GAINESVILLE, Va. – Within the moments after the Individuals closed out two fourball routs on Saturday afternoon to push their Solheim Cup result in 10-4, European vice captain Laura Davies was blunt in a mid-session interview.
Requested by an NBC reporter how essential successful the remaining two matches had been, Davis responded, “We’re in deep trouble anyway, clearly, however that may virtually be a nail within the coffin.”
The U.S. hasn’t struck the nail but, however the hammer is in movement.
Europe held on to separate a second straight session, 2-2, however trailing 10-6, the guests might want to a record-matching comeback to retain the Solheim Cup.
The excellent news is that Europe prevented a five-point deficit after workforce play. 4 occasions earlier than had a workforce led by 5 with simply singles to play, and all 4 occasions that facet went on to win. 4-point benefits, in the meantime, have been erased twice, the primary time in 2015 when the Individuals stormed again to win by some extent in Germany, and most not too long ago final 12 months, when Europe rallied to retain in Spain.
Carlota Ciganda mentioned in the case of Sunday’s 12 singles matches, Europe “can win all of them.”
“Why not?” Ciganda added, earlier than referencing the historic 2012 Ryder Cup comeback win by Europe. “Medinah. The Miracle at Medinah. It’s coming.”
However what else is she going to say? The chances, in fact, are nonetheless firmly within the Individuals’ favor, particularly contemplating Saturday afternoon’s session didn’t embrace 3-0 gamers Nelly Korda and Lauren Coughlin, who had been each resting for U.S. captain Stacy Lewis.
Right here’s how Saturday afternoon’s fourballs unfolded:
Alison Lee/Megan Khang (U.S.) def. Anna Nordqvist/Madelene Sagstrom (Europe), 4 and three
The primary of two convincing victories for the U.S. on Saturday afternoon, and the Individuals couldn’t have gotten up on this one in a lot better style. Lee holed out from 86 yards for eagle on the par-4 second gap, a shot that ignited the American crowd and sparked the 2 U.S. caddies to take their shirts off in celebration.
Lee made an eagle on the second gap and each caddies on the U.S. facet went loopy.
Khang’s birdie on the par-4 seventh and Lee’s birdie on the par-5 eighth constructed the American result in 3 up. And after shedding the ninth gap, the U.S. acquired a lucky tie on the par-3 eleventh gap, the place Khang’s lengthy birdie roll held on the lip for a couple of seconds earlier than falling in.
The thrill continued 4 holes later, when Khang barely acquired her second shot onto the inexperienced on the par-5 14th after which rolled in an eagle putt that elevated the lead again to three up.
With Sagstrom out of the fifteenth gap, Nordqvist couldn’t get an extended par putt to fall. She then conceded a birdie to Khang, which closed out the match.
Andrea Lee/Rose Zhang (U.S.) def. Linn Grant/Celine Boutier (Europe), 6 and 4
Lee grabbed maintain of this one early together with her putter, sinking a 35-footer for birdie to win the primary gap. She birdied the subsequent, too, to construct a 2-up lead for the Individuals, and her tight strategy on the par-4 seventh helped keep a 1-up lead.
Zhang then birdied Nos. 8, 10 and 11 to increase the U.S. benefit to 4 up, and Lee added one other gap win by dunking her bunker shot for birdie on the par-4 thirteenth.
With a 5-up lead on the par-5 14th inexperienced, Zhang had two putts from 10 toes to shut out the match. And she or he solely wanted one, dropping it for eagle.
Zhang and Lee shot a mixed 20 beneath in 28 fourball holes and didn’t attain the fifteenth gap in both of their fourball matches, each wins, as every stayed excellent – Zhang 3-0 and Lee 2-0.
Carlota Ciganda/Emily Pedersen (Europe) def. Ally Ewing/Lexi Thompson (U.S.), 2 and 1
The U.S. duo received every of the primary two holes with birdie earlier than Ciganda birdied the third to get one again. Thompson chipped in to tie the par-4 sixth gap with birdie, although Ciganda once more birdied, this time on the par-4 seventh, to tie the match.
Ciganda clutched up once more on the par-4 thirteenth by hooping a 35-footer for birdie to place her facet 1 up. And regardless of lipping out a birdie roll on the par-5 14th, Ciganda watched as each Individuals whiffed on makable birdie putts from related spots.
After Pederson drained a 15-footer to win No. 16, Thompson made a shorty on the subsequent to chop the Euros’ lead in half. Although any considered a late comeback was short-lived, because the guests closed the match out on a conceded Pedersen birdie following a decent strategy by the Dane on the par-4 seventeenth.
Charley Hull/Georgia Corridor (Europe) def. Allisen Corpuz/Lilia Vu (U.S.), 2 up
Neither facet recorded a bogey via 9 holes, a span through which Europe twice led 1 up. Hull rolled in a birdie at No. 10 to kick off the again 9 with one other 1-up benefit.
Hull eagled the twelfth gap from 10 toes to double the lead, and she or he then sank an important par save from 5 toes on the par-3 sixteenth to clinch at the least a half-point.
With Europe main 2 up late, Hull narrowly prevented the sand together with her strategy into the seventeenth inexperienced, her ball ending up a couple of toes away. However Corpuz stored the U.S. alive with an 18-foot birdie whereas Hull, after a sizzling placing spherical, missed a downhiller from 5 toes.
However each Europeans hit good strategy pictures on the final and had been conceded birdie after each Individuals missed their lengthy birdie appears to be like.
