The Solheim Cup had not yet ended when accusations were already being levelled at the defeated European team. But captain Suzann Pettersen seems unfazed by the criticism of her leadership.
Leona Maguire used the immediate aftermath of a singles victory over Ally Ewing to take a thinly veiled dig at Pettersen. Maguire, a star of Europe’s success in Toledo three years ago who is back in Spain in 2023, played in just one of Sunday’s four singles sessions. She called it a “bitter pill to swallow” and, while insisting she was a “team player”, appeared to question Pettersen’s judgement.
“She didn’t give me much of a reason, to be honest,” Maguire said of Pettersen. “I felt like I was a little bit short and didn’t make enough birdies, but I think today proved that there’s more than one way to skin a cat. I think I made enough birdies today.
“I don’t need any extra motivation to go out there and try to make my point, but yeah, there was probably a little something extra in there, I won’t tell you.”
The words went viral on the internet before Stacy Lewis and the US team had even received the trophy. And so did Maguire’s social media post in which he said: “Form is temporary, class is permanent.” For someone so quiet, it was a farewell.
Just a few hours later, Maguire seemed to temper her emotions. “Win as a team, lose as a team,” she said. “Very proud of every player and how we all fought to the end. Regardless of the result, a fantastic week with a great group of girls.” There was pointedly no mention of her captain.
Only one player from the European team, Charley Hull, scored more than two points. Six Americans scored two and a half or more. Linn Grant was scoreless in four outings. Emily Pedersen played in all five sessions and scored only two points.
When asked specifically why Maguire didn’t play on day two, Pettersen said: “It’s extremely difficult to keep players in this team.” The answer felt unsatisfactory, also because the Norwegian was probably well aware that this was a move that would raise questions.
It is clear that Pettersen will not admit to any selection errors. Instead, she focused on Maguire’s victory in match 11 of the singles. “I have never regretted a decision,” Pettersen said. “You rather play with your feeling and your heart. Sometimes you get outclassed.
“We know what they’re up against. If we were to have a chance, we needed all 12 players. It would have been nice to have an anchor like Leona at the back, knowing she can handle it and get it done.
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“It’s a team of 12 women and it’s always going to be difficult to make the connections. Sometimes you do well, sometimes you get outclassed. Maybe we could have fielded different players who could have played different opponents, which could have changed the outcome.
“You can always look back, but at the same time I don’t think we regret what we did as a team. We did our best. A very slow start, again, on Friday morning is what hurt us. That’s something we need to work on internally, because it’s hard to always feel like you’re coming from behind.”
Pettersen was not set to lead Europe for a third time in 2026. However, it feels like the time for a change has come. Anna Nordqvist is the early favourite to take over as captain. Maguire will come to the Netherlands with great motivation for that event.