A recent report has revealed an interesting incident at the Solheim Cup, where golfer Celine Boutier requested a partner change after her initial partner, Georgia Hall, underperformed during the morning session. Boutier and Hall lost their match against the United States pairing of Andrea Lee and Danielle Kang.
According to the report, European team captain Suzann Petterson obliged Boutier’s request and offered to pair her with Leona Maguire for the afternoon session. However, Boutier didn’t like that pairing either. Consequently, Petterson made the surprising decision to sit Boutier for the afternoon session, despite her being one of Europe’s best players.
The report originates from Handicap 54 on X, a source known for uncovering interesting scoops in the past. Initially, the report mentioned the incident without revealing any names. However, the author later decided to disclose the names and clarify some details.
In a tweet, Handicap 54 explained, “The issue went like this: Céline Boutier, after Friday morning, asked Suzann Pettersen to play with someone other than Hall. Pettersen told [Boutier] that [s]he would play with Maguire (I explained that detail poorly) and Boutier refused. Therefore, Pettersen decided that Boutier would not play on that Friday afternoon.”
Although it is uncertain why Boutier was dissatisfied with both Hall and Maguire as partners, the decision to bench one of Europe’s top players for the afternoon session raised eyebrows. Europe was already trailing 4-0 after the foursomes, so the decision to sit a strong player like Boutier seemed puzzling.
The Solheim Cup is an important tournament in women’s golf, featuring teams from Europe and the United States. The incident involving Boutier highlights the challenges faced by team captains in managing players’ preferences and ensuring a harmonious team dynamic.
As the Solheim Cup progresses, it will be interesting to see how this incident affects the European team’s performance and if any further details emerge regarding the reasoning behind Boutier’s partner change request.