How the song ‘Staying Alive’ helped Europe battle back from a 4-0 deficit at the 2023 Solheim Cup

The European Solheim Cup team can relate to the plight of Zach Johnson’s Ryder Cup team.

After the Americans swept the Friday morning foursomes session in Spain at the Solheim Cup, the situation was reversed one week later in Rome.

Now it’s Team Europe that owns a commanding 4-0 lead after the opening session.

So how did the Euros manage to turn things around last week after such a demoralizing start?

Dame Laura Davies, one of Suzann Pettersen’s assistant captains, said on Golf Channel earlier this week that she gives massive credit to Charley Hull’s caddie Adam Woodward.

Charley Hull of The European Team plays her third shot on the second hole in her match against Danielle Kang during the final day singles matches on Day Three of the Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin Golf Club on September 24, 2023 in Casares, Spain. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

After the morning shellacking, Woodward played two songs back-to-back in the European team room: “Staying Alive” by the Bee Gees and “Things Can Only Get Better” by Howard Jones.

“As players trickled in … the mood was very quiet,” said Davies, “so Adam did a very clever thing by putting those two songs on, and everyone was chuckling going out into the afternoon knowing we had a job ahead of us, but that team spirit from the European team room sent everybody out in a slightly better mood than when they walked in, and that’s very important.”