“I was playing something bigger than I” - Danielle Kang reveals story behind the names on her shoes at the 2023 Solheim Cup

Danielle Kang ended the 2023 Solheim Cup on a high. The golfer finished with a scorecard of 2-2-0, which included a dominant singles win over European rival Charley Hull. While the 30-year-old stood out with her game, her shoes also spoke volumes.

Kang, being one of the more experienced golfers on the US side, embraced her leadership role and paid tribute to the whole squad. The golfer donned special red, white and blue shoes at Finca Cortesin with the names of everyone involved with Team USA written over it. Following the team’s win, the LPGA star revealed that she did it to represent the caddies, players, staff and captain in the best manner.

The golfer noted that she was “playing something bigger” than herself and wanted to use the opportunity to pay tribute to her squad members.

Opening up on her special US flag-bearing shoe for the Solheim Cup, Danielle Kang was quoted as saying by Golfweek:

“I was so honored to be on this team, to experience what I experienced this week. People kept asking me about my shoes and why I wrote everyone’s name on there, and no, it didn’t come like that.

"But there was not a single person, caddies, players, staff, captain, assistant captains that I didn’t want to represent. I wanted to represent them the best that I can, and I was playing something bigger than I. I played the best I have all year, so I’m very proud.”

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Danielle Kang had ‘unbelievable’ experiences at the Solheim Cup

Kang further noted that she had ‘unbelievable’ experiences at the 2023 Solheim Cup and wished to remember it when she grows old. The golfer even stated that the ‘moments’ she had with her teammates would outlive the trophies in her mind.

On this, she said:

“Listen, when I’m old and gray one day and look back, I’m going to remember our team rooms where (Megan Khang) and (Angel Yin) and all these girls were hyping us up, and I wish you guys had a camera. I wish people could experience what I experienced last night and this week because it was unbelievable… When I retire, when I’m all done with things, it’s not about who won the Cup, it’s about the moment, and we built it.”

It is pertinent to note that Kang's comments came after her final round. Having become a key figure for the US side, she oozed confidence during the press conference as well. The LPGA star, who holds a 7-9-0 record in four caps for the Americans, showed strong leadership quality despite her side failing to claim the Cup on Sunday.

Interestingly, the golfer got off to a not-so-amusing start to the Solheim Cup as she lost her bag while traveling to the competition. Kang misplaced her bag during her transit to Spain and left it behind in Amsterdam. She only received it a day before the competition, making it a memorable event for her from the get-go.