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Reuters
6 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Lang named U.S. assistant captain for Solheim Cup
June 3 (Reuters) - U.S. Solheim Cup Captain Angela Stanford named major champion Brittany Lang on Tuesday as her third assistant captain for next year's Solheim Cup at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands. The 39-year-old Lang, who counts the 2016 U.S. Women's Open among her two titles on the LPGA Tour, will join Stanford and fellow assistants Kristy McPherson and Paula Creamer in leading a group of the top 12 American female golfers against Europe in the biennial team event. "This is probably one of the highest honors I've had in my career. I'm excited to learn, to help and to experience the atmosphere as an assistant captain," Lang said. Lang represented the United States on the 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017 U.S. Solheim Cup teams and her four-ball partnership with Brittany Lincicome is the most successful for either side in the event's history, going a perfect 4-0-0. "The traits that have always impressed me the most about Brittany are her confidence and her demeanor," said Stanford. "If Lang has ever been rattled, you would never know." The United States reclaimed the Solheim Cup in September in Gainesville, Virginia to stop Europe from winning the trophy for an unprecedented fourth consecutive time. The Solheim Cup will be held September 11-13, 2026 when the U.S. will bid for their first road win since 2015.
NBC Sports
28-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
'It changed everything': 15 years later, Paula Creamer reflects on gritty U.S. Women's Open title
Paula Creamer planned to buy herself a Birkin handbag and to go skydiving with her father to celebrate her U.S. Women's Open victory at Oakmont Country Club. But it was life's simplest gifts that Creamer enjoyed when she returned to the storied venue 15 years after her win. 'Pure joy. Happiness,' Creamer, now 38, said she felt as she stood beside the 18th green at Oakmont for the first time in years. 'It's special to be back.' Last month, while Creamer made the 40-minute drive from the Pittsburgh airport to Oakmont, memories of her U.S. Women's Open victory and lone major title quickly returned. And as Creamer pulled into the parking lot, she felt the venue's greatness wash over her just like it had done all those years ago. 'The feeling is honestly like nothing you can describe, just because of all the history,' Creamer said. 'And the love of the game of golf.' In 2010, the charismatic player nicknamed, 'Pink Panther', was wearing her signature color as she strode with a smile up the final hole at Oakmont. Creamer was grinning on the 72nd hole on that championship Sunday because, for the first time that week, caddie Colin Cann told her she should take a look at the leaderboard. The 23-year-old stared at the scores and saw just one name in red figures. Creamer led by four, and she was now just feet away from major glory. 'When you practice when you're younger, you're like, I have a four-footer to win the U.S. Open. You say it in your head, over and over and over again. You practice. And then I literally had a 4-footer to win the U.S. Open,' Creamer said recently while standing next to the 18th green. 'It changed my life, this putt right here. It changed everything.' These days, Creamer is a mother and no longer competes full time on the LPGA. And though much has changed in the 10-time LPGA winner's life since her major victory, some things remain the same. As she returned to the 18th fairway and walked around the closing hole, Creamer wore not just a necklace with her daughter's name, but the same smile she had on that championship Sunday. 'I keep looking over there because I remember that's like where my family was,' Creamer said. She remembered her parents, Karen and Paul, looking on as their only child etched her name in history alongside the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan as major winners at Oakmont. 'I would not have been able to do what I did or have the career that I've had without them. They're everything,' Creamer said about her parents. 'And my dad and I have a very special relationship. He knows how to push me, but I need to be pushed. But he also knows how to comfort me when I need that.' One of those times was in early 2010. Creamer had undergone reconstructive surgery on her left thumb after feeling it pop during the tour's stop in Thailand. Creamer didn't know if she'd ever play golf again or if she'd ever reach the level she had once aspired to. 'He just sat there and was like, 'Paula, we'll figure it out,'' Creamer recalled her father telling her. ''One step at a time and we'll make it work.'' Creamer missed the cut the week before the U.S. Women's Open and arrived in Pennsylvania with extra time to prepare for just her fifth tournament appearance of the year. The Sunday before the championship began, Creamer hit the Oakmont range with her father, coach and caddie to find a swing that could get her through the week. 'I'll never forget, I'm on the left side of the driving range and literally shanking balls,' Creamer said. 'I'm looking at them like, What am I going to do? I'm about to play the hardest golf course in the world. And yet I can't even hit a 7-iron straight right now.' So, gearing up for golf's toughest test, Creamer's team told her to focus on shortening her swing. They set that game plan and wanted her to stick with it, no matter what. That was different from how Creamer had approached U.S. Women's Opens in the past, when she'd often deviate from her routine and strategy – and almost always paid the price. 'I learned from those years that when I came to Oakmont that you cannot change your plan. Mentally, you can't,' Creamer said. 'It's so hard mentally around this golf course that if you're trying to switch things around, it's going to make it even harder.' Creamer was three strokes off the early lead in 2010, but the challenge of Oakmont was further compounded as players had to contend with afternoon thunderstorms on Day 2 that suspended play. Creamer returned to the course to complete the second round early Saturday and took advantage of the softer conditions to climb into a share of the lead. By the end of the third round, she was three shots clear. On her way to the first tee on Sunday afternoon, Creamer shared a moment with her biggest supporter and motivator: her father. 'He looked at me and he's like, 'Bun, this is it – it's your time. This is you. You have been in all of these positions for this moment,'' Creamer recalled, her voice beginning to quiver. ''Go out there and show them the fighter you are inside.'' Creamer held a four-stroke lead at the turn, maintained a comfortable advantage down the stretch and left herself a closing par putt that she'd dreamed of making since she was a young girl. When it was over, Creamer bent over and covered her mouth in her hands, her left thumb and hand wrapped in tape to protect her surgically repaired left thumb. 'Thank you God, and thank you parents for the opportunity to be out here,' Creamer said during her acceptance speech. The toughness of Oakmont was no match for the toughness of Paula Creamer that week. The challenges she'd endured in the weeks and months leading up to the major championship had, as her father said, prepared her for that moment. Her gritty victory became a testament to her talent – and her resilience. 'It could be a perfect day out and it's still very, very, very hard and just always testing you,' Creamer said about conquering Oakmont. 'I couldn't have picked a better place to win a U.S. Open for me.' Paula Creamer revisits Oakmont Country Club, where she stood atop women's golf at the 2010 U.S. Women's Open after coming back from a thumb injury.
NBC Sports
28-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Creamer's journey to 2010 Women's U.S. Open title
Paula Creamer revisits Oakmont Country Club, where she stood atop women's golf at the 2010 Women's U.S. Open after coming back from a thumb injury.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Where has golfer Paula Creamer been? Parenting, Pilates and plotting a comeback on the course.
For over two decades, Paula Creamer has been a mainstay of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, earning 10 titles, including one major championship during her career thus far. But at 38 years old, she's taken some time away from the tee. 'I haven't hit a ball since last May,' she says. It's not because she's done with the sport, however. In fact, she tells me during a conversation for Yahoo Life's OT Diaries that she's determined to come back stronger than ever. After multiple injuries to her left wrist, Creamer attempted to return to competing and quickly realized she wasn't feeling as strong as she'd like to. She took a medical leave, which has left fans questioning when or if she'll return. 'Now I'm getting back into the swing of things, literally. So I'm hoping to get back out by the end of this year,' she says, 'If not, for sure next year.' So what has she been doing during this time? Creamer shares she's been balancing recovery with parenting her 3-year-old daughter, Hilton, and learning to become a master on the grill. But she's also been working on gaining more muscle, more patience and more power for when she returns to golf. 'When I play, I just don't want to be out there. I'm trying to compete; I'm trying to win,' she says. 'I'm not just trying to be a name on a leaderboard.' Here, she shares how her competitive nature has kept her anything but idle during her time off. How has your focus on recovery evolved over the years? I mean, this is my 20th year. You don't play for 20 years if you don't really figure out your body. I've been very lucky [because] like I said, my injuries have only been in my left hand. However, they've been in my left hand, which is not the easiest place for golf. I've never had back [injuries], I've never had neck [injuries]. But I've worked out and trained since I was 14, so my body is obviously very aware of things. I'm very aware of what hurts and what doesn't. Injuries — they're just not fun, especially when your body's your job, basically. I've had [a few] major surgeries on my thumb, my wrist, and then obviously having a child is the biggest one. But I will say I've actually learned a lot through all of that that you cannot come back too soon. When I was younger, I think I came back a little too soon after my wrist surgery that I had in 2017. I should have taken more time off. … Even with having Hilton, I had a C-section, and I was still back out in five or six months after I was done going through that recovery. You feel like you're missing out on so many things when you're hurt; it overpowers things. You don't realize that this is just a small little blip in 20 years of your career that you're going to have. … Professional athletes now understand more about recovery and how sleep and nutrition and all of that are so important. What does physical recovery look like for you right now? I have a lot of inflammation and scar tissue swelling in my hand. … So I'm realizing what I need to do for that is [physical] therapy four or five times a week. Things like that take time. They're one of those annoying things that you have to do. That's just what I've been given, and I have to overcome that. At the same time, I also think that mentally escaping is a part of recovery. Yes, definitely! Is that mental aspect something you've been able to master? It's really hard if you don't have other hobbies or interests outside of your sport. When I was younger, I did a really good job of [prioritizing other interests]. It was my second or third year out on tour when I realized, we go to these amazing countries — I want to see culture. I do not just want to see the hotel and the golf course. I want to go and visit and be there. So I made that a priority. I mean, [golf] is such a long sport. You practice before you warm up, then you play for four and a half [to] five hours, and then you practice again afterward. So there's certain tricks I think when you're out in the course that help you escape from it. And when you're at home? It's hard because I am the most competitive person. So it could just be about who made peanut butter cookies better? [It's] that competitive nature that you just have inside of you — how do you switch that off? I don't know. 'Cause it's just not natural for me to do that. I will say that being able to get away from the golf course is easier for me now. I've been reading more, doing different workouts, things like that, to try to get that escape too. Podcasts and things like that really help take your patience and all of your focus away from [the game]. But that's just trial and error. Whatever other athletes have done, I try it and see if it works. How are you getting exercise off of the course? I do a lot of Pilates now. And where I go is hot Pilates, so it's hot in there with the red light therapy at the same time. It's such a challenge, and I like things like that … you know, where I'm not just trying to make sure my obliques are strong for my golf swing. Are there wellness treatments that fall into that category for you? I've never been a cold plunge girl. I hate being cold in general … so that's a nonstarter. I mean, I've done it a couple of times, and I'm like, this is just not for me. You're into more of the heated treatments, it seems. Yeah, the whole infrared [sauna], red light therapy thing is massive. Where I train at New Dimensions [a wellness club in Orlando], they have a hyperbaric chamber. So I'm either getting in that or the sauna. It's kind of a weird thing, but it takes a lot for me to actually sweat. So I have to really work hard, wear long sleeves, things like that. ... So saunas are really good for me. What goals do you have for yourself when recovering and preparing for the next tour? I definitely want to be stronger and better, more fit. Mobility is obviously also a thing, but this past offseason that I had I gained about 15 pounds of muscle, I was working out a whole lot. Now it's a little harder for me to do all of that. So I've lost some of that mass, and I'm going to try and put all of that back on. My whole thing has been trying to gain club head speed. I'm tall. I'm 5'9 [and] I've got long arms, so I should be able to hit it a lot farther than what I do. So trying to use different muscles in that. Just [being] more athletic, instead of kind of stagnant strong; more explosive. I mean, that's just the way the game is going, and if you don't go that way, you're going to get left behind. What is your approach to nutrition right now? I was actually gluten and dairy free for about seven years. Then I redid all my [allergy] tests and things, and I was able to reintroduce it. So now I'm back on gluten and dairy. It's all about knowing what works for you. So I've actually really tried to go on more of a keto [diet], like big on protein. I still eat carbs and things like that, but I try to get more protein in. Having a little girl and trying to figure out what she should eat at day care is the hardest thing in the world, 'cause they're so picky with things. But trying to find good, healthy snacks for her has actually crept into more of my diet at home too and what I cook. What about sleep? Sleep has always been a really hard thing for me. I've never been a very good sleeper. I've actually been listening to this podcast about sleeping and how the whole eight hours a night is really just not … that's not true [for everyone]. For me, I am so easy at falling asleep. I just can't stay asleep. That's where I struggle. I mean, I wake up at 3 and then I'm ready to go, I'm wide awake. … I try to lay there and I try to count numbers, all these things. I put on little meditations. Those help, but then I wake up two hours later. Now having a daughter, it's even worse 'cause we're trying to get her to sleep in her own big-girl bed. I thought potty training was hard, but man, this is hard. It is definitely a challenge. How has motherhood changed your perspective on golf? My job is out on the course, but my real job is when I get off the golf course and [have to] be a mom. So being able to mentally escape for 15 minutes after the round is going to be another thing that I really want to master in a sense, so I can balance the two. I realized that last year when I was playing with [Hilton] and out on the road, it's not easy. That's just being a mom … and learning to adapt to it and adapt quickly is what I really am trying to do. That whole competitiveness is always there. And now with her, it's even more so because I'm like, "Hey, I've got to show you what I can do," 'cause there's gonna be a day where I can't do it. … You want to do it in the present and show that your mommy can do some stuff — not just get you your lunch and things like that; she can actually kind of hit a golf ball around sometimes. What's the best piece of advice you've received as an athlete? I would really say being honest about all of your goals that you want to achieve with your team around you. I mean, it's hard to find these days where there's just one person playing. Everybody has a team; [even if it's] their family members, there's always a group. And I think being really honest with them and telling them what you want to do, how you want to do it, and hey, if you need to tell me that I'm doing something wrong, go for it. You have to have that trust among each other where you're not going to be mad at them for saying, "Hey, I don't think you're doing the right thing." I think that's a big one. … It's obviously a lot of sacrifice. You know, I didn't live a normal life, but my life was normal to me, and I was OK with that. A good support system is everything! Let's get into some rapid-fire questions. What is your best travel hack? I am the worst at traveling. I am the worst packer ever. … I think that literally the best thing someone ever taught me was to put stuff in Hilton's stroller bag or her car seat. Favorite travel or plane snack? I would say peanut butter crackers. I always have peanut butter crackers with me. Water and an electrolyte of some sort in a pouch too. Sweet or salty? In all honesty, I'm a salt person. I could eat chips for days. Like, I could just eat popcorn, chips, all those things. But if I am going onto the sweet side, I'm a Starburst or Skittles girl. If you're sticking to one beverage, what is it? Alcoholic or nonalcoholic? … I love my wine, but I love sparkling water. Do you have any particular artist, song or album that you listen to to lock in? My [taste in] music is ridiculous, like it's all over the place. I'm really into dance music. I like pop, but I also like Rüfüs [Du Sol] — anywhere from that to Lady Gaga to Kevin Gates, things like that that are just completely off the wall. Binge-worthy TV show? Landman was my last real binge. I really like Suits. I like Billions — those are always ones I can go back to. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Straits Times
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Creamer named U.S. assistant captain for Solheim Cup
FILE PHOTO: Jun 3, 2021; San Francisco, California, USA; Paula Creamer looks over the first green during the first round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at The Olympic Club. Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports/ File Photo REUTERS FILE PHOTO: Jun 4, 2021; San Francisco, California, USA; Paula Creamer plays her shot from the tenth tee during the second round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at The Olympic Club. Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports/ File Photo REUTERS U.S. Solheim Cup Captain Angela Stanford on Tuesday named major champion Paula Creamer as her second assistant captain for next year's Solheim Cup at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands. The 38-year-old Creamer, a 10-times winner on the LPGA Tour, will join Stanford and fellow assistant captain Kristy McPherson in leading a group of the top 12 American female golfers against Europe in the biennial team event. Creamer, who won the 2010 U.S. Women's Open, played on her first Solheim Cup team as an LPGA Tour rookie in 2005 at age 19, then the youngest player in the event's history. She also represented the U.S. in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017 and her seven foursomes wins and 8-1/2 foursomes points are the most for any American player. "Wearing the Red, White and Blue has been an important part of my career. I have pledged to Angela to do whatever she needs me to do to help her and the U.S. team represent the United States well and ultimately retain the Cup for another two years," Creamer said. Stanford and Creamer were Solheim Cup teammates five times but were never paired together. They also served as assistants under Stacy Lewis at last year's Solheim Cup. "Paula's passion for her country and the Solheim Cup are infectious," said Stanford. "I truly enjoyed being Paula's teammate when we played on Solheim Cups and when we worked as assistants together in Virginia last year. The United States reclaimed the Solheim Cup last September in Gainesville, Virginia to stop Europe from capturing the trophy for an unprecedented fourth consecutive time. The next Solheim Cup will be held September 11-13, 2026 when the U.S. will be seeking their first road win since 2015. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
