2000 Solheim Cup Results
Final Score: Europe 14.5, United States 11.5
Dates Played: October 6-8, 2000
Location: Loch Lomond Golf Club in Luss, Dunbartonshire, Scotland
Team Captains: Pat Bradley for Team USA and Dale Reid for Team Europe
Team Rosters:
- United States — Juli Inkster, Meg Mallon, Rosie Jones, Dottie Pepper, Sherri Steinhauer, Pat Hurst, Kelly Robbins, Michele Redman, Nancy Scranton, Becky Iverson, Brandie Burton, Beth Daniel
- Europe — Sophie Gustafson, Trish Johnson, Laura Davies, Alison Nicholas, Patricia Meunier-Lebouc, Raquel Carriedo, Annika Sorenstam, Helen Alfredsson, Carin Koch, Janice Moodie, Liselotte Neumann, Catrin Nilsmark
What Happened at the 2000 Solheim Cup
The 2000 Solheim Cup was the site of one of the most controversial incidents in Solheim Cup history. But before we get to that, a note about the format this year: This was the last Solheim Cup that deviated from what is now known as the "Ryder Cup format" (four foursomes and fourballs on each of the first two days, then 12 singles matches on the final day). In 2000, Teams USA and Europe played eight foursomes matches on Day 1, four matches in each of two (morning/afternoon) sessions. On Day 2, six four-ball matches took place, then Day 3 wrapped up with 12 singles matches.Europe jumped out early with a 4-0 mark in the first foursomes session, and led by five points after Day 2. Team USA won the singles sessions, 9-7, but it was too little, too late.
The controversy happened in the last fourball match on Day 2, a match pitting USA's Kelly Robbins and Pat Hurst against Europe's Janice Moodie and Annika Sorenstam. Europe was dominating the Solheim Cup to that point, and on Day 2 won four of the other five matches.
Hurst/Robbins held a 1-up lead when their match against Moodie/Sorenstam reached the 13th green. Sorenstam chipped from just off the green, and holed it for a birdie. But at that point, Robbins pointed out that the putt she was facing was actually longer than Sorenstam's chip had been, meaning that Robbins should have played first and that Sorenstam played out of turn.
In stroke play there is no penalty for playing out of turn, but in match play an opponent can force a player to replay a stroke for playing out of turn. USA captain Pat Bradley invoked that rule, requiring Sorenstam to replay the chip. This time Sorenstam missed, and Robbins/Hurst went on to win the match 2-and-1.
Sorenstam was livid, as were all members of Team Europe who considered it an unsporting act. Obviously, the American side wouldn't have cared that Sorenstam played out of turn had Annika missed the original chip. Regardless of how one views Bradley's decision to require a replay, it was entirely within the rules to do so.
While that act cast a bit of a pall over the proceedings, it did not affect the outcome of the competition. Europe led at the time of the controversy, and wound up winning its second Solheim Cup.
2000 Solheim Cup Match Scores
Day OneFoursomes (Morning)
- Laura Davies/Alison Nicholas (EUR) defeated Dottie Pepper/Juli Inkster (USA), 4&3
- Trish Johnson/Sophie Gustafson (EUR) defeated Kelly Robbins/Pat Hurst (USA), 3&2
- Catrin Nilsmark/Carin Koch (EUR) defeated Brandie Burton/Becky Iverson (USA), 2&1
- Annika Sorenstam/Janice Moodie (EUR) defeated Meg Mallon/Beth Daniel (USA), 1 up
Score after morning session: Europe 4, USA O
Foursomes (Afternoon)
- Becky Iverson/Rosie Jones (USA) defeated Laura Davies/Alison Nicholas (EUR), 6&5
- Juli Inkster/Sherri Steinhauer (USA) halved with Trish Johnson/Sophie Gustafson (EUR)
- Kelly Robbins/Pat Hurst (USA) defeated Liselotte Neumann/Helen Alfredsson (EUR), 1 up
- Janice Moodie/Annika Sorenstam (EUR) defeated Meg Mallon/Beth Daniel (USA), 1 up
Score of afternoon session: USA 2.5, Europe 1.5
Overall score after Day 1: Europe 5.5, USA 2.5
Day Two
Four-Ball
- Trish Johnson/Sophie Gustafson (EUR) defeated Rosie Jones/Becky Iverson (USA), 3&2
- Alison Nicholas/Helen Alfredsson (EUR) defeated Juli Inkster/Sherri Steinhauer (USA), 3&2
- Catrin Nilsmark/Carin Koch (EUR) defeated Nancy Scranton/Michele Redman (USA), 2&1
- Dottie Pepper/Brandie Burton (USA) halved with Liselotte Neumann/Patricia Meunier-Lebouc (EUR)
- Meg Mallon/Beth Daniel (USA) halved with Laura Davies/Raquel Carriedo (EUR)
- Kelly Robbins/Pat Hurst (USA) defeated Janice Moodie/Annika Sorenstam (EUR), 2&1
Score of session: Europe 4, USA 2
Overall score after Day 2: Europe 9.5, USA 4.5
Day Three
Singles
- Juli Inkster (USA) defeated Annika Sorenstam (EUR), 5&4
- Brandie Burton (USA) defeated Sophie Gustafson (EUR), 4&3
- Helen Alfredsson (EUR) defeated Beth Daniel (USA), 4&3
- Dottie Pepper (USA) defeated Trish Johnson (EUR), 2&1
- Kelly Robbins (USA) defeated Laura Davies (EUR), 3&2
- Pat Hurst (USA) halved with Liselotte Neumann (EUR)
- Sherri Steinhauer (USA) halved with Alison Nicholas (EUR)
- Meg Mallon (USA) defeated Patricia Meunier-Lebouc (EUR), 1 up
- Catrin Nilsmark (EUR) defeated Rosie Jones (USA), 1 up
- Becky Iverson (USA) defeated Raquel Carriedo (EUR), 3&2
- Carin Koch (EUR) defeated Michele Redman (USA), 2&1
- Janice Moodie (EUR) defeated Nancy Scranton (USA), 1 up
Score of singles session: USA 7, Europe 5
Overall and final score: Europe 14.5, USA 11.5
Player Records at the 2000 Solheim Cup
Players' records are listed as wins-losses-halves.
Team USA
Brandie Burton, 1-1-1
Beth Daniel, 0-3-1
Pat Hurst, 2-1-1
Juli Inkster, 1-2-1
Becky Iverson, 2-2-0
Rosie Jones, 1-2-0
Meg Mallon, 1-2-1
Dottie Pepper, 1-1-1
Michele Redman, 0-2-0
Kelly Robbins, 3-1-0
Nancy Scranton, 0-2-0
Sherri Steinhauer, 0-1-2
Team Europe
Helen Alfredsson, 2-1-0
Raquel Carrido, 0-1-1
Laura Davies, 1-2-1
Sophie Gustafson, 2-1-1
Trish Johnson, 2-1-1
Carin Koch, 3-0-0
Patricia Meunier-Lebouc, 0-1-1
Janice Moodie, 3-1-0
Liselotte Neumann, 0-1-2
Alison Nicholas, 2-1-1
Catrin Nilsmark, 3-0-0
Annika Sorenstam, 2-2-0
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1998 Solheim Cup - 2002 Solheim Cup
