Nelly Korda’s eagle dance, Solheim magic you missed | Rogers Report
Nelly Korda and Megan Khang after winning their afternoon match
Claire Rogers
Hello, friends, and happy Friday from Robert Trent Jones Golf Club! I had an early wake-up this morning (5:00 a.m.) in order to make the opening tee shots at 7:05, but once that alarm hit I was wide awake and ready — this was a day I’ve been looking forward to.
From what I’ve read elsewhere I know that the coverage of today’s event wasn’t all positive, but there was so much good on site that I’m going to focus on all of my favorite moments from the day. Let’s get right to ’em.
Opening tee shots
Unfortunately, things got off to a rocky start at the Solheim Cup on Friday morning due to the shuttle situation, which you’ve probably read about by now. Thousands of fans gave themselves ample time to make it to the opening tee shots but missed them because there simply weren’t enough buses to get them there.
You can read all about the shuttle issues elsewhere, but what bummed me out is thinking of the people who never got to the course and what they missed out on. That’s where we’ll turn our focus — to the positives. There were a lot of them.
The hometown hero showed out.
My first favorite moment of the morning came when Lauren Coughlin — a Virginia resident, University of Virginia graduate and Solheim Cup rookie — made her way to the first tee. Fans were screaming her name and I can’t even imagine what it must mean to her to have made this team. She’s the oldest member of Team USA and a late bloomer, having captured her first two LPGA wins this season.
I believe this is what we could call a Cinderella Story.
The fans were incredible — and thoughtful.
I had a few great interactions with golf fans before I even had breakfast this morning, so it’s safe to say that it’s been a successful day at the Solheim Cup. The first one happened while I waited in the media area by the first tee. I heard my name, turned around, and a young woman waved me over. She had made a Solheim Cup friendship bracelet for me, and I’ve been wearing it all day. The vibes here at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club are so good. For the last year or so, I’ve seen posts from Taylor Swift fans who went to the Eras Tour and said the interactions from other fans were what made the concert as great as it was. That’s exactly how I feel about the Solheim Cup so far.
I made my way over to the fan zone for some coffee after the morning matches went off and found myself waiting in line for 45 minutes. It didn’t matter, though, because I was surrounded by a few dozen other women who were all chatting about golf. (That’s not the vibe at every tournament.) One woman next to me in line had just bought a muffin from a concession stand and offered me half of it. There were two sisters from Ireland, probably in their mid-50s, who were so excited to be at their first professional golf event. Moments later, I overheard a little girl tell someone next to her that she made eye contact with Lexi Thompson and that her life had been made because of it.
I cover a lot of golf tournaments, and this is by far the most female-dominated crowd I’ve ever seen. It’s so refreshing (and a nice change of pace!) to see all these women of all age come together with excitement over supporting the best players in the world. This week has been such a breath of fresh air in that department.
Once they got on site, the crowds brought it.
The afternoon four-ball matches served as a sort of redemption for the morning opening tee shots. The stands were full, the crowds were loud and the music was blasting.
Even former President Barack Obama was there to take in all of the action.
I see this photo becoming a great meme one day, and I promise to use it wisely.
I spent most of my morning hanging out on certain holes waiting for groups to pass by, but I decided to stick with Nelly Korda and Megan Khang in the afternoon and I am so glad I did. When they kicked things off by dancing their way down the first fairway, I knew I was in for a lot of fun.
Nelly and Megan made my day.
We can’t all relate to being the No. 1 player in the world, a major champion or representing your country at the highest level of golf. But we can all relate to teeing it up alongside your best friend, and the excitement you get walking down the first fairway together knowing you’re about to have the time of your life. Korda and Khang felt so relatable in this moment and I’m so glad our videographer, John Sodaro, caught it on camera.
Watching Korda sink her eagle putt to win the match 6&4 will likely go down as my favorite golf moment of 2024. There’s nothing like watching Korda with her best stuff, and the fact that she won with her best tour pal alongside her is no coincidence. I had so much fun watching them have so much fun together.
Their celebration was amazing. As soon a I saw their winning handshake, I was reminded of the handshake that the twins had in “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” (sorry, the 90s kid in me is showing). Two minutes later, my coworker Zephyr Melton and I asked where their handshake came from, and Korda and Khang explained that it was in fact the exact handshake from the iconic Disney Channel show.
Dylan and Cole Sprouse: I’m not sure if you’re loyal Rogers Report readers, but if you are, just know that your influence is greater than you think. You’ve got the World No. 1 copying you!
I would also like to take a moment to acknowledge how insane it is that Korda and Khang won 6&4, an absolute blowout, over Georgia Hall and Leona Maguire, two of the best players in the world. Next-level golf. I’m lucky to have been there to see it.
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