The Solheim Cup is the premier team competition in women’s golf, and as such it offers the sport its best opportunity to shine. And despite the LPGA’s self-sabotage, the players of Team USA shone bright all week long en route to a 15.5 to 12.5 victory.

Nine notes from my time on the ground:

– Five players on Team USA won three or more points, but the way in which Megan Khang and Rose Zhang won their matches was the definition of dominant. None of their seven victories made it to the 17th hole.

– Khang was 19-under par on her own ball over the 41 holes she played. She not only elevated her own game, but brought out the best in her teammates on Friday and Saturday. She is now 6-0-1 in her last two Solheim Cup appearances.

– Zhang flexed the match play prowess that made her one of the most accomplished amateurs of all time. She won 28 of the 58 holes she played. Of her four wins, three were closed out on the 14th hole. Her opponent Sunday, Carlota Ciganda, had only lost once in six previous Solheim Cup singles matches. Zhang dispatched her 6 & 4.

– Lauren Coughlin made the most of her rookie Solheim Cup appearance. Her 3.5 points puts her in elite company alongside Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie West, and Nelly Korda as the only Americans to do so in their debut. Her toughness, one of her greatest strengths, came out on the back nine on Sunday. Down three on the 11th tee she told Stacy Lewis, “I fight. Don’t worry.” She would end up halving her match against Maja Stark.

– Outside of the actual golf that was played (and the aforementioned logistical issues early in the week), the 2024 Solheim Cup will be remembered for the good vibes from the American team. “It was probably the most fun I’ve had on a golf course ever”, Nelly shared in the post-tournament press conference. Skipping to the first tee and doing her best Tiger fist-pump impression is a new version of Nelly I hope we see more often.

– On top of crafting a flawless strategy for the week, Stacy Lewis made sure 10 previous Solheim Cup captains were on the grounds and around the team. Not just serving in an honorary role, either, but speaking to the group Thursday evening and cheering on players during every single session. Lewis got the LPGA to cover the expenses to get the past captains to the course. In previous years, they had only been given a travel stipend. There may not be a better example of what leadership in the women’s game should look like than Stacy Lewis.

– The 14th hole at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club was the honorary 13th member of Team USA. The Americans won or tied 21 of the 26 matches that reached the par 5.

– A time-honored tradition after team competitions is second-guessing the losing team’s decisions. Questions around Leona Maguire only playing two sessions will likely continue as Captain Suzann Pettersen kept things vague once again on Saturday, saying “The way it turned out, that’s how it turned out.” Leona followed up with her own cryptic tweet of “Form is temporary. Class is permanent.”

– A noticeable difference amongst the crowds at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club from other women’s golf events: youth and men. Two demographics the LPGA should be keen to attract. It’s impossible to replicate the atmosphere of the Solheim Cup, but getting creative with formats and adding additional team competitions feels like a smart way to market the personalities and likability of the LPGA’s best players to new audiences.

This piece originally appeared in the Fried Egg Golf newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.