GAINESVILLE, Va. — Rose Zhang wasn’t even born when the Twin Towers fell 23 years ago. Most of the players, and even the captains, on this year’s Solheim Cup team were too young to remember much about the events of Sept. 11, 2001, or what it meant to the nation. The average age of Team USA is 27.
But on Wednesday, in the shadow of Washington, D.C., U.S. captain Stacy Lewis did her best to honor those whose lives were lost and all the brave men and women who have served.
“Everything I’ve done this week has been because of 9/11 this week,” said Lewis as she met with the press at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. “We get to do this because of the first responders, because of the military, and I wanted these players to know that, and I wanted them to be able to thank those people that protect us.”
Lewis, whose brother-in-law is a former Navy SEAL, organized a trip to the Pentagon on Monday, where a number of three- and four-star generals asked to stop by to speak to the team. One general even walked a practice round with the U.S. team on Tuesday.
Team USA’s uniforms were inspired by the six branches of the military. The team bags are loaded with history, including script of the Constitution.
On Wednesday, there was a moment of silence on the first tee at 8:46 a.m. to commemorate when the first plane crashed into the North Tower. Throughout the morning tee times, players Zoomed with a military base in Germany, taking questions from American kids with an interest in golf.
There’s a USO military outpost on the grounds at RTJ. ServePro also sponsored a First Responders Celebrity 9-Hole Challenge on Wednesday, where members of the fire, police and Emergency Medical Services were paired with celebrities in a nine-hole scramble. In addition, there was a driving contest for kids from the USO.
First responders receive complimentary grounds tickets during practice days and 50 percent off two grounds tickets during competition days.
“It’s super emotional, I think, for me and for everyone on the team,” said 26-year-old Andrea Lee, “to be able to represent the U.S. this week and honor them. It’s definitely a special week, and we’re definitely thinking about them today.”
