By Kitrina Douglas BBC Sport Online golf columnist

I have a question for you: What goes to the FA Cup final every year and never gets used? The answer is the losing team's ribbon!

Why am I mentioning this? Well, for the first time in Solheim Cup history the European team have travelled to Interlachen with a reserve player.

No doubt the tour have taken the decision to bring an 'extra' player to avoid all the hassles they might face if a player develops an injury.

Sheehan turns up the heat

Although it might sound strange imagining a golfer becoming injured this is exactly what has happened in both of the previous two Solheim Cup competitions.

At Muirfield Village back in 1998 Trish Johnson developed a back injury.

The immediate reaction was a series of lengthy discussions as to whether the captain should be allowed to nominate another wild card or whether the player next in line for an automatic place should take over from the injured player.

In 1998 Sophie Gustafson replaced the injured Trish Johnson

Once that dilemma was resolved there were dozens of frantic phone calls made in an attempt to locate Sophie Gustafson.

Then there were problems and doubts concerning whether she would be able to make it over in time, what state would she be in when she arrived and what would she wear in place of the team uniform!

At Loch Lomond two years ago Helen Alfredson fell over and hurt her wrist.

Frantic phone calls were then made to Catriona Mathew but the plot merely thickened.

Mathew was already annoyed at being left out of the team in the first place when she felt her performances on the LPGA tour justified her place on the European team.

She nevertheless bit the bullet and showed up to Loch Lomond ready to play.

The final punch was delivered when - after nine holes of practice play - Mathew was informed by the officials that 'Alfe' was actually fit enough to play and her services would not be needed after all.

Catriona Mathew was called up and then sent home

When we consider that for most players making the Solheim team is the highlight of their careers then even a slim chance of being called to play is reason enough to make a last minute dash across the world.

Or perhaps even swallow their pride at being left out in the first place.

On top of the existing tensions and stresses of this exciting team event the last thing any captain - or team - wants is to have to fuss over finding a replacement player.

But like the losers' ribbons that never get attached to the FA Cup, I feel for the player who travels, gets a glimpse of the glory but never gets to play.