned on the Swede. Through five holes, Sorenstam and Matthew were 3 up, but they won just one hole the rest of the way as Michele Redman and Pat Hurst rallied for a dramatic win. That the match ended with Sorenstam driving into the water at the 18th to gift-wrap victory for the Americans was shocking; that she rebounded beautifully in the afternoon was hardly surprising.
Of course, Sorenstam had great company by her side -- Davies. Sorenstam made two birdies and an eagle going out, Davies pitched in with two birdies, and they turned 5 up en route to an easy 3-and-2 four-ball win over Hurst and Christina Kim.
Davies's morning had also been a losing effort, though unlike Sorenstam, she didn't give it away. Instead, Inkster stole it from her in a stirring match.
''I love playing against LD," said Inkster. ''She's my favorite player to play against."
Acting as a sort of mentor for Creamer, the 19-year-old rookie, Inkster was a calming presence as the team turned in 1 up. But at the 10th, Inkster showed her competitive fire. With Davies staring at a 12-foot birdie try, Inkster had a near-impossible pitch shot out of rough above the pin. She played it perfectly, because she holed it.
At the par-4 16th, Inkster -- set up in the alternate-shot format by Creamer's brilliant 6-iron from 155 yards -- rolled in a 6-foot right-to-left curler to seal the 3-and-2 win.
''She can't dance," said Daniel, ''but I love to see her try, because that means something good happened for our team."
Three afternoon matches went to the 18th (Sorenstam and Davies ended their duties at the 16th) and the best involved Meg Mallon and Rosie Jones against Sophie Gustafson and Suzann Pettersen. When Jones rolled in a 30-footer at the final hole -- her 12th birdie in the 34 holes she has played in these matches -- the Americans were poised for a win, only Gustafson coolly knocked down a 10-footer to earn her side a half-point.
It could be good momentum for Gustafson, who'll lead off this morning's singles festivities, though it'll be no small task. That's because she'll take on Inkster, who has a 4-1-0 singles record in Solheim play -- and who cares if she doesn't remind anyone of Ginger Rogers?
