Bristol's Trish Johnson has been passed fit to win a fifth Solheim Cup cap against the Americans at Muirfield Village in Ohio today. And the 32-year-old goes straight into the opening foursomes match, partnering Laura Davies against Dottie Pepper and Juli Inkster.
Johnson, an ever-present in Europe's side since the event began in 1990 but with a record of only three wins in 13 games, woke up with a stiff neck on Tuesday.
She was able only to chip and putt on the first two days of practice, but after a pain-killing injection on Wednesday night finally ventured onto the course today for what amounted to a fitness test.
"It's a lot better," she said after playing a full 18 holes.
She and former world number one Davies, the record points-scorer in the series with nine wins from 14, were foursomes partners at St Pierre two years ago, beating Patty Sheehan and Rosie Jones four and three.
New European captain Pia Nilsson leaves out Swedish trio Charlotta Sorenstam, Catrin Nilsmark and Sophie Gustafson and also France's Marie Laure de Lorenzi from the opening session.
Scot Catriona Matthew makes her debut as the partner for current world number one Annika Sorenstam - Charlotta's older sister - while there are two Anglo-Swedish combinations in Alison Nicholas and Helen Alfredsson and Lisa Hackney and Lotta Neumann.
Davies' clash with Pepper revives memories of their meeting at The Greenbrier four years ago when Pepper cheered one missed putt by the Surrey golfer and also refused to shake hands after winning. They did not meet two years ago.
Swedish reserve Maria Hjorth had been summoned from Phoenix, where she was busy moving into a new apartment, and told she may be needed to replace Johnson. But now she will just be a spectator.
The decision on Johnson had to be taken before the opening ceremony this afternoon.
Once named in the side no substitutes are allowed and if Johnson is unable to play in Sunday's singles Europe would have to forfeit a point.
That is different from the Ryder Cup, where the "envelope" system exists to allow injured players a half-point with a chosen member of the other team.
That has proved controversial, with Steve Pate withdrawing from the American side in 1991 and Sam Torrance from Europe's in 1993.
Another Solheim Cup rule meant that Hjorth, despite the possibility of being called up, was not allowed to practice on the course - or even hit balls on the driving range.
American captain Judy Rankin has had no such worries in the build-up and described her team as "like a rocketship ready to take off."
Her four players who sit out the first morning are Betsy King, Rosie Jones, Chris Johnson and British Open champion Sherri Steinhauer.
They have won the last two matches by a convincing-looking six-point margin, but it has not been quite as easy as that for them.
Having suffered a shock defeat at Dalmahoy in 1992 the Americans were only level with a day to go at The Greenbrier two years later before easily winning the singles 8-2.
At St Pierre in the last match Europe actually led 9-7 going into the final day, but again collapsed to end up 17-11 losers.
Only half of that United States side have survived as against nine of the Europeans. The three who did not play then are Matthew, Gustafson and Charlotta Sorenstam, all now winning their first caps.
The Sorenstams become the first sisters to appear in the match, but it will be a big surprise to see them playing together.
They have been reported as barely on speaking terms, although Nilsson said: "If they would end up as the best pairing for the match I could do it. But it wouldn't be the first choice."
Nilsson is in no doubt that this is the best European side in the series so far. Whether it is good enough to win on American soil is about to be discovered.
But the home crowd know all too well that on the very same course 11 years ago a star-studded United States side captained by Jack Nicklaus became the first to lose the Ryder Cup at home.
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