Angel Yin Will Suit Up For Team USA...But When?

Angel Yin is going to play in the Solheim Cup. Exactly when she plays, however, is still the question.

Yin has played just two competitive rounds of golf since late June. She shot an 81 and 76 at the FM Championship, her first start back after a stomach illness that caused her to lose 35 pounds and forced her to withdraw from the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. That's not exactly the kind of recent form you'd expect from an automatic qualifier just days before the biggest event in women's golf.

But the Angel Yin I've gotten to know this year is the type of person who knows exactly when to lock in.

You've probably seen her viral press conference moments, where she's often playing the role of the jokester. She has a quirky sense of humor and isn't afraid to say exactly what's on her mind. But underneath all of that is a fiery competitor who is pretty damn sure of herself—and what she can bring to this American team.

Over the final few weeks leading into the 20th edition of the Solheim Cup, there have been plenty of questions about Yin's health and her ability to contribute. She made it clear at the FM Championship that she would not put the team in a difficult position simply because she wanted to play. "If I feel I’m not fit for the team, I’m going to let her [Angela Stanford] know. The last thing I want to do is drag the team down."

And that wasn't lip service. Yin has since made the trip to the Netherlands, had those conversations with Stanford and made it very clear that she believes she is ready to contribute. " I had, like, honest talks with myself in the mirror and with my team, and obviously with Angela because she's the only other person, other than my family, that I've updated throughout all of this," Yin said to the media on Wednesday.

"We have a clear idea of what it is, and so, yeah, we all agreed on this. And she wanted me here. Because we asked her -- well, I didn't ask her. I had my caddie ask her, Do you want me here? And if she said no, I wouldn't be here. But she said yes.So I think with belief like that and confidence from her to back me, why wouldn't I show up? The end."

Stanford, for her part, has been equally clear: Yin is here, and she's playing.

"She's done a great job this week. She's put in the time," Stanford said on Thursday ahead of the opening ceremony where Friday pairings were announced. "I think everybody was kind of in the same boat, me included, coming over here. I didn't really know exactly what she was capable of...I'm one that's big on actions, and not words, and I think she played 18 holes every day but today, and I kept wondering, Should you be doing that? And she's like, I need reps, I need reps. And I'm like, All right. Well, I'm trusting that you're doing what you need to do."

Still, golf is unpredictable. You can prepare for weeks, feel good physically and mentally and still not know what is going to happen once you step onto the first tee, especially at the Solheim Cup, where the crowds are larger and louder, the pressure is different, and every shot carries the weight of 11 teammates standing behind you.

Which is why Stanford brought former World No. 1 Lilia Vu to the Netherlands as an alternate. And, yes, that decision raised some eyebrows, too.

Two years ago it was Vu who clinched the Cup for the Americans, but as of late, she has struggled mightily this season and enters the Solheim Cup having missed the cut in her last 10 starts. Given Vu's history and success at this event in particular, I think it's clear that Stanford wasn't picking an alternate based solely on current form, but rather needed someone who she felt like could step into a pressure-filled situation at a moment's notice if Yin ultimately couldn't go.

There has been plenty of conversation about Yin, Vu and, really, the state of both Solheim Cup teams heading into this week—because here's the thing—nobody is arriving in the Netherlands in perfect form. Only four of the 24 players this week have won on the LPGA this year in Nelly Korda and Lauren Coughlin for the U.S. and Lottie Woad and Celine Boutier for the European side. And there's a host of players coming off of missed cuts...and a lot of them.

It's a very fair critique and I think lends itself to this Solheim Cup being one that comes down to the wire.

But that's the thing about this kind of event. Golf has a funny way of making recent results feel almost irrelevant. Players who have struggled for months can suddenly find something when they're playing for something bigger than themselves. Match play gives them a different kind of freedom. Teammates pick each other up. Captains find the right combinations. And when a player's back is against the wall, there are 11 other women ready to remind her exactly why she's here.

That's what makes Yin's status so fascinating. The question is no longer if she'll play, it's when.

The captain's agreement between Stanford and Anna Nordqvist stipulates that Yin must play in at least one session before Sunday singles, meaning Stanford can't simply save her for the final day. That leaves Fourball or Foursomes on Friday or Saturday as the possibilities—and frankly, I think the earlier the better.

Yin has historically thrived in Fourball, where her aggressive playing style and ability to make birdies can really shine. She's also never lost in Sunday singles, going 2-0-1 in her three appearances.

I'd love to see Stanford ease her into the week in four-ball alongside someone like Alison Lee or one of the rookies in Auston Kim or Lindy Duncan. Give her a partner who can feed off that energy, let Yin play her game and see what happens. Because Angel Yin doesn't need to prove she's the same player she was before getting sick, she just needs one match to remind everyone—including herself—why she belongs on this team.