Team Europe entered Day 2 hungry and Team USA went with the 0-0 mentality, meaning they needed to put some points on the board today and keep yesterday’s success in the past.
While Team USA kept most of the pairings the same today, Team Europe made some noticeable changes. Leona Maguire, who played every match in her first two Solheim Cup appearances was taken out of the lineup today due to not playing in top form. According to Team Europe’s Captain Suzann Pettersen, “Her game isn’t maybe right where she wants it to be, which at the end of the day you’ve got to play form.”
The only unchanged pairing going into the Saturday Foursomes for Team Europe was Charley Hull and Esther Henseleit, though they went in the second tee time today. The only pairing Team USA changed was subbing Lexi Thompson in for Rose Zhang to play with Lauren Coughlin in the Foursomes.
Saturday Foursomes Recap
Today’s matches were a little more equitable in point distributions among the two teams than they were yesterday.
Match 1: Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz (USA) vs. Emily Kristine Pedersen and Carlota Ciganda (EUR)
Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz continued to make history today, winning their fourth alternate match in a row and going undefeated together in the last two Solheim Cups.
However, it wasn’t a done deal. Team Europe maintained their lead – fluctuating between one and two up – through 12 holes. Team USA tied it up on Hole #13 and then Corpuz hit the shot seen around the world on Hole #14. Fans said her wood into the par-5 green barely went 10 feet in the area; but her shot rolled to the right back of the green and left Korda with a 12-foot putt for eagle. It was a nice reminder that professional golfers are humans, too.
Korda holed out the putt to go one up, but Team Europe won the next hole to get back to all square. Korda and Corpuz then went on to birdie Hole #17 to go one up and then matched par for par on 18 to win the match 1 up.
Match 2: Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho (USA) vs. Charley Hull and Esther Henseleit (EUR)
Last night, U.S. Captain Stacy Lewis said putting Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho back on the course again was more of an instinctual decision than a data-driven one, which is very unlike her. However, they were more in sync today, and while Charley Hull and Esther Henseleit maintained their lead through Hole #16, Team USA did go into Hole #18 tied thanks to an incredible shot by and an adrenaline-powered shot by Hull that went over the green into a playable, yet grassy, hazard. Kupcho hit the ball close, and after an attempt to whole out, Team Europe conceded the hole.
On Hole #18, a nice drive by Hull and an incredible approach by Henseleit to one foot guaranteed the match point for Team Europe, who officially won 1 up.
Match 3: Lexi Thompson and Lauren Coughlin (USA) vs. Maja Stark and Georgia Hall (EUR)
Let’s just say Lauren Coughlin is 3-0-0 as a rookie after today’s match. Team USA started strong and only got hotter as the day went on, winning 4&3. Despite some good putts by Georgia Hall and Maja Stark, they weren’t enough to make a dent in Team USA’s lead.
Match 4: Lilia Vu and Sarah Schmelzel (USA) vs. Anna Nordqvist and Celine Boutier (EUR)
After Lilia Vu and Sarah Schmelzel’s dominating performance yesterday, it felt like a no-brainer to include the winning pair in today’s lineup. However, today they just weren’t in sync.
Anna Nordqvist and Celine Boutier started with three consecutive wins and made it up to 6 up in the match. Team USA made some progress – like Schmelzel driving the ball to 8 feet on Hole #10, a par 4, and Vu making the eagle put – but it wasn’t enough to keep them in the match. Team Europe ultimately ended up winning 4&3.
The leaderboard at this point of the day was 8-4, with Team USA in the lead.
Saturday Four-Ball Recap
Match 1: Alison Lee and Megan Khang (USA) vs. Anna Nordqvist and Madelene Sagstrom (EUR)
Coming into the match, Anna Nordqvist had been the hottest player on the European side. Despite Nordqvist’s form, it only took until the second hole for Alison Lee and Megan Khang to steal the show. With a wedge in hand, Alison Lee holed out from the fairway for eagle to win the hole. In the ensuing seconds, Lee and Khang’s caddies ripped off their shirts in celebration. After taking the lead, the duo would not give it up, defeating the Europeans 4&3.
Match 2: Andrea Lee and Rose Zhang (USA) vs. Linn Grant and Celine Boutier (EUR)
The Stanford Cardinal pairing of Andrea Lee and Rose Zhang delivered again this afternoon winning 6&4 against Linn Grant and Celine Boutier. Zhang and Lee’s dominant performance included some incredible moments including a hole out from the greenside bunker and a close-out eagle putt from Zhang on the 14th green.
Match 3: Ally Ewing and Lexi Thompson (USA) vs. Carlota Ciganda and Emily Kristine Pedersen (USA)
Carlota Ciganda and Emily Kristine Pedersen battled their way to a 2 & 1 victory over Ally Ewing and Lexi Thompson. The European side was in desperate need of a victory late Saturday afternoon and veteran Ciganda helped deliver with several clutch putts throughout the round. The U.S. side had an opportunity to win the 14th hole and even the match; however, two missed short birdie putts put an end to their momentum.
Match 4: Allisen Corpuz and Lilia Vu (USA) vs. Charley Hull and Georgia Hall (EUR)
After a clutch birdie putt by Allisen Corpuz on the 17th hole, this match became the first of the afternoon to reach the 18th hole. Despite the late push by Corpuz and Lilia Vu, the Hull/Hall duo was able to get one point on the board heading into Sunday. Hull is one of two players to play all five possible matches, and her fourth of the week was her most impressive so far. We will see if Team Europe can carry the momentum from their late victory into tomorrow morning.
Going into the final day, the leaderboard shows 10-6, Team USA. The first team to reach 14.5 points tomorrow wins the Solheim Cup.
