Virginia - Sept 12 V7N - As the highly anticipated Solheim Cup competition approaches, the U.S. women's golf team is determined to end their drought and reclaim the trophy, but they are also focused on maintaining a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere, according to team captain Stacy Lewis.The U.S. team was forced to settle for a 14-14 draw with Europe a year ago in Spain, a result that saw their rivals retain the Cup for a third consecutive occasion.

This has since become the team's "unfinished business" and a rallying cry as they prepare to battle the visiting European squad."These girls, they want that trophy, and they want to win," Lewis told reporters on Wednesday. "They'll talk about it occasionally, but I just think they need to enjoy themselves and they need to have fun and they need to be relaxed."Lewis, the youngest American captain in Solheim Cup history, emphasized the importance of creating a relaxed and enjoyable team environment, drawing from her past experiences with winning teams."From what I've seen out of Solheim Cups and teams that I've been on, the ones that are more relaxed, the ones that are having fun behind the scenes, those are the ones that I've been on winning teams," she said.

To that end, Lewis has accommodated the team's requests, including providing a karaoke machine, to ensure the players can unwind and enjoy themselves during the high-pressure competition.Despite the team's hunger to end their drought, which dates back to their last Solheim Cup victory in 2017, Lewis insisted that the players do not feel the weight of expectation on their shoulders."I don't feel any pressure when I'm in that team room or when I'm around the girls.

I don't think they feel pressure," she said. "If we win, we stop the streak. If we lose, the streak keeps going. I mean, I would love to stop it, don't get me wrong, but I don't see it as pressure. I don't think they feel pressure. They don't, trust me. They're having lots of fun."The three-day Solheim Cup competition is set to begin on Friday at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, where the U.S. team will look to reclaim the trophy and end their drought with a relaxed and determined approach.

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