Show Notes is a weekly summary of what went down on the Sunday edition of the No Laying Up podcast. Want the TLDR and every reason to listen? A recap of the recap, if you will! Words and research by Jordan Perez.
What went down: Randy, TC, Neil and Cody break down their expedition to Finca Cortesin—and the Europe fans are as brazen as ever! The choir of “olés” (Randy and Tron) highlights their big-time…win???
Yeah, the win/tie/retain thing is confusing, so the guys unpack it.
(5:30) Team Europe retains the Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin, 14-14, and the craziest part of it all is not the fact that one more half point would have made it Team USA’s – but the fact that for the first time in Solheim Cup history, Europe has “won” three straight times! Two epic back-to-back birdies from Carlota Ciganda after a shank on 15 made it theirs. Even the King, Felipe VI, pulled up to see his fellow Spaniard.
(19:00) Will the European media call out the disgusting display of rushing the green?! The guys go a little bit into the spectator experience and how intimate, yet disjointed it felt – and how poorly communicated that was in the broadcast.
(25:00) The guys take a deep dive into the matches.
- Leona Maguire seized the first point, 4 and 3, while Rose Zhang ended her week with a disappointing Solheim Cup debut.
- Megan Khang claimed the first singles point for Team USA in a highlight reel of a match against Linn Grant.
- Danielle Kang capped off an inspired week with a victory against Charley Hull, 4 and 2.
- Anna Nordqvist knocked out Jennifer Kupcho, 2 and 1.
- Georgia Hall tied Andrea Lee.
- Lilia Vu took care of Madelene Sagstrom, 4 and 3. Angel Yin took down Celine Boutier, 2 and 1 – which was a big turning point for the United States. (Shoutout to Angel for rocking the No Laying Up towel!)
- Cheyenne Knight proved herself an incredible captain’s pick and turned her match around down the stretch against Gemma Dryburgh to get a half point.
- An electric performance from Caroline Hedwall. After sitting most of the sessions, she put another point on the board for Team Europe after flipping her match and beating Ally Ewing.
- The elusive (in terms of broadcast) Maja Stark versus Allisen Corpuz match resulted in Maja holding steady, 2 and 1. It draws a Max Homa comparison from TC. And Baby Shark chants?
- Tied up, 13-13, it all comes down to this next match: Carlota Ciganda vs. Nelly Korda. How did it all come together for Carlota and fall apart for Nelly? Does she have that dawg in her? Time for the O/U major assessment from Neil. Also, a 4-0 week for Carlota!
- The anchor match wrapped up a great performance for Lexi Thompson, beating Emily Pederson, 2 and 1, but wasn’t enough to get it done for Team USA.
(1:21:16) Finally, the guys share their nominations for Solheim Cup MVP and LVP. How much of a letdown is this for Team USA, after an opening session sweep? Should Stacy Lewis have gone full send on having players play every single match?
How much did the Team USA data-focused approach help? The Team Europe nutritionist? Let’s assess the jobs done by both Stacy Lewis and Suzann Pettersen.
(1:36:00) Right after the ad read, the guys remark on the lack of information on equipment! But let’s consider the media turnout for a moment – the guys point out there was a bigger showing of American media for the Solheim Cup than the AIG Women’s Open. That may or may not have something to do with the Ryder Cup.
(1:40:00) Hamsterdam time! Chef TC leads a full-blown roast of the venue and broadcast. The spectator experience was a logistical nightmare (running out of food and water!), and the broadcast left out so much context. Why don’t we NFL Redzone quad box this – especially on Sunday singles?
Cody engaged in some investigative reporting on the sponsorship front – sounds like Aramco is percolating re: Solheim Cup!
(1:58:00) Cody then tears into the lack of support the women’s game has had. Then the guys tip their hats to the good golf and how much they love the event.
Best take: (1:47:00) Indeed, Randy, it should not be so difficult to try to be a fan of something. A biennial event that platforms the women’s game in a way it seldom sees deserves a better production treatment – not late updates, missed shots, no yardages/club context. It’s especially discouraging when the golf is exceptional. The women are performing – and the entire product needs to act in unison, not just provide lip service.
Worst take: I don’t feel the need to award anyone the worst take, other than the fact that I know the Team Europe peeps are feeling really high off this “win” but the revenge game will be so, so, sweet. We unearthed a few killers from this Team USA group who seem super moved by team competition – Lexi and DK – and the momentum should easily translate in a back-to-back year. I like the culture this Team USA is forming and hope more of that is solidified next year.
Alarms that went off: 2
Quotables:
TC: “Neil was saying John Solheim looked like the Jurassic Park founder.”
Neil: “From the first one, the guy with the hat. He’s a big visionary thinker but then things got kind of out of hand.”
(1:00:00) “Maja Stark, doo doo doo doo doo doo, Maja Stark doo doo doo doo doo doo, Maja Stark doo doo doo doo doo doo, Maja Stark…” -TC
Peep the ad reads for some all-time transitions by Cody. Spoiler alert: They’re hilarious.
Ads: (3:20) Thanks to our friends at High Noon and their High Noon tequila seltzer offerings! Made with real blanco tequila, 100 calories, gluten-free with no added sugar. Strawberry lime, grapefruit, passionfruit – visit the High Noon website to find High Noon near you.
(1:11:15) Now the fall is here it’s a perfect time to load up on the best gear we own. Whether it’s a USA-themed design just in time for these couple weeks in golf or a classic design, these polos look clean. Four-way stretch and moisture-wicking fabric, these polos are perfect for a warm Autumn day on the course. Rhoback’s performance hoodies are the stretchiest, softest hoodies in golf. If you wanna be comfortable, you wear a Rhoback hoodie – and nothing beats a Rhoback quarter-zip for an early round of golf.
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