Blue Diamond Team
Pink Sox Team
Carol Mihal
The SaddleBrooke Ranch Women’s Golf Association (SBRWGA) held its 2021 Solheim Cup Tournament on Oct. 25 and 26. The official Solheim Cup Tournament, which began in 1990, is for professional women golfers in teams of American vs. European golf competitors.
The SBRWGA Solheim participants were divided into two equitable handicap teams by team co-captains. The Pink Team co-captains were Jean Cheszek and Carole Ericksen, and the Blue Team co-captains were Jeanne Jensen and Charlotte Graham. There were a record 60 ladies who participated in this year’s tournament. The 2021 Solheim Cup Tournament had a baseball theme with “Field of Dreams” as the title and the Blue Team “Blue Diamonds” vs. the Pink Team “Pink Sox.”
A “Team Reveal” gathering was held on Friday afternoon, Oct. 22, at the large patio of the Ranch House Grill. All players were greeted upon arrival by team captains with either a Pink or Blue ball cap that they were to wear during the golf matches. Players were then treated to margaritas and snacks, which were eagerly enjoyed by all! Additionally, partner pairings and matches for the first day of the tournament were announced … and some trash talking commenced! Many thanks to all the team co-captains, Lorraine Smith as tournament director, and Mindy Hawkins as social chair, who were so creative in planning and organizing the wonderful Team Reveal event!
Our golf pros, Mike Jahaske and Ken Steinke, joined in on the fun by wandering around the driving range before golf play handing out peanuts, CrackerJacks, and other snacks to all the players.
The first day of the Solheim Cup competition was a beautiful sunny and warm day with a “two-ball best ball match” played by all participants. The Blue Team had a strong start by earning 145 total points vs. the Pink Team with 125 points.
On the second day of competition, the weather changed dramatically with some early morning rain, unusually cold temps, and considerable wind. Fortunately, later in the morning the skies cleared, the water drained, and winds lightened. There were new pairings for some players as the captains strategized for maximum strengths when playing the Chapman format. This challenging play is a form of alternate shot. Both partners tee off on every hole. On the second shot, partners hit each other’s drives. For the third shot, the partners choose the ball they want to use and then play alternate shots until they finish the hole. There’s a bit of pressure with this alternate shot format, because you sure don’t want to put your partner in a sand trap or the desert!
Day 2 of competition had the Blue Diamonds continue their winning streak by earning 139½ points to the Pink Sox’s 130½ points. When the points for both days were tallied, the Blue Team had a strong showing with 284½ points to the Pink Team’s 255½ points. Congratulations to the Blue Diamonds for winning the 2021 Solheim Cup Tournament!
Congratulations also to our two Closest to the Pin Winners: Melanie Timberlake on hole number 5, and Jeanne Osterlund on hole number 14. They each received some Pro Shop money for their excellent shots.
Although only the Blue Team participants earned some Pro Shop prize money, all players of the SBRWGA 2021 Solheim Cup Tournament were winners in that they had a great time in a really fun golf tournament with lots of camaraderie!
Special thanks to our very generous sponsor of this event and supporter of SBRWGA, Golf Cars of Arizona. For more information, call 520-825-7750 or golfcarsofarizona.com for your golf cart needs.