'Playing Away, You're Always An Underdog' - Pettersen Happy To Put Pressure On 'Home Favorites' USA

Europe's Solheim Cup captain Suzann Pettersen says the pressure is on Team USA as home favorites and not her side, who are underdogs playing on the road

Suzann Pettersen at the Solheim Cup
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Team Europe may have lifted the Solheim Cup three times in a row but Suzann Pettersen says they're still underdogs playing on the road in Virginia this week.

That dramatic tie in Spain just 12 months ago meant Europe retained the Solheim Cup, but she insists that playing away from home makes them underdogs.

And it's a tag she's happy to embrace and heap the pressure on Team USA to finally end their losing run in front of their home fans at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

"I think playing away, you're always an underdog," said Pettersen. "I think that's how we've always looked at it.

"Yeah, if you look at the previous three Solheims, we've come out on the high side, and we're going to try and keep that going for sure.

"At the same time, being away, I'm very happy to kind of leave the pressure to the Americans to say they are the home favorites."

Played the same year as the Ryder Cup last year, the Solheim Cup makes a swift return to get back to playing separately from their male counterparts.

Pettersen and Stacy Lewis remain as captains, which the European skipper feels was the only way to do things.

"I think it was only the right thing to do for both Stacy and myself to kind of do this because I think it would have been an awful hard job for someone new to come in and do everything in 11 months time," said Pettersen.

"It's been a quick year since Spain. Obviously it was a quick turnaround, fast celebration. Obviously being back here in the US, it's different.

"At the same time, I think it's a great challenge to try and go out there again and get the job done. The players are all up for it, and they're always going to be a big task."

Stacy Lewis and Suzann Pettersen with the Solheim Cup

Stacy Lewis and Suzann Pettersen are Solheim Cup captains again after their tie in Spain last year

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The similar teams and quick turnaround make for a unique Solheim Cup where quick lessons can be learned by both returning captains - and Pettersen has a few ways to improve with just two new faces - Esther Henseleit and Albane Valenzuela - coming into the team.

"We drew a lot of great experiences from last year," Pettersen added. "I think what we learned the most is being precise. Giving quite clear messages goes a long way. Being transparent is great. But at the same time, they kind of look for somebody who can make decisions, the players. So there's a combination.

"I think it's nice this year to have two new faces on our team. We have both Esther and Albane. Great to have new blood coming in. 

"Like we can easily stir the pot quite nicely from the past with the players. We have a lot of players who have already played a lot of Solheims. So we have a lot of experience.

"That being said, with the new players coming in, it kind of creates a new energy and kind of atmosphere."

Paul Higham
Contributor

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.