Solheim Cup practice underway at The Inverness Club

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Activity is underway at the storied Inverness Club for the 2021 edition of The Solheim Cup. Members of both Team USA and Team Europe practiced at the course Tuesday for the biggest event in women’s golf.

“The party is here and we are ready to go,” said Becky Newell, tournament director for The Solheim Cup. “In my history of doing tournaments, this is the biggest build I have ever been a part of. It’s extra special to me because we can share it with the team.”

On Tuesday, spectators gathered around the driving range to watch the golfers practice. One of the women hoping to help score a win for the United States is long-driving Lexi Thompson.

“To be part of a team format and surrounded by fans is incredible,” says Thompson. “Normally golf is a quiet sport, but hearing crowds chanting U-S-A gets your adrenaline going.”

Newell says one of the best ways to see a lot of the action is the Meijer Pavilion.

“It’s 70,000 square feet of incredible space,” she said. “On the upper deck, you can see 5-6 holes all the way back to Dorr Street. It’s pretty amazing.”

The Meijer Pavilion is just one of the ways the championship course has been transformed into a small city of sorts.

“It is pretty exciting when you drive down Dorr Street and you look at Inverness and see all the stands,” Newell said. “The stands at the first and 10th tee is the biggest we’ve ever built. There are 2,000 seats along with a double-decker stand that has five suites upstairs and five suites downstairs that hold another 500 people.”

Thompson says it’s exciting to represent her country in front of so many enthusiastic fans at such a historic American course.

“A lot of great events have been played at Inverness, and The Solheim Cup will be another,” she says. “This is a special week. It’s hard to explain what it’s like to hear all the chants when you come out onto the course and embrace it all. That’s what it’s all about.”

There are about 2,000 volunteers helping out at the tournament. More than 100,000 people are expected at Inverness. Tickets are still available.

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