Stacy Lewis knows fact from fiction. The two-time Team USA Captain has led her team to a 4-point lead over Team Europe in the 2024 Solheim Cup after the second session of the second day. This is much different from last year when, at this point, the points were tied at 8-8.

With calls of the ultimate day singles session being the game-changer that gives Team Europe the win (the so-called Miracle in Medinah) Lewis’ calm and organized approach may be the key to finishing the unfinished business from last year.

Stacy Lewis’s data-driven approach to the Solheim Cup

Carlota Ciganda sunk the last putt to tie the 2023 Solheim Cup and retain it with the Europeans. After the Saturday sessions, she declared a rallying cry, saying, “I think we have a chance for sure. Medinah, the miracle of Medinah, it’s coming.” When asked Team USA could not manage to close out the tournament in winning fashion, their unfinished business, Lewis said, ”

Having experienced more than 5 Solheim Cups as a player, vice-captain, and captain, she has learned a lot. She has also brought her own touch to the role and used data and analytics to inform her decisions as well as back up her opinions. “I’m 100 percent a math person. I majored in finance and accounting in college. Math was my thing in school growing up. It was pretty easy for me. I like it more from just that it backs up what I believe and what I think and what I see.” She told reporters after the Saturday session.

With the phrase ‘horses for courses’ being thrown around a lot when it comes to team tournaments, Stacy Lewis has taken this approach to a whole new level using data. On Friday, she read out an exceptional stat about Nelly Korda which said that she gained 7.5 strokes in the afternoon, which is the highest that the stats guys she works with have seen in a single session. So strokes gained is a very important statistic to Lewis.

When asked to give an example by reporters, she said, “We look at how their games would fit this golf course. One interesting thing, though, is Megan was not a good fit for this golf course, but she’s second in our team in total strokes gained and only played in two matches.” She went on to say that even though numbers give insights, sometimes players over-perform their stats and she can disregard a stat if it’s not what she sees on the course, as is the case for Megan Khang.

What does Stacy Lewis plan for Sunday?

Stacy Lewis has said that she would prefer to clinch the Cup as early as possible on Sunday. Therefore, she is starting with her strongest players. Unsurprisingly, Lewis has judged her best performers by strokes gained. Nelly Korda tops the list and she will play against Charley Hull in the first match.

Although Stacy Lewis would like to close out the Solheim Cup early, she has also said that she would be thrilled if the players starting later would bring points to the table as well. That is a strong possibility as some of the top 5 players in strokes gained in the US – Lilia Vu, Lauren Coughlin, Ally Ewing and Lilia Vu will be starting their matches in the latter half.

While a repeat of the Miracle in Medinah could be possible, Stacy Lewis has taken utmost care to prepare for such a scenario. If she gets the points early with Korda, Khang, Alison Lee and Alissen Corpuz, she still has top players in the other half of the team.