Just because there’s no “i” in team doesn’t mean you can’t qualify individuals on a list. With that in mind, here’s a report for every player (plus captains) on every team in this week’s week. Solheim Cupwhat you do Europe won 15-13 after winning six of the first eight singles matches on Sunday. No grade inflation here. This is not middle school!
TEAM USATHE GRADES
Allison Corpuz (1-3-0) – Together with Nelly Korda in four quarters on Friday, Corpuz eliminated the first European team of Charlie Hull and Lottie Woad. But in the Sunday singles, placed in the critical meat of the line, he ran out of steam on the new one against Nanna Koerstz Madsen. Class: C
Lauren Coughlin (3-1-1) – The unbeaten side Alison LeeNo American earned more points than Coughlin, who appeared in all five matches and backed up her rock-solid play in fourballs and foursomes by handing Leona Maguire a rare Solheim Cup loss. Class: A
Lindy Duncan (2-1-0) – At 35, Duncan was the oldest player in the United States, and she showed veteran poise in her first Solheim Cup, beating Maja Stark on Sunday to hand the Swede her only loss of the week. Class: A-
Megan Khang (1-2-0) – Despite recent struggles on the LPGA Tour, Khang was a slam-dunk captain’s choice, given her Solheim Cup record and her contributions to team chemistry. In the association game, Khang was his usual brave self. But their eight-game winning streak was snapped on Saturday, and they fell to Charley Hull in Sunday’s opener. Class: C
Austin Kim (1-3-0) – Credit Kim for her fire on Sunday, when she battled back from 4 down to scare Europe’s top-ranked player. But Lottie Woad also won the vital point. A grade of C means average, and that’s the week for Kim. Class: C
Nelly Korda (2-1-1) – Korda lost one match – in a match against the Swedish buzzsaw of Linn Grant and Maja Stark – and sat out Saturday afternoon. Otherwise, the world No. 1 did most of everything that was asked of her, picking up 2.5 points, including a Sunday singles victory over Mimi Rhodes. Class: B+
Jennifer Kupcho (1-3-0) – On the one hand, Kupcho provided his team with the most electric moment of the week with a pair of closing birdies in four balls on Saturday. On the other hand, the player known to some as Clutch-cho came in with just one point for the week. Class: B-
Alison Lee (4-0-0) – The top scorer for Team USA, Lee shined all week, nowhere brighter than on Sunday, when she came from 4 down to win her singles match over Esther Henseleit. Class: A
Andrea Lee C (1-3-0) – With his partner, Yealimi Noh, Lee had a great win on Saturday afternoon over Hull and Woad. But on Sunday it fell to Solheim Cup rookie Nastasia Nadaud to remain winless in three attempts at Solheim singles. Class: C
Yealim well B (1-1-1) – Noh sparkled in the play of her teammates, but left alone in the fire on Sunday, she stumbled against Solheim Cup rookie Julia López Ramírez. Class: B
Angel Yin (0-1-1) – Suffered with stomach problems for most of the summer, Yin was the biggest question mark for the Americans going into the competition. But she was eager to play, and American captain Angela Stanford went with her instead of potential alternate Lilia Vu. Trying to clear it didn’t go well for Yin. After winning half a point on Friday, he sat all day Saturday and was out of the draw in Sunday singles, falling 4 and 3 to Linn Grant. Grade: C- (but A for grit!)
Rose Zhang (2-2-0) – Confiding in the anchor match on Sunday, Zhang earned a full point. It’s not his fault he doesn’t care. He was more than consistent throughout the competition to justify his place as the captain’s choice. Class: B
Captain: Angela Stanford – For golf fans, second guessing is second nature, but Stanford made it easier than usual by hanging out with a recently ill – and clearly out of shape – Angela Yin, when he could have gone with an alternative, Lilia Vu. Stanford gave the doubters even more ammunition by showing little faith in Yin, playing just once in the first two days. Would you have made a difference? We will never know. But it’s fair to ask the question, anyway. Stanford was also criticized after the loss for not selling its players, who left many short putts, on the slowness of the greens. “I’m a little frustrated with myself that I didn’t drive that point home,” he said. Class: C
TEAM EUROPETHE GRADES
Celine Boutier (0-4-0) – It was a subdued display for the Solheim Cup veteran, but as they say in his home country, it’s life. His only win of the week came via the team, which is the only win that really counts. Grade: C-
Carlotta Ciganda (1-1-1) – Ciganda wasn’t always on his A game, except when it really mattered. Challenging in key moments, especially with her putter, she beat Saturday’s hero, Jennifer Kupcho, easily in singles and proved once again to have Seve’s nerves and toughness. Class: B+
Lynn Grant – How Swedish he was! After being defeated in partner play alongside countrywoman Maja Stark, Grant – who went 0-4 two years ago – held on on her own, overpowering Angel Yin in singles as part of an early European blue wave. Class: A
Esther Henseleit (2-1-0) – After winning 4 in singles on Sunday, Henseleit fell in stunning fashion to a tough Alison Lee. But when she looks at her record and the results of the team, that should ease the point. Class: B
Charlie Hull (1-3-1) – Match-play records can be deceiving, and Hull’s performance was a case in point. Winless in four attempts with partner Lottie Woad, she hit the opponents red and a cold putter for the results which she felt did not reflect the quality of her game. Fair enough. But her week would still have counted as a disappointment were it not for the pivotal role she played on Sunday, overwhelming Megan Khang as she set the pace for Europe in the singles match. Class: B
Nanna Koerstz Madsen (1-2-0) – Team Europe’s best putter lost his first two matches, but all is forgiven – and forgotten – with his clutch singles victory over Allisen Corpuz. Class: B-
Leona Maguire (2-1-1) – Despite suffering a rare loss in Sunday’s singles, Maguire was mostly up to his usual mischief, claiming two more matches to become the fastest player to reach 10 career wins in Solheim Cup history. Class: B+
Nastasia Nadaud (3-1-0) – The youngest player in the competition, the 21-year-old captain’s choice quickly announced himself with a strong game in four. On Sunday, she proved it was no fluke, taking down Andrea Lee 3 and 2. Class: A-
Julia Lopez Ramirez (1-0-1) – A Solheim Cup rookie and captain’s choice, López Ramírez played just once in the first two days. But on Sunday he showed a steel in the match play that seems to run in Spanish blood, beating Yealimi Noh 3 and 2. Class: A-
Mimi Rhodes (2-1-0) – The Solheim Cup rookie drew a tough card on Sunday against world No. 1 Nelly Korda. But she was flawless in her other matches, in a display that suggests she will be back in Cups to come. Class: B+
Maya Stark (3-1-0) – As one half of a dynamic Swedish duo, Stark won three partner matches. His only loss came in singles again Lindy Duncan. By then, however, the Cup was already in the bag for Europe. Class: A
Lottie Woad (1-3-1) – Like Charley Hull, his sidekick in the association game, Woad had an unimpressive week on paper, earning just half a point in his first four games. But also like Hull, he hit the ball better than his record shows, and came up big on Sunday, over an autumn Kim 2&1. Class: B-
Captain: Anna Nordqvist – Yes, the players have to hit the shots. But the captain sets the tone, and Nordqvist’s steady, upbeat presence was apparent all week. Of course, it stood out on Saturday, after Jennifer Kupcho had defeated the Europeans with a shock comeback victory. Indispensably, Nordqvist gathered his team in a closed-arm circle, delivering a pep talk that seemed to carry over to the decisive day. Take the fact that three of his four captain’s picks won their matches on Sunday – the only loss came against the No. 1 world No. 1 Nelly Korda — and you could tell Nordqvist made the right moves in ways that mattered most. Class: A
