Tuesday 24 December 2019 07:58, UK
Dame Laura Davies has paid tribute to captain Catriona Matthew as Europe's stunning Solheim Cup victory highlights her review of ladies golf in 2019.
Davies was one of Matthew's assistant captains at Gleneagles in September, when Suzann Pettersen birdied the final hole of the competition to snatch a memorable victory for Team Europe, with impressive rookies Bronte Law and Anne Van Dam all playing pivotal roles in the success.
Here, Dame Laura reflects on a momentous week in Scotland and makes a couple of bold predictions for the 2020 campaign ...
Beany did such a great job. She assembled an incredible team on and off the course, and she read the players perfectly. Catriona let them do what they were most comfortable with, and everyone was happy and relaxed all week.
I've been in many Solheim Cup team rooms, and there have been the odd 'niggles' here and there, but Beany's communication was so good, it resulted in the smoothest team week you could ever have.
It was a dream week for Catriona Matthew. She was close to home, all her family were there, and Suzann coming good at the end on Sunday was the fairytale finish.
Everyone associated with the European team at Gleneagles was so relaxed throughout the week, and that's all down to Beany being such a great captain and communicator.
Picking pairings and positions for the contest itself is only a small part of team captaincy. Keeping the players happy and informed from start to finish is the tricky part. You'd be surprised how many captains in the past have kept their team in the dark over certain decisions, choosing to chat more with vice-captains quietly in the corner rather than open the discussion for all.
But at Gleneagles, everybody was included in everything, nobody felt left out, and that was a major factor in winning the Solheim Cup for the first time since 2013.
The decision to give Suzann Pettersen a captain's pick did not go down well with some, but I never had a problem with it. I was asked in my press conference, "why Suzann?" But my answer was simple - why would you not want someone like Suzann in your team?
And that was overwhelmingly evident in the scenes on and around the final green on Sunday evening, when Suzann stepped up and knocked in the putt that won her match, and the Solheim Cup for Europe.
To hole that putt under the most extreme pressure tells you everything you need to know about Suzann, and validated Beany's decision to add her to the team. And it wasn't like it was an easy putt. It was fairly straight, which can be the worst possible thing for a winning putt!
But Suzann has holed putts like that throughout her career, and that's why she was picked.
All the younger players in the European team stood up to the challenge and embraced it, and their fearless attitude was typified by Bronte Law.
The reason we put her out in match 11 in Sunday's singles, and the experienced Anna Nordqvist in the final match, was because we knew if the outcome of the Solheim Cup hinged on the bottom of the order, those were the players who were guaranteed to tough it out and scrap for every hole.
Anne Van Dam was another to stand up and be counted, and it proved the rookies are just not scared any more. I remember the days when I'd be absolutely terrified on the first tee, but the youngsters have a different, more confident mindset these days and that's great to see.
I've read comparisons between Bronte Law and Ian Poulter, and I agree with that 100 per cent. Bronte is going to be a huge part of the Solheim Cup and women's golf in general for years to come. She's got the feisty attitude you need to succeed in the professional game, and she's going to be a winner.
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Anne is probably one of the best all-round players in the game right now, and is a consistent winner on the Ladies European Tour. But when, not if, she wins that first LPGA Tour event, I'd expect her to really cut loose ... and the same can be said for Bronte.
Here's my bold prediction for next year - Carlota Ciganda will win one or two majors. The way she plays the game, the way she played at the Solheim Cup, the way she finished off 2019, I think she's a special talent and I've told her that directly.
I know there seems to be a never-ending mass of world-class South Korean players competing for silverware on a weekly basis, but Carlota has the ability to break the mould and establish herself as one of golf's elite players.
Carlota and Anne Van Dam are probably best place to earn European success, and I'm expecting to see Bronte Law, Georgia Hall and Charley Hull up there contending as well. The competition is huge, but to see another home-grown player win a major would be fantastic.
