It’s 10-7-1 for America. 10 times they have won against Europe at the Solheim Cup while the latter has won or managed to retain the cup the rest of the times, including the last three editions. Misery? That wouldn’t even describe the team’s current situation with three losses they had in the last three competitions. But even in 2015, the one where the U.S. team managed to make a comeback and claim the win, a certain golfer didn’t have the best of times. Enter Alison Lee, the rookie at the 2015 Solheim Cup.

“Alison…What do you remember about that experience of being on the Solheim Cup in 2015?” asked an interviewer at the press conference ahead of the 2024 Solheim Cup. Most would have been nervous during their debut, with some even feeling out of place at the event. Well, Lee was no different, for she also felt the same.

“I don’t remember much,” admitted the 29-year-old Lee while alluding to the 2015 edition of the patriotic event. Even so, she was able to recount how Paula Creamer along with the current captain, Stacy Lewis, and the three other assistant captains, Brittany Lincicome, Morgan Pressel, and Angela Stanford were on the team with her back in 2015 as well. “So I do have a little bit of familiarity there, having them with me this week.”

Now, nine years later, the golfer is feeling anything but out of place. “Definitely a very different experience,” confessed Alison Lee as she hinted at how familiar and friendly she is with the other professionals, despite it being her second time. “I do feel like a veteran out here,” conveyed the golfer as she added, “Because I’ve been on Tour for so long and I’ve played alongside these girls for a long time.”

That does truly seem like a relief. Especially so since she didn’t have the best of times nine years ago. “I remember being in Germany,” recalled the pro, “I missed the opening gala because I had like food poisoning that week. I had no family there. I knew no one on the team. I just felt like such an outsider.” Even so, she was able to help her team win the biennial cup back in 2015, with a victory in the Singles match on Sunday, not to mention how her loss on Saturday Fourballs pushed her team to victory.

Alison Lee’s 2015 incident with Suzann Pettersen

Three sessions had passed by at the 2015 Solheim Cup and the American team was trailing behind by 4 points. During the Saturday Fourballs, Lee paired up with Brittany Lincicome to face off against the current European skipper Suzann Pettersen and Charley Hull. Everything was going smoothly, that was until the 17th hole at St. Leon-Rot, Germany. The then-20-year-old missed a birdie putt which could have helped her team lead the match, 1-up.

That wasn’t what turned the heads of many. What did, though, came soon after when Lee went ahead to scoop up her ball from inside 2 feet following which Pettersen protested. She argued how the par-putt was not conceded by her team to which the official agreed and gave the European the point for the hole causing them to win the match.

But what happened later on blew everyone’s minds. The U.S. team, fueled by this anger and frustration, won 8.5 points on the Sunday Singles, only to emerge victorious at the same after a whopping six years. Nine years later, will they be able to replicate the same? Do keep an eye out for them!