GLENEAGLES, Scotland – Danielle Kang grabbed most of the pre-event headlines at this 16th Solheim Cup, but she won’t be garnering the attention in Friday’s opening session.
When U.S. captain Juli Inkster announced her first four foursomes pairings, Kang’s name was not called. Inkster, though, insisted that Kang’s exclusion was not because of controversial comments made by Kang in the event’s leadup and during her Wednesday presser at Gleneagles.
“Just kind of the way they shook out,” Inkster said Thursday. “She’s going to play. I’m not going to play anybody five matches, so someone’s gotta sit sometime. She’ll get out there and she’ll get out there a lot.”
The flamboyant Kang first stirred the pot on a Golf.com podcast, saying the Solheim Cup is fun because “you’re trying to take souls” and “you’re going there to make people cry.” She then stated Wednesday that, “I hear that I’m going to be booed.”
The comments caught the attention of the European team members. Suzann Pettersen playfully responded, “We’re just going to step on their necks.”
Articles and videos from the 16th Solheim Cup
But Inkster isn’t worried about Kang’s words adding any fuel to the fire.
“I really don’t think the European team needs any ammunition,” Inkster said. “We’re both ready to go. We both want to play. I’m not sure someone could say anything to me to make me want to hit a shot any better than I do tomorrow morning.”
Inkster added: “It’s the whole social media thing. Everything’s kind of blown out of proportion She was just having fun with it.
“And it’s Danielle.”