'I've Never Felt More Inspired' - 3 Things I Learned From My First Solheim Cup

Last week, I went to my first Solheim Cup and it was incredible. The energy at Finca Cortesin in Spain was electric – so much so that I’ve got goosebumps as I remember the moments that made me fall in love with golf even more.

There’s something different about watching world-class golf unfold in front of your eyes. To see the shots that stop and spin by the pin. To hear the whoosh of that little white ball fly through the sky. Or, to stand in a sea of golfers, who are collectively holding their breath, waiting for that putt to drop.

The passion from the crowd was unlike anything I’ve been a part of before. It’s that beautiful balance of respectful silence while the player is preparing to hit and then celebratory cheering when it’s happened. With that anticipatory pause in between, leaning in to see if the approach has hit the green or if the drive has found the fairway.

Coming away from the Solheim, I’ve never felt more inspired to work on my game and become the best golfer I can be. It feels like my energy reserves have been refilled and my practice refocused.

In fact, I’m surprised by the shots that inspired me the most. Heading to the Solheim, my plan was to hang out around the tee boxes, eagerly eyeing up the swings on show, hoping to spot the moves that make their swings so epic.

But instead, I found myself drawn to the green. Watching their approaches with awe and their short game shots with my jaw on the floor.

I’ll forever remember watching Celine Boutier, surrounded by the crowd, float a pitch into a downhill green with such finesse it landed like a butterfly and rolled towards the hole, almost dropping.

Also, Rose Zhang’s bunker shot – when her approach went long – with the ball below her feet, that she sticks to a tap in. Oh and the sound that erupted when Linn Grant and Emily Pedersen drove the green on the 1st…a par 4.

Out of all the swings I saw last week, it’s those superstar short game shots, along with the putts that dropped, that have stayed with me. And that feeling, of witnessing someone who has honed their craft and can lean on it when all eyes are watching, is what’s inspiring me to dig deeper with my own practice.

Looking back over my first Solheim Cup experience, there are 3 things that I’m going to bring into my practice and play:

1. It’s All About Tempo, From Tee To Green

Whether it was a tee shot, wedge into the green or birdie putt, the thing I noticed most about each swing was the tempo with which it was executed. It was a thing of art, not tension or welly-like effort. There was a sense of captivating flow to it – from the pre-shot routine to the swing itself. There was no rushing, no skipping the process. Instead, there was focused intention behind every move.

2. Work On The Shots That Might Surprise

On the practice days, one thing that stood out to me was how, even if the players had hit the “perfect” shot into the green, they would drop balls in the hardest spots to practice playing out of them. A few balls in the greenside bunkers, chipping to the fastest part of the green and putting to where the toughest pins might be. The practice days weren’t about playing as they normally would, they were about preparing for the “worst” so in the heat of the moment, they can play their best.

3. Practice Putting More

The putts that dropped were the shots that got the loudest cheers. They were the difference between winning or not and they were moments that made the crowd come alive. From Caroline Hedwall’s clutch putt to go 1 up on the 17th hole or Carlota Ciganda’s history-making putt on the same hole (to name just two). The sound that came out of the crowd when a putt went in made me want to become my version of a world-class putter.

So – along with the catchy songs that I’ll be singing for months – that’s what my first experience of the Solheim Cup has given me: the inspiration to become the best golfer I can be and a revved up energy to make it happen.

Follow Jess on Instagram to join her on that journey.