Pat Hurst’s long apprenticeship is over.
She was named the U.S. Solheim Cup captain by the LPGA on Thursday.
Hurst, 50, whose six LPGA titles include a major championship (1998 Nabisco Dinah Shore), will lead the Americans against the Europeans in the team event in Toledo, Ohio, next year.
A long-time friend and confidant to fellow Northern Californian Juli Inkster, Hurst enjoyed the best kind of training for the new job, serving as assistant captain in Inkster’s unprecedented three terms as the U.S. captain (2015, ’17 and ’19).
Hurst was there helping Inkster when the Americans staged the greatest comeback in the history of the competition in 2015, overcoming a 10-6 deficit going into Sunday singles to win in Germany.