Inside the Solheim Cup: How players embraced 'insane' first-tee experience
Team Europe captain Anna Nordqvist said that the Solheim Cup first tee would be 'the place to be in the golfing world,' with that pre-tournament assessment spot on as she witnessed a spectacle unlike any other in the women's game.
What was the first-tee atmosphere like at the Solheim Cup? How a party atmosphere at Bernardus Golf brought an entertaining start to Team Europe's bid to regain the trophy in the Netherlands; watch the Solheim Cup live on Sky Sports Golf
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Team Europe captain Anna Nordqvist said that the Solheim Cup first tee would be 'the place to be in the golfing world,' with that pre-tournament assessment spot on as she witnessed a spectacle unlike any other in the women's game.
The horseshoe-shaped grandstand around the first tee at Bernardus Golf was close to capacity long before daylight, with nearly 3,000 spectators - and plenty more along the fairway - creating a party-like atmosphere of noise and excitement.
United States captain Angela Stanford danced onto the tee after emerging from the tunnel, a walk Charley Hull said earlier in the week was like 'entering an arena', with vice-captains - from both sides - doing their best to make things even louder.
One sign on display read 'Dutch courage, European glory', with the Netherlands doing the players proud by creating a boisterous environment more akin to a football stadium or darts event than a golf course.
Nordqvist's vice-captain Anne van Dam grabbed the microphone to guide the crowd through "Links Rechts", the song that became the unofficial anthem for the Dutch football team during the World Cup and involves lots of bouncing in a certain direction.
"It doesn't get better than this," Nordqvist said about the atmosphere. "The crowds are amazing. I don't think I've ever seen this many Europeans on the first tee."
Stands full of fans dressed in banana costumes, stars and stripes suits and golf bucket hats all jumping together at 7.20am was a brilliantly bonkers scene, with the dancing and singing only increasing as they edged closer to play getting under way.
"Let's go Europe, let's go!" chants echoed around the grandstand before Europe's classic 'Final Countdown' blasted out of the speakers, with Team USA's star-studded opening pairing arriving almost 10 minutes early to soak up the atmosphere.
Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz were quickly joined by Hull and rookie Lottie Woad, with every pair's arrival greeted with smoke cannons, huge cheers and cleverly thought-out adaptations of chants heard in other sports.
A big message of 'quiet please' appeared on the big screens ahead of the opening tee shots, with a Corpuz-inspired adaptation of the Beatles classic 'Hey Jude' quickly cut for respectful silence as players hit their drives.
The party at the tee continued long after Woad rolled in the opening birdie of the event on the first green, with Team USA vice-captain Paula Creamer - wearing her cowboy hat - and fan favourite Megan Khang among those showcasing their dance moves.
"Ohhhh, Leona Maguire" was sung loudly to the tune of Kings of Leon's 'Sex on Fire', while Desmond Decker's 'Israelites' was adapted to fit in Esther Henseleit's name.
Remember the "Europe's on fire, USA is terrified" song chanted regularly during last year's Ryder Cup win at Bethpage Black? A Maguire twist was heard to recognise the Irishwoman with one of the best winning percentages in Solheim Cup history.
Carlota Ciganda was the only European player with previous experience who sat out the opening session, but the Spaniard was sporting a Solheim Cup beanie and showing the rookies how to enjoy every second of their week.
Dancing along to every song, arm in arm with the debutants during 'It's Raining Men' and when the DJ played a Vengaboys track, the Solheim stalwart seemed to never have anything but a huge grin on her face.
The positive vibes spread throughout the European team, with Maja Stark and Linn Grant running out to the crowd and swaying their hips to ABBA's karaoke classic 'Dancing Queen' as they awaited their match to get going.
"These people absolutely make it for the players," said Dame Laura Davies, a 12-time Solheim Cup player, said about the crowd. "Without these brilliant fans, it's just not the same."
"Maja Stark, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo" - to the theme of Baby Shark - is an earworm nobody needs but works well with the Swede's name, with Stark and Linn Grant buoyed by the crowds to earn Team Europe's first point of the contest.
The weather turning from early sunshine to persistent light rain didn't dampen the spirits of those following the action, with strong galleries lining the fairways to watch a tight opening session that left the teams tied at two apiece.
"We had incredible support out here," Maguire said after her win. "They were really spurring us on, especially when that weather got bad and miserable. It was that extra little bit we needed to grind it out."
The noise appeared to reach even higher levels during the afternoon session, where former major winner Karen Stupples described the crowds as 'insane'. If the quality of golf on the course matches the atmosphere being created off it, the 20th edition of the Solheim Cup could be one of the most memorable yet.
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