Gainesville (United States) (AFP) – Top-ranked Nelly Korda won two matches in historic fashion to lift the United States ahead of Europe by a record-tying 6-2 margin after Friday’s opening day of the Solheim Cup. The Americans grabbed a 3-1 lead in morning foursomes and took afternoon four-balls 3-1 as well at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, equalling the 1990 US team for the biggest lead after eight matches.
“It has been a very good day,” US captain Stacy Lewis said. “Things played out the way we were hoping. The girls just played some unbelievable golf.” Korda and Allisen Corpuz won their last three holes to defeat Germany’s Esther Henseleit, the Paris Olympic runner-up, and England’s Charley Hull 3&2 in foursomes. “What I like to see more than anything is the energy she came out with,” Lewis said of Korda. “The golf comes from that.”
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Korda also sank the clinching six-foot eagle putt to give her and Megan Khang a 6&4 four-balls triumph over England’s Georgia Hall and Ireland’s Leona Maguire, who were an unbeaten pair in the format. “I hit some solid putts in the morning,” Korda said. “But getting out here in the morning, I saw the green speed and how they were breaking. Obviously that was beneficial for the afternoon.”
Korda became the first US golfer to win twice on day one by at least three holes, a feat done only by Swede Carin Koch in 2002 and current Europe captain Suzann Pettersen in 2003. “I guess we have a massive job ahead of us,” Pettersen said. “We’ve done it before. We can do it again. It’s going to take a massive effort, but I know we can do it.”
Korda’s duos won eight holes in each match, her 16 total the most by any player on one day since 2015. Korda won all eight par-5 holes she played Friday. “It’s awesome to have a front row seat to see some of the putts Nelly has been making,” Khang said. US women have not won since 2017. Europe hope to lift the Cup for an unprecedented fourth consecutive time.
“The US came out really strong today, which we really expected, but there’s a lot of golf left,” Swede Anna Nordqvist said. “You’ve just got to keep doing your best. One or two putts can make a whole lot of difference.” Former US president Barack Obama cheered Korda and Khang at the first tee. “He just told us go kick some butt,” Khang said.
Korda, a six-time LPGA winner this season, birdied to win the third, fifth, and sixth holes. Khang won seven and eight with birdies for a 5-up edge. Korda won the 10th with a tap-in birdie and par-5 12th with a tap-in eagle before her winning eagle at 14. In other US four-ball triumphs, Rose Zhang and Andrea Lee took five of the last six holes with three birdies and two eagles in beating Hull and Swede Linn Grant 5&4, and rookies Lauren Coughlin and Sarah Schmelzel defeated Sweden’s Maja Stark and Dane Emily Pedersen 3&2.
Nordqvist and compatriot Madelene Sagstrom routed Lexi Thompson and Alison Lee 6&5, taking the last six holes with five birdies and an eagle. US women lead the all-time rivalry 10-7 with one drawn after a 14-14 deadlock last year in Spain.
– ‘Silent assassins’ – Korda and Corpuz became the first US duo to win three foursomes matches in a row after two last year. “We just vibe really well,” Korda said. “When one of us didn’t hit it well we really relied on each other and we kept calm out there.” Zhang dubbed Korda and Corpuz “silent assassins” as they took command on the back nine.
Corpuz sank a par putt to win 14, Hull missed a short par putt to drop 15, and Corpuz made a four-foot birdie putt at 16 to seal victory. “It’s exciting to go out there and put up that first point,” Corpuz said. There were 3&2 US foursomes wins by second-ranked Lilia Vu and Schmelzel over Grant and Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, plus Zhang and Coughlin over France’s Celine Boutier and Swiss rookie Albane Valenzuela. Europe’s lone foursomes triumph saw Stark and Pedersen win four of the first five holes then hold off Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho 2-up.
© 2024 AFP
