Danielle Kang went from having only a putter to now more golf clubs than she knows what to do with.
What a difference a day makes.
Kang revealed earlier this week that her golf bag never made her connecting flight to Malaga, Spain, in advance of this week’s Solheim Cup, which begins Friday. She did have her putter, as she travels with that separately, packed in a rifle case so it doesn’t get bent. But as Titleist rushed to send her a backup set and Kang practiced Tuesday using a set from another manufacturer, she tried to remain positive.
“It’s been an adventure,” Kang told reporters Tuesday. “If it wasn’t a dramatic entrance, it wouldn’t be my life, so it’s OK. It’s all good. It is what it is. You just kind of roll with the punches.”
🥹🥹🥹🥹❤️❤️❤️❤️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸💙💙💙💙🫶🫶🫶🫶🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 THANK YOU EVERYONE THAT HELPED https://t.co/0bMqXZ56LI
— Danielle Kang (@daniellekang) September 20, 2023
A day later, Kang’s replacement set not only arrived, but so, too, did her original clubs. U.S. captain Stacy Lewis snapped a photo of Kang with her arms wrapped around both bags.
“The number of people that were working on finding that golf bag the last two days is astronomical, so we were very excited. Danielle’s given us many hugs and thank yous. She was is very appreciative,” Lewis said Wednesday.
“I’ve told a lot of people this, she’s handled it so well, like, so remarkably well that I think it sent a message to the rookies of -- you know, there was no panic in her and it’s helped that team room vibe. I don’t even think Danielle realized it, you know, that she’s being a leader in that aspect. So it’s just been really cool to see her step up.”
Kang is playing this week in her fourth Solheim Cup. She went 3-1 in 2017, her debut, but is 1-3 in each of her past two, 2019 and 2021.
In 2019 at Gleneagles, Kang caused a stir of a different kind, saying this pre-tournament: “You’re trying to take souls, you know,” Kang said with a smile. “You’re going there to make people cry at this point, just crush the other team. That’s the fun of it.”
Europe went on to win that year.