GLENEAGLES, Scotland — The news was better, albeit not perfect, for Team USA’s Angel Yin and Team Europe’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff. The two golfers flew Aer Lingus to Scotland for the Solheim Cup, only to have their golf clubs go missing. Yin also had a bag of personal clothes that was lost.
On Tuesday afternoon, Shadoff’s bag was returned, and that night Yin had her clubs, too, but still was without her clothes—and one other key item (we’ll explain later).
The entire situation creating an interesting start to Yin’s second Solheim Cup appearance. Team members are given their uniforms when they arrive on site, so Yin has had golf clothes to wear. But the 20-year-old has been borrowing other items from teammates and Team USA staff members. Things like socks, for example, have become a hot commodity for Yin.
As for her preparation at Gleneagles, Yin tried to gain as much course knowledge as possible without her sticks.
“I haven’t been practicing, but I’ve been walking the course, making my preparations so when I get my clubs I will be ready to go out and play a practice round, practice and do everything that I need to do to prepare for Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Yin explained on Tuesday.
She also started working with a new set, built for her by Ping, one of the tournament’s sponsors. Yin, the No. 31-ranked player in the world, isn’t sponsored by Ping, or any club manufacturer for that matter. Her set makeup features a number of different club companies, but the set from Ping was the best option in case her clubs never arrived.
Thankfully, though, they did as Aer Lingus delivered to Gleneagles on Tuesday night. Yin’s teammate and fellow pod-member Morgan Pressel took a video of the glorious reunion.
The one snag, however, is that Yin’s driver head remains missing. When Yin was packing, she removed it from the shaft and put it in her clothing bag, which has yet to be delivered. A missing driver is a big deal to the second-longest hitter on tour. She averages 282 yards off the tee, and with Gleneagles playing wet and long, length is especially important this week.
The last Yin heard, Aer Lingus had located it in London—which is interesting, because Yin never stopped in London (she flew from Orlando to Dublin, Dublin to Edinburgh). With play starting on Friday morning, let’s hope her driver head—and the rest of her clothing—won’t be staying there long.