In this year’s Solheim Cup, Team USA has laid an impressive groundwork to secure their first victory in seven years, succeeding in achieving a 10-6 lead over the currently holding European Team in Gainesville, Virginia. After a balanced score in both the morning foursomes and the afternoon fourball rounds at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, Team USA retains a promising position. The challenging task for the Europeans would be to launch a record-breaking comeback to seize the cup for an unprecedented fourth time in a row.
Leona Maguire of Ireland is set to go against Ally Ewing in the singles match, marking her second round in this year’s tournament, after not participating in Friday’s foursomes and the foursomes and fourball sessions on Saturday. This game is slated to commence at 3:30 pm, Irish time.
In the realm of Solheim Cup history, the most significant margin that a trailing team managed to overturn during the last set of 12 singles matches stands at four points. Notably, this was achieved by the US in 2015, where they clinched the trophy by a point against Europe, despite a 10-6 deficit ahead of the singles matches.
US captain, Stacy Lewis, acknowledged improved European play, but stressed her team’s satisfaction with the maintained lead. She further emphasised their strategy to secure the maximum points at the earliest opportunity to secure the cup.
The US team had entered the fourball round with an 8-4 lead. The initial point of the afternoon was scored with a 6&4 victory attained by Rose Zhang and Andrea Lee over Europeans Linn Grant and Celine Boutier. Lee further increased their early lead by chipping in from a greenside bunker at the par-four 13th, and Zhang sealed the win with an eagle at 14.
Shortly thereafter, an additional US point was won by Alison Lee and Megan Khang with a 4&3 triumph over Anna Nordqvist and Madelene Sagstrom from Sweden. In a fun turn of events, a pre-agreed celebration saw the caddies for Lee and Khang shedding their shirts following Lee’s eagle at the par-four second, giving the US an early advantage in the match.
Despite Europe’s persistence, a 2&1 victory by Emily Pedersen and Carlota Ciganda against Ally Ewing and Lexi Thompson slightly narrowed the gap before Charley Hull and Georgia Hall clinched a point following their 2-up triumph against Allisen Corpuz and Lilia Vu. In the morning rounds, the home team was behind in three out of four games at one stage, with Europe appearing set to strike, yet a late rally by the US resulted in a balanced score.
Lauren Coughlin emerged as the third fresh face in the American Solheim Cup team to win each of her inaugural three games, as she, partnered with Thompson, defeated Maja Stark and England’s Hall 4&3, earning the first point of the day. Shortly thereafter, Europe retaliated with Nordqvist and Boutier overcoming Vu and Sarah Schmelzel 4&3 in a clash dominated by the visitors from the outset.
While Nelly Korda and Corpuz found themselves facing a 2-down shortfall at the halfway point, the American pair secured a slim 1-up win over Pedersen and Ciganda, marking the first time in Solheim Cup history a team claimed four successive foursomes victories. Corpuz proclaimed that playing alongside Nelly often entails a belief that things would eventually improve, highlighting the importance of patience and consistent performance.
Europe’s Esther Henseleit and Hull had established a 3-up lead after eight holes, but fumbled this advantage and were compelled to earn the final birdie to confirm a 1-up victory against Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho.