2017 Solheim Cup: Team USA seeks to defend title on home turf

Michelle Wie, Lexi Thompson, Stacy Lewis, and Paula Creamer headline Team USA in the 2017 edition of the Solheim Cup, which begins Thursday and runs through Sunday at Des Moines Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Repeat captain and World Golf Hall of Famer Juli Inkster, who skippered her squad to victory two years ago in Germany, leads the Americans, who face an equally stacked European team that features 2015 villain Suzann Petersen, Charley Hull, and Anna Nordqvist. Inkster’s fellow Hall of Famer and European counterpart Annika Sorenstam hopes to guide her players to victory in the biennial match play competition that — like the men’s Ryder Cup — involves foursome, fourball, and singles matches

The U.S., which had lost two straight competitions, rebounded from the largest deficit in the Cup’s history to stage a dramatic and historic comeback on the final day of the 2015 games. Trailing 10-6 heading into Sunday’s singles matches, the Americans rallied to win 8.5 points in the final session to take back the cup by a score of 14.5 to 13.5 — the smallest margin of victory in the series history.

Inkster’s unit holds a 9-5 advantage in the competition as both sides prepare to do golf battle for the 15th time in the series that started in 1990 with an American victory. She and Sorenstam represent 17 Solheim Cup starts as players, with the Euro captain tied with Laura Davies for the most all-time cup wins (22).

Both teams bring a wealth of experience to the contest, with six U.S. golfers playing for at least the fourth time. Cristie Kerr leads the way with nine Cup appearances, followed by Creamer (who made the team when Jessica Korda had to withdraw due to injury) with seven, Brittany Lincicome with six, Wie and Brittany Lang with five each, and Lewis with four.

Thompson, who will participate in her third Cup, is fighting an illness that kept her from attending a scheduled news conference on Tuesday.

Veterans Pettersen (nine starts), Nordqvist (five), and Karine Icher (four) are the grizzled veterans on the European side. Nordqvist enters the week after battling mononucleosis and finishing T7 at the Women’s British Open, while Pettersen also skipped a Tuesday presser due to a bad back that has plagued her in the past.

[Update: Catriona Matthew will replace Suzann Pettersen on the European team. A nagging slipped disc forced Pettersen to withdraw.]

Several players will make their Cup debuts on both teams, including four Europeans and three Americans. For the U.S., KPMG Women’s PGA Championship winner Danielle Kang earned her spot on the 12-player squad, while Georgia Hall was the top points-earner on the Ladies European Tour.

The fun starts Friday with four foursome matches in the morning and four fourball matches in the afternoon. Saturday follows the same format, with 12 singles matches set for Sunday.

Golf Channel and NBC Sports will provide nearly 30 hours of live action as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. Here’s how you can follow the action, beginning with Thursday’s opening ceremony (all times Eastern):

Thursday’s opening ceremony (All times ET)

6-7 p.m. — Golf Channel

Friday

9 a.m.-2 p.m. (Day 1 foursome matches) — Golf Channel

Friday

2-4 p.m. (Day 1 fourball matches) — Golf Channel Digital

Friday

4-7 p.m. (Day 1 fourball matches) — Golf Channel

Saturday

8 a.m.-4 p.m. (Day 2 foursome matches) — Golf Channel

4-6 p.m. (Day 2 fourball matches) — NBC

Sunday

Noon-4 p.m. (Final day singles matches) — Golf Channel

4-6 p.m. (Final day singles matches) — NBC