The nineteenth Solheim Cup bought off to a rocky begin as followers hoping to see the opening tee pictures have been stranded in line for shuttle busses.
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GAINESVILLE, Va. — These anticipating a raucous first-tee environment for the opening of the nineteenth Solheim Cup have been in for a impolite awakening Friday morning. As a substitute of a grandstand packed to the brim, members of the American and European groups have been met with three-quarters-full stands and hole cheers.
It’s not that the followers didn’t present as much as Robert Trent Jones Golf Membership to observe their favourite gamers kick off the Solheim Cup — it’s that they couldn’t. On account of shuttle-bus points from the primary spectator lot 5 miles from the venue, hundreds of followers couldn’t attain the course in time to observe the opening tee pictures.
Melanie and Eric (who declined to present their final names) instructed GOLF.com they traveled from Washington state to observe the Solheim Cup for the primary time. They spent $1,000 on grounds tickets for the whole week and hoped to be within the grandstands for the opening tee pictures. However regardless of arriving on the spectator lot 90 minutes earlier than the primary group teed off at 7:05, they didn’t get by way of the gates till 7:30.
“We have been there at 5:30 within the morning after which simply stood in line,” Melanie mentioned. “They’re speaking about nobody being within the stands, however we have been all again there ready.”
Many followers took to social media to air their grievances as they desperately tried to get to the course in time for the opening tee pictures.
In keeping with a number of followers, there have been two essential points that led to the transportation hiccup from the spectator lot. One, there weren’t sufficient constitution busses to deal with the variety of followers who arrived early within the morning. And two, volunteers (who use the identical lot as followers) have been in a position to bounce to the entrance of the road and bypass most of the followers who arrived effectively earlier than them.
“Completely ridiculous,” mentioned one man who declined to be recognized by identify. “We get to the road and volunteers are zooming, leaping the road. Bus after bus after bus. Why do you want volunteers if there aren’t any followers on the course? I’m pissed.”
The person mentioned he awoke at 4:15 and arrived on the parking zone at 5:15. He breezed by way of safety and bought within the shuttle bus line at 5:30. Regardless of his early begin and arrival, he didn’t get by way of the gates till the final group of the morning foursomes session was already on the tee for its 7:41 a.m. tee time.
An inflow of busses finally arrived on the spectator lot to account for the massive demand, however by then a lot of the followers in line had already missed the first-tee festivities.
The LPGA issued the next assertion concerning the bussing points:
“We acknowledge and deeply apologize to all followers affected by the challenges with shuttling from parking to the golf course. We’ve made important adjustments to our transportation system to mitigate these points transferring ahead, and we’re engaged on methods to specific our remorse to these impacted.”
There have been related logistical points following the opening ceremony on Thursday night. As soon as the occasion — highlighted by a live performance by country-music singer Jordan Davis — ended, the road for the shuttle bus to the parking zone stretched again to the vary as tons of of followers tried to get again to their automobiles. One lady, who spoke to GOLF.com on the situation of anonymity, mentioned it took her practically 4 hours to get to her resort (roughly seven miles from RTJ Membership) as soon as she bought in line for the busses.
