GAINESVILLE, Va. – The opening matches of the Solheim Cup began in front of half-empty grandstands surrounding the first tee at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club on Friday morning, with transportation issues preventing fans from getting to the golf course.
Fans posted on social media that they were stuck for hours waiting in lines for buses at Jiffy Lube Live, a concert venue near the course about 40 miles west of Washington, D.C., prompting a statement of apology from the LPGA Tour.
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“We recognize and deeply apologize to all fans affected by the challenges with shuttling from parking to the golf course,” the statement said. “We’ve made significant changes to our transportation system to mitigate these issues moving forward, and we’re working on ways to express our regret to those impacted.”
Spectators also said the portable restrooms at the parking site were locked while they waited for buses.
In the 20 minutes before Friday's matches began, a small trickle of fans speed-walked toward the grandstand, but there was no sign of the record crowds that organizers had promised.
“It’s disappointing. It is what it is. You play in these things for years, and things happen,” U.S. captain Stacy Lewis said. “Unfortunately, it was a big one.”
The LPGA said Friday night that it planned to open the gates earlier on Saturday morning, increase the number of shuttle buses and move parking for volunteers to a different location.
Esther Henseleit struck the opening tee shot for Europe in the team competition against the United States as part of an alternate-shot pairing with Charley Hull. Allisen Corpuz followed for the U.S., paired with top-ranked Nelly Korda.
Players frequently describe the opening tee shot at the Solheim Cup as more nerve-wracking than anything in women's golf, fueled partly by fans who fill grandstands hours in advance to cheer the home team. But with fewer spectators, the home-field advantage was muted.
“You’ve got to get the people here,” former U.S. captain Juli Inkster said as she followed a match on the fourth hole.
The few hundred fans who made it in time for Friday morning's opening remained quiet for the European tee shots and cheered throughout as the Americans hit theirs, a departure from golf etiquette that players have come to embrace at team competitions.
Once the fans arrived, they were treated to an American rout as the U.S. tries to prevent Europe from capturing the cup for a record fourth straight time. The grandstands were packed when Korda and Megan Khang were greeted by former President Barack Obama ahead of their afternoon better-ball match.
The Americans led by a record 6-2 margin when Friday’s matches concluded, and they could only hope for a full complement of supporters on Saturday morning.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf