Travel mix-up leaves Danielle Kang without clubs at Solheim Cup
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It was not the first time that Danielle Kang has had to deal with missing clubs.
PHOTO: REUTERS
MADRID – Everyone knows the universal pain of an airline luggage mix-up. But it could not have happened at a worse time for American golfer Danielle Kang.
As of Tuesday, her golf clubs have not made it to Andalucia, Spain for the Solheim Cup, which begins on Friday.
The US team member even took to social media on Monday evening to plead for anyone who could help to get her bag on the next flight over.
“Hi. I need everyone’s help again. My captain and the entire US Team has been on this but someone PLEASE put my GOLF bag on the next flight out of AMSTERDAM to MALAGA... it’s missed every flight it could’ve been on today,” Kang wrote.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday at Finca Cortesin, the venue for the US versus Europe showdown, she confirmed that her clubs had not reached her yet – except for one.
“I do travel with my putter separately, yes, in a rifle case,” Kang explained.
“Because my putter is a different model, so we don’t have the bending machine for it, and it bends a lot during travel, so I put it in a separate case to travel with because I don’t have the means to get my putter checked every week.”
So she at least could hang out on the putting green while her American teammates scouted the course. Sports equipment manufacturer Ping then came through on Tuesday and provided her with a temporary set of clubs.
Kang said Titleist, one of her sponsors, was also lending a hand by making a backup set.
“It is what it is. It’s been an adventure and you just kind of roll with the punches,” she said.
“It’s life, it’s golf, you know, it’s OK.”
Despite that relaxed outlook, Kang would surely prefer to have her own clubs in hand when the first matches begin.
“The other 13 are coming. It’s coming. We have faith,” she added. “(Captain) Stacy (Lewis) is on it. I mean, she’s putting out fires, and I’m pretty sure I’m the only one causing fire right now.”
This was not the first time that Kang has dealt with missing clubs.
She had to go through the same ordeal at the end of July when they also went missing during her flight from the Evian Championship in France to the Women’s British Open in England.
The Americans will hope that the incident is nothing but a small hiccup to their preparations.
They lead the overall Solheim Cup series 10-7 but Europe are the reigning champions after edging the US 15-13 at Inverness Club in Ohio in 2021 to retain the title. REUTERS
