DES MOINES, Iowa — Paula Creamer was initially left off the Solheim Cup team this year. She hadn’t accrued enough points over the past two seasons to play onto the team, and Captain Juli Inkster didn’t pick her as one of her two captain’s picks. Once the team was announced at the conclusion of the Ricoh Women's British Open, that was it. Creamer wasn’t going to Des Moines to represent her country.
But the day after the team was named, Jessica Korda announced she was removing herself from the team due to injury.
When the team is announced, the captains of both the American and European teams choose an alternate and put her name into an envelope. No one knows the identity of that alternate unless someone gets injured and has to pull out of the Solheim Cup.
After Korda’s announcement, the envelope was opened and Creamer’s name was revealed. Just like that, she was on the team.
Inkster put Creamer out in the first session of matches, the Friday morning foursomes.
Creamer and her partner, rookie and captain’s pick Austin Ernst, lost 3&1 to Anna Nordqvist and Georgia Hall.
Inkster’s faith in her alternate and captain’s pick didn’t waiver. She sat them Friday afternoon, and then put them in the alternate-shot line up again Saturday morning.
“We were pretty motivated last night, sitting out in the afternoon yesterday,” said Creamer. “We were itching to get out here.”
On Saturday morning, Creamer and Ernst were 2-under through the first four holes in the alternate-shot competition against Mel Reid and Emily Pedersen, but the match was all square. A birdie at the fifth hole put the Americans up by one, and they never trailed again.
A birdie at the par-5 15th closed the match out 5&3. The duo was one of two American teams to win Saturday morning.
“There’s nothing better than getting a point for your team,” said Creamer. “And yesterday, Austin and I played pretty well. We just went against a strong team.”
Though Creamer and Ernst didn’t love sitting out the afternoon matches, they gained some inspiration from watching their teammates sweep the session. The feat was a first for the Americans in Solheim Cup history.
“Those afternoon matches were just awesome,” said Creamer. “Some great golf being played. And we want to keep that momentum going.”
Creamer is taking the tee in the Saturday afternoon four-ball session. She’s paired with Ernst again, and they’ll be competing against Karine Icher and Madelene Sagstrom.
“I want them to be able to play their own ball,” said Inkster of her choice to put Creamer and Ernst out in the afternoon. “They played really well this morning.”
Related: What tour pros work on the day before a big tournament