Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu and the Solheim Cup Tour New York City

NEW YORK, N.Y. — Two-time major champion Stacy Lewis hustles through the heart of midtown with a black padlocked trophy case on her shoulder.

Nelly Korda and Lilia Vu, who sit at No. 2 and No. 3 in the women’s world rankings, walk by the veteran’s side, snapping photos of the spectacle. The trio are in New York City to promote the Solheim Cup—the LPGA equivalent of the Ryder Cup—which kicks off on Friday, Sept. 22, in Andalucia, Spain. The U.S. team captain and her two star players started the 12-hour media tour at the Today Show. Casual.

Korda, Vu and Lewis got out of bed that morning as they would for any early-wave tee time. But their 6 a.m. alarms woke them up for hair and makeup rather than pre-round warm ups. To the surprise of the building’s security guard, the three women who dressed in matching white half-zips and navy blue pants made their 30 Rock entrance on foot. “They just walked right up,” he said. “I was expecting a car.” Golfers always enjoy a stroll.

As producers briefed the group on show logistics in the green room, the caffeine supply began to work its magic. The women caught up with each other, as you’d expect of teammates. Last month Vu won her second major championship of 2023 at the AIG Women’s Open at Walton Heath. Her dad promised her a cat after she ticked off major No. 2.

“I’m thinking of naming it Walton,” Vu said.

Meanwhile, Korda showed off her new customized U.S.A. themed sneakers. “They’re Nike I.D.” she said. Decked-out U.S. team gear is one of the more amusing side-plots leading into the week.

The women handled the live Cup-related questions with ease and posed for a few photos with the Today Show’s iconic orange signage. They then added their signatures to a poster board crowded with legendary names. Among the actors and the singers and the entertainers, there were the autographs of three LPGA champions, ready to represent their country in Spain.

“To be able to spread the word about women’s golf and something so exciting about the Solheim Cup is great,” Korda said. “This event is just such a big attraction and draws in a crowd. It’s an amazing way to showcase women’s golf.”

Perhaps more fans around the world will tune into the match play competition when it airs on Peacock and Golf Channel this weekend—that’s the hope, at least. A day after the golfers’ Today Show appearance, Carrie Underwood would perform at the same outdoor plaza where their segment was filmed.

The group then headed up 67 floors to the Top of the Rock viewing deck—along with the same nondescript black box. A closer look would give away its contents: The box is labeled very clearly as the “SOLHEIM CUP,” a detail that an LPGA official admits may be a mistake after she recently collected it from an airport baggage carousel. “It’s like when we fly with our clubs,” Lewis jokes. “You don’t put your name on the travel bag.”

As a few savvy social media comments pointed out, the women may have been toting the prize around the city for their media appearances, but they don’t technically “possess” the Cup. The U.S. team has lost the last two competitions to Team Europe. But the Americans are confident they’ll be loading the 20-pound piece of glassware onto their return flight from Europe.

“We’re manifesting it,” Vu says.

The whirlwind NYC day continued at SeatGeek, the LPGA’s official ticket provider, and later moved to the CNN studios. Korda posed at Anderson Cooper’s desk, while Lewis taped an interview with the network’s international division. In between stops, Vu and Korda compared travel plans and deliberated on the team room playlist they’re crafting, which remains a work in progress.

“We’re making a pretty fire playlist right now for the team room that Lilia, Meghan Kang, Ally Ewing and I are all part of,” Korda says. “We actually have a lot of older songs on there. Hits from the 2010’s. ‘Sweet Home Alabama.’ How can you go without that song?”

A New York tourist might classify the comprehensive media tour as a draining day but the golfers were energized. They’re ready for all that’s waiting for them in Spain.

“I never thought that I’d be here honestly,” Vu said. “Playing on the Solheim has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. Being here in the flesh to promote it is just crazy.”