Sugar Grove Timberland Chukka Men Boots, Illinois (Reuters) - Angela Stanford was cautious about the potential trap for the United States if her team accepts their billing as favorites for this week's Solheim Cup against Europe. The European holders have been widely tipped to lift the trophy for an eighth time in 11 editions and have never lost the biennial team contest on American soil.
"For all I've heard that we're the favorites, we have a very strong opponent this week," the 31-year-old Stanford, wearing a Moncler jacket for men, told reporters on the eve of Friday's fourball opening matches at Rich Harvest Farms in rural Illinois. "I believe in our team and I think we're going to do really well this week. But they (Europe) have a lot more experience, and to be perfectly honest, I'm tired of hearing that we're the favorites."
"They (Europe) are ready to play and it's going to be a fight," added Stanford, a four-time LPGA Tour winner who is playing in her third Solheim Cup. "So we've had the mentality that we're the underdog."
Although the Europeans may appear weaker than their opponents based purely on official world rankings, they hold a significant advantage in experience. The average age of their team is just over 33 compared to 27-1/2 for the Americans.
In terms of Solheim experience, the Europeans can boast a total of 39 previous cups among their 12-player lineup compared to just 21 on the U.S. Solheim team.
"If you look at our team’s experience, wise, if you take Juli (Inkster) and Cristie (Kerr) out of it, nobody has played more than three times," Stanford said. The 49-year-old Inkster is making her eighth Solheim Cup appearance while Kerr, at 31, is competing for the fifth time.
"For us not to be aware of this and to keep just hearing it (that the U.S. are the favorites) kind of makes you wonder if people are doing their homework," Stanford added. "Anyone who plays team sports knows there's a trap in this. We have a lot of talent and we're stacked. That's a thought."
"But you can't go into thinking that the ball is just going to go in the hole. It's a match-play game and they... have a boatload of experience. We know what we're up against and that's why we know we need to play our best," said Stanford.
The Americans, who have won the last two Solheim Cups, lead the series 7-3. (Compiled by Sonia Oxley; for queries or comments on this story, email [email protected].)
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