Gainesville (United States) (AFP) – United States golfers split eight matches with holders Europe on Saturday to take a 10-6 lead after day two of the Solheim Cup, leaving the visitors in need of a record Sunday fightback to retain the trophy. US women went 3-1 in both morning foursomes and afternoon four-balls on Friday, then split 2-2 with Europe in each Saturday session at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. As a result, the Americans need only four wins and a draw in Sunday’s 12 closing singles matches to capture the Cup for the first time since 2017.
“No lead is safe in a Solheim Cup,” US captain Stacy Lewis said. “You’ve just got to keep plugging away, keep trying to win more holes.” Europe must win eight singles matches to take the trophy for an unprecedented fourth consecutive time. That means matching the record last-day comeback win from 10-6 down by the 2015 US team. “We’ll never say never, but it’s going to be very difficult to get the Cup back,” said Europe assistant captain Laura Davies. “The Americans have played unbelievable.”
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Spain’s Carlota Ciganda evoked Europe’s 2012 Ryder Cup “Miracle at Medinah” men’s win in saying Europe isn’t done yet. “We have a chance for sure,” she said. “You have 12 points…we can win all of them. That’s what we’re going to try to do. Everyone focus on their match. Why not? The ‘Miracle of Medinah.’ It’s coming.” The hosts will play like it’s level, US standout Megan Khang said. “Tomorrow we’re going in 0-0 and do what we’re meant to do, do our best and put in some work,” Khang said.
US golfers delivered a master-class in clutch shotmaking to shut down European four-ball fightbacks. Alison Lee holed out for eagle from 86 yards in the fairway to win the par-4 second, prompting a shirt-less caddie dance, and Khang eagled 14 off an approach that bounced out of a bunker in the US duo’s 4&3 win over Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and Madelene Sagstrom. “It was completely surreal,” Lee said of her eagle. “Definitely one of the coolest moments of my life.” Khang also halved 11 with a long birdie putt that hung on the left edge for nine seconds before dropping in the hole. “I was like, no way,” Khang said. “Very thankful to have that ball drop within the limit. It was crazy.”
Andrea Lee opened with back-to-back birdies and chipped in from a bunker on one bounce to win 13, while Rose Zhang eagled 14 to beat France’s Celine Boutier and Sweden’s Linn Grant 6&4. “We both played incredible golf. Super solid,” Lee said. “We both made a lot of putts and just had so much fun.” Europe created the first double session split in Cup history when Ciganda and Dane Emily Pedersen beat Ally Ewing and Lexi Thompson 2&1, and England’s Charley Hull and Georgia Hall downed Allisen Corpuz and second-ranked Lilia Vu 2-up. Davies said not winning those matches would have been “almost a nail in the coffin” for Europe hopes.
Top-ranked Nelly Korda, a six-time LPGA winner this year, and Corpuz rallied from 2-down to beat Ciganda and Pedersen 1-up, becoming the first duo with four consecutive foursomes wins. “She said I played great, but she did as well,” Korda said. “We make a really good team.” Korda improved to four wins and a draw from nine matches where she has trailed by two or more holes. “We’ve got world number one and it’s very helpful when she plays well,” Lewis said. Korda, who has never played on a US Cup winner, is 3-0 this week. She won the 10th on a seven-foot birdie putt and took 14 with a 20-foot eagle putt. “Nelly was playing really solid all day,” Corpuz said.
Lauren Coughlin improved to 3-0 to equal the best US rookie start in a 4&3 win with Thompson over Hall and Sweden’s Maja Stark. “It has been incredible,” Coughlin said. “It has been awesome and I’ve been enjoying every minute.” Europe’s foursomes wins saw Boutier and Nordqvist beat Vu and Sarah Schmelzel 4&3, and Germany’s Esther Henseleit and Hull defeat Jennifer Kupcho and Ewing 1-up when Henseleit’s approach at 18 landed inches from the hole.
© 2024 AFP
