Mickey Walker: Lotta's captaincy

Four-time captain Mickey Walker on Neumann's appointment

MANY congratulations to Liselotte Neumann on her appointment as captain of the next European Solheim Cup team.

Lotta, as everyone in golf knows her, was the obvious person to take over from Alison Nicholas.

Having experienced playing on six Solheim Cup teams, been a vice-captain to Alison at Rich Harvest Farms and captain of the European Junior Solheim Cup team last time around in Ireland, there is no-one better placed to lead Europe in the next match in Denver in a year or so.

Lotta won the US Women’s Open in 1988, when she was also Rookie of the Year on the LPGA, as well as 26 other professional titles across the globe during a 25-year career span.

When the inaugural Solheim Cup was played at Lake Nona in 1990, Lotta and Laura Davies were the only genuinely world-class players on the European team.

In fact, two years later, Lotta was (along with Laura) one of the two European players that Beth Daniel infamously mentioned as being one of only two Europeans who would have had a chance to be good enough for selection for the American team.

Having denied making any such comments, but then discovering that a journalist had recorded them, Beth’s inflammatory remarks incensed myself and the European team and only served to make us more determined to win.

In those days, world rankings didn’t exist, but if they had, I’m sure that they would have backed up Beth’s remarks!

When Lotta was first asked to captain Europe, she turned it down. Lotta had been planning to do some teaching, play on the fledgling LPGA seniors tour and is especially interested in nutrition and fitness and the role which it plays in being a successful golfer.

When the inaugural Solheim Cup was played at Lake Nona in 1990, Lotta and Laura Davies were the only genuinely world-class players on the European team.

The time commitment being captain entails was what made Lotta decide against the position initially.

Fortunately for Europe, after numerous texts, emails and tweets from her fellow professionals and the backing of her family and friends Lotta was persuaded to change her mind.

My recollections of Lotta as a Solheim Cup player were that she would play with anyone and do anything that I asked without question.

There is no doubt that she was the role model and inspiration for thousands of Swedish girls to take up the game and try to emulate her success in Europe and America.

Lotta always has had a regal bearing about her. Add to that her blonde hair and blue eyes, and she really was one of the European pin-up girls.

Never the longest hitter, she was one of the first players to add lots of lofted woods to her golf bag and with lots of success.

Like Alison, the team of friends and professionals that Lotta surrounds herself with in the run up to next year’s Solheim Cup will be vital.

Knowing Lotta, I’m sure that she will do a very professional job and be a popular captain.

She so nearly tasted success on American soil as Alison’s vice-captain in 2009, and then last year in the Junior Solheim Cup as a halved match meant that the USA as holders of the cup, retained the trophy.

I have no doubt that Europe will win the Solheim Cup on American soil at some time in the future, so why not in 2013?

It would be very fitting if one of the iconic figures of European golf and a huge part of the backbone of the team through the 90s should be captain when it happens.

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By Mickey Walker
on 05 June 2012

Mickey Walker: Lotta's captaincy

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