USA closes in on first Solheim Cup win in 7 years after Saturday’s split

Team Europe did what they could on Saturday in the game Solheim Cupsplitting both morning fours and afternoon fours 4-4. But on Sunday, the Solheim Cup will lose Team USA.

A split in both sessions means the Americans go into the final day of competition in Robert Trent Jones Golf Club with a 10-6 lead over the visiting Europeans. In order to at least retain the cup for a second straight year, the Europeans would have to mount the biggest comeback ever at the event, when the Americans came back from 10-6 down in 2015.

The USA even managed to drag out the final match of the day, Allisen Corpuz and Lillia Vu against Charley Hull and Georgia Hall, until the 18th hole, despite Hull and Hall walking away with the win for the Europeans to retain the matches. within the possibilities.

“This was a great day for us,” said USA captain Stacy Lewis. “I think it’s difficult, it’s like when you go shoot 62, how do you come back the next day. We had such a wonderful day yesterday. It would be difficult. The Europeans played a lot better today, and it showed, but really, very happy with the day and to keep the same lead.”

While the USA didn’t quite blow their lead after a strong opening day showing, it wasn’t for lack of excitement. In the morning session, Nelly Korda and Corpuz continued their dominance of Solheim Cup play, notching their fourth straight win as a pair, the most of all time. They were trailed by Emily Pedersen and Carlota Ciganda for most of the match until the 14th, when Corpuz’s two over the edge of a pond and Korda sank the follow-up putt for eagle to take their first lead.

For Team Europe Hull and rookie Esther Henseleit also came away with a 1 Up win, losing a one time 3 Up lead to Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho on the 17th hole with a double bogey only to get it back with a birdie 18.

Then in the afternoon, Alison Lee and Megan Khang started their match with Anna Nordqvist and Madelene Sagstrom when Lee’s second on the second hole found the bottom of the cup, resulting in a wild celebration during which their corpses both tore their shirts.

“It was completely surreal, definitely one of the best moments of my life, of my career,” Lee said. “I got to have one of my best friends there with me and some great corpses, and we celebrated the way we wanted to. We had a lot of fun.”

Khang birdied the 14th to essentially put the match out of reach for the Swedes. She has been a plug all week for the Americans, to the point where she already had a horse voice by the end of Saturday.

“I had a little too much fun. “I guess you can never have too much fun on this team,” she joked. “We’re here having a good time and embracing the fans here.”

The pair went on to win 4 and 3, but that wasn’t even the biggest American win of the day.

That honor went to Rose Zhang and Andrea Lee, who ended their match against Linn Grant and Celine Boutier on the 14th hole when Zhang nailed a hybrid to 10 feet and made an eagle putt for a 6-and-4 victory.

The final two games of the afternoon both went European as Ciganda and Pedersen closed out Ewing and Lexi Thompson on 17, while Hull and Hall went the distance against Vu and Corpuz as Corpuz held a long birdie putt on 17 to keep the match alive.

Even with the late points, European co-captain Laura Davies was painting a bleak picture for Sunday.

“The Americans have played unbelievable,” she said just before the final two games ended. “I don’t know how many eagles they had. It looks like there were two figures. They’ve just played great golf. It took us out for now. Deep squad of players. We will never say never, but it will be very, very difficult to get the Cup back.”

But Ciganda, the hero of Europe’s title defense in a 14-14 draw last year in her home country of Spain, was more optimistic.

“I think we have a chance for sure. You have 12 points. I don’t know what the final result will be, but 12 points, we can win it all. That’s what we will try to do, everyone will focus on their match, and why not? she said before alluding to a famous European Ryder Cup win. “Medina, the ‘Miracle of Medina’, is coming.”

Ciganda was referring to the 2012 Ryder Cup matches held in Medinah, outside of Chicago. There, the Europeans faced a similar 10-6 deficit to the Americans and stormed back on the final day to win 8½ singles points and win the Cup, the largest comeback by a visiting team in the event’s history.

Gypsy and European women will have the chance to face off that Sunday, but they have their work cut out for them.

Jack Hirsch

Editor of Golf.com

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A native of Pennsylvania, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also *tries* to remain competitive in the local amateurs. Prior to joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a television station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a multimedia journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.