When the action begins in the Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin, you may notice some subtle additions to Team USA’s gear, including a yellow duck on the base of its bags – but what is their significance?
They’re all down to Team USA captain Stacy Lewis’s determination to ensure the current crop of players feels a connection to US Solheim Cup teams of the past.
One of the most intriguing is a yellow duck on the base of each player’s bag, which concerns one of the founders of the LPGA, Shirley Spork, who died in April 2022 aged 94.
Despite never having played in the Solheim Cup, Spork was an enthusiastic fan of the biennial match and was a regular attendee. She also loved ducks, and often looked for them when she played to help her relax in the pressure of competition.
In an interview with LPGA.com, Lewis explained more, saying: “If you look on the bottom of the golf bags, there's a little rubber ducky on there, and that is for Shirley Spork.
“Anybody that had watched the Solheim Cup in the last probably five or six, you've seen Shirley on the first tee with her giant hat. This was her favorite event, and she passed away between [the 2021 Solheim Cup] and now and so wanted to just find a way to honor her.”
The duck is not the only detail on the bags that hints at the past. Each bag has two pockets by the ball pockets. One is adorned with 62 stars and the other 13 stripes.
The 62 stars represent the number of players who had played for Team USA before the 2023 match - a number that will increase this week thanks to its five Solheim Cup rookies. As for the stripes, each represents one of the 13 Team USA Solheim Cup captains.
There are 13 stripes on one of the pockets to represent the 13 Team USA captains
It’s not just the bags that have subtle nods to the team’s Solheim Cup history, either. The team’s caps will each feature the number 88. That’s to honor Kathy Whitworth, who led the team in the first two matches, in 1990 and 1992, and had a record 88 LPGA Tour victories in her career. The front of the headwear also features a logo with 10 stars to represent the USA’s 10 Solheim Cup victories.
The cap features a logo with 10 stars to represent the 10 times the US has won the match
With Europe having home advantage and an impressive recent record in the match, many think Lewis’ team will have it all to do to prevent Suzann Pettersen’s team claiming the trophy for a third successive time.
However, the attention to detail incorporated into the US team’s gear suggests that Lewis’s preparation for the contest has been nothing if not meticulous. Now she will hope those subtle reminders of the team’s Solheim Cup history will help inspire her players to victory for the first time since 2017 in Iowa.
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