Solheim Cup reunion at 2021 Solheim Cup site as LPGA returns

Memories of the greatest Solheim Cup ever staged will reverberate through the LPGA’s restart Friday at the Drive On Championship in Toledo, Ohio.

First, there’s the stage.

Inverness Club will host next year’s Solheim Cup matches.

Second, there are the groupings.

There are lots of American-European reunions to look forward to, with players from last year’s dramatic matches going off together.

Eight of the Europeans from that Euro victory in Scotland are at Inverness Club this week, with all 12 Americans from last year in the field.

While Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, who won it for Europe with that unforgettable walk-off putt in Scotland, is retired and won’t be there, the other big Euro star that final day will be there.

Full-field tee times from the LPGA Drive On Championship

England’s Bronte Law, whose pivotal singles victory in the waning moments allowed Pettersen the chance to win, will be teeing it up with Americans Brittany Altomare and Angel Yin, both members of last year’s U.S. squad. They’ll go off Friday at 12:33 p.m. ET.

Law closed out Ally McDonald on the 17th hole moments before Pettersen stepped over the 7-foot birdie to win the Solheim Cup.

It’s more than a memory Law will forever cherish.

It’s an inspiration going forward.

“Massively,” Law said. “You do things during the Solheim Cup that you didn’t even know that you could do. Given the amount of people that are watching as well, it’s being able to step up to the plate at that point in time and perform.

“That proves a lot to yourself, when you can do that.”

Law, 25, the former UCLA standout, is one of Europe’s bright, upcoming stars. She broke through to win the Pure Silk Championship in May of last year and is looking to use experience gained under so much Solheim Cup pressure to add to her LPGA success.

“I think the Solheim is one of those where it can make or break you,” Law said. “It’s an incredibly intense event. There is so much going on during the week that people don’t even realize, whether that’s media obligations or just the really long days, the buildup of it all.

“For me, I just absolutely loved that. I loved the whole feeling of it from start to finish. I hope that I can just carry that into my events on a weekly basis, whether that’s majors that I really enjoy as well because of the hype around them.”

Here are some first-round groupings bringing Americans and Europeans from last year’s Solheim Cup back together this week (all times Eastern):

7:49 a.m. – Danielle Kang*, Anna Nordqvist* and Jennifer Kupcho

8 a.m. – Nelly Korda*, Carlota Ciganda* and Lexi Thompson*

12:33 p.m. – Bronte Law*, Brittany Altomare* and Angel Yin*

1:06 p.m. – Celine Boutier*, Jessica Korda* and Jasmine Suwannapura

1:11 p.m. – Morgan Pressel*, Jodi Ewart Shadoff* and Ashleigh Buhai

*2019 Solheim Cup team member