Rookies put on a clinic at the Solheim Cup; veteran Meg Mallon clinches it

To paraphrase a certain film that came out last summer, Team America, heck yeah.

When play began this morning, the US and Europe were tied at eight points each. By the end of the day, the Solheim Cup was reclaimed thanks to gutsy play from Americans Paula Creamer and Meg Mallon.

The biggest surprise: rookie Creamer?s dominance over veteran Laura Davies, 7 & 5. I expected a good match here, but a total rout? Paula mopped the floor with Davies, closing her out in just 13 holes. Seven birdies will do that. Poor Davies looked like she didn’t know what hit her.

In similar fashion, Laura Diaz, playing the maternity match from hell, took Denmark?s Iben Tinning to town, 6 & 5. Could there have been a bit of a fix there? Or pure coincidence that the two moms-to-be ended up paired? Not that I have a problem with that. It was kind of cool watching the battle of the bumps.

And what better day to win an international competition than September 11? Like Nancy Lopez, I got a little verklempt when the winners started belting out ?God Bless America.?

Kudos to The Golf Channel for showing the tournament in its entirety. Now I just wish it?d get more coverage elsewhere. ESPN.com?s front page doesn?t mention it at all, not even in teeny tiny type.