Solheim Cup Report: Europe level scores ahead of singles Sunday
Europe were 5-3 down prior to the start of play on Saturday, but they battled back brilliantly on home soil
The scores are level at 8-8 after Europe continued their Solheim Cup comeback going into the Sunday singles.
The European team started the day two points back, but a 3-1 session win in the afternoon fourballs mean it’s all to play for in the final 12 matches.
What happened on day two in Andalucia?
Remember, Europe were 4-0 down after the opening session, having been whitewashed by the Americans.
They fought well on Friday afternoon with a 3-1 win in the fourballs, to halve the deficit. Coming into today, the Europeans needed more, and they did exactly that on the second day of competition.
It was the Americans that put the first point on the board on Saturday morning, as Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz put together an incredible performance, beating Celine Boutier and Georgia Hall 5&3.
Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang also won, downing Anna Nordqvist and Leona Maguire 1-up.
Thankfully for Europe, they were able to tie the morning session. The Swedish duo of Maja Stark and Linn Grant were in the last match of the morning, and they defeated Danielle Kang and Andrea Lee 1-up.
Emily Kristine Pedersen and home favourite Carlota Ciganda led the team out with a 2&1 win over Lilia Vu and Jennifer Kupcho.
Ciganda took her record for the weekend to 3-0-0 with a much-needed victory in the afternoon. Playing alongside Linn Grant for the second afternoon in succession, the pair defeated Danielle Kang and Lilia Vu to tie the contest at 8-8.
Prior to that, Europe had already won two matches. Charley Hull and Leona Maguire dominated the opening match of the session, beating Nelly Korda and Ally Ewing 4&3.
Madelene Sagstrom and Emily Kristine Pedersen paired up again, winning 2&1 against Rose Zhang and Andrea Lee.
The only American pairing to win on Saturday afternoon were Cheyenne Knight and Angel Yin. They won 2-up against Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall, who was making her first appearance of the week.
What has happened to Europe’s superstar partnership?
Prior to this week, the pairing of Celine Boutier and Georgia Hall were undefeated in the Solheim Cup.
They won all three of their matches together at Gleneagles in 2019, and then tied their lone match two years ago.
However, this week it has been a totally different story. They played together twice, and came away from Finca Cortesin with zero points.
On day one, the European duo lost to Danielle Kang and Andrea Lee on the 18th hole. In Saturday’s foursomes, Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz put them to the sword, winning 5&3.
Korda calls game‼️ 🇺🇸
— Solheim Cup Team USA 🇺🇸 (@SolheimCupUSA) September 23, 2023
That's a 5&3 victory for Nelly and Allisen! 👏#SolheimCup2023 pic.twitter.com/b552Uc1qqQ
Foursomes had been their format, with a 2-0-1 record prior to the week, but maybe the Americans have figured them out…?
Suzann Pettersen may have found another star pairing, with Sweden’s Linn Grant and Maja Stark showing out in the morning foursomes session.
What was the best shot of the day?
Not just one, but two shots in this sequence…
The American duo of Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang found themselves over the back of the green on the par-5 8th hole in the morning session.
Thompson, playing in her sixth Solheim Cup, showed her class and experience with a wonderful chip shot, using the contours off the side of the 8th green at Finca Cortesin.
This sequence! 👀
— LPGA (@LPGA) September 23, 2023
What an up-and-down to tie the hole! @megan_khang1023 | @lexi pic.twitter.com/59UVSQTTjV
Khang then stepped up and sank the putt to tie the hole, and they would eventually fight back from being 2-down to winning on the 18th hole against Anna Nordqvist and Leona Maguire.
And the best stat…?
After winning in the fourballs on Friday afternoon, Carlota Ciganda and Linn Grant were paired together again on Saturday afternoon.
They were incredible form from the start. As a pair, they were eight-under-par through the opening eight holes at Finca Cortesin.
On her own card, Grant birdied the first six holes with some incredible golf, but it was matched by the Americans.
The European duo were only 1-up at the turn, thanks to the efforts of Danielle Kang and Lilia Vu.
In the end, the pair won 2&1 to level the scores in what was the last match to finish the day’s play, at 7:40pm CET.
What they said…
“Allisen [Corpuz] and I played really well the past two days. We have bonded really well on the golf course,” Nelly Korda said after winning her morning foursomes match. “We all said in the team room that we had seen at the US Women’s Open. She makes some really clutch putts and she has been a lot of fun to play alongside this past couple of days.”
“It is unbelievable, it is so much fun,” Maja Stark said after winning her morning foursomes match. “Especially getting to get that confidence from Suzann [Pettersen] putting us together, two rookies. There were a lot of nerves yesterday on the first few holes. Getting to play with her [Linn Grant] again was amazing. It was just about letting loose and doing it.”
After winning in the afternoon fourballs, Charley Hull said: “Leona played really well. It was nice to be out there with her today and it was nice to get on the board with a point. We gel and do our own thing. Leona made a lot of birdies out there.”
After seeing her team level the scores, European captain Suzann Pettersen said: “I am out of words. We have to remember that we are not there. There are still 12 points up for grabs tomorrow. We made quite a comeback, now we’re tied. Now we have to go into fifth gear and keep going.”
Saturday’s results
Morning foursomes: Europe 2-2 USA
Emily Kristine Pedersen & Carlota Ciganda beat Lilia Vu & Kennifer Kupcho 2&1
Anna Nordqvist & Leona Maguire lost to Lexi Thompson & Megan Khang 1-up
Georgia Hall & Celine Boutier lost to Nelly Korda & Allisen Corpuz 5&3
Maja Stark & Linn Grant beat Danielle Kang & Andrea Lee 1-up
Afternoon fourballs: Europe 3-1 USA
Charley Hull & Leona Maguire beat Nelly Korda & Ally Ewing 4&3
Anna Nordqvist & Caroline Hedwall lost to Cheyenne Knight & Angel Yin 2-up
Madelene Sagstrom & Emily Kristine Pedersen beat Rose Zhang & Andrea Lee 2&1
Carlota Ciganda & Linn Grant beat Danielle Kang & Lilia Vu 2&1
Day 2 Score: Europe 5-3 USA
Score: Europe 8-8 USA
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about the Solheim Cup
READ MORE: Solheim Cup Day One Report: Europe fight back after US dominate foursomes
READ MORE: Stacy Lewis rues ‘massive missed opportunity’ in Solheim Cup build-up
Matt Coles
Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…
Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.
He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.
Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…
Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.
