Leona Maguire wasn’t selected for the opening foursomes session, meaning that her record of playing in every possible Solheim Cup match comes to an end, but she’ll need to be at her inspirational best when she teams with Georgia Hall in the afternoon fourballs after the United States won three of the first four matches to lead 3-1.
Maguire and Hall will square off against world number one Nelly Korda and Megan Khang in the lead out match of the afternoon session, with the other two Europeans to sit the opening session, Anna Nordqvist and Madelene Sagstrom, taking on Lexi Thompson and Alison Lee who also had the morning off.
Emily Pedersen and Maja Stark, the only Europeans to get a point on the board in the morning, are out again in match number three against Lauren Coughlin and Sarah Schmelzel, with Linn Grant and Charley Hull taking on Andrea Lee and Rose Zhang.
US captain Stacy Lewis sent out world number one Korda alongside 2023 U.S. Women’s Open champion Allisen Corpuz in the lead out match and they faced German rookie Esther Henseleit and England’s Hull.
The match swung both ways, but was all-square after 13 holes, but a clutch par save by Corpuz on the par-5 14th after both sides found the water on approach nudged the Americans in front again and they’d go on to win three holes on the bounce to secure a 3&2 victory and put the first red point on the board.
There weren’t quite as many twists and turns in match number two, but twice Rose Zhang and Lauren Coughlin took the lead and both times Celine Boutier and Albane Valenzuela reeled them back in on the following hole. But when the American duo took a third lead on the 12th, this time they kept the pedal to the floor and won the next two holes to go 3UP with four to play, closing the match out 3&2 on the par-3 16th.
With two American points on the board, the third match was taking on additional importance as Scandinavian duo Emily Pedersen and Maja Stark came racing from the traps to go 4Up through five on Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho. Despite twice reducing the deficit to three, the Americans found themselves 4DOWN again on the 14th tee but began to crank up the pressure and Pedersen in particular was feeling the heat.
4DOWN became, 3, 2 and 1 in rapid succession and Europe took a 1UP advantage to the 18th tee. Having been clearly rattled on the greens, Pedersen redeemed herself with a pinpoint approach to the last, forcing Kupcho to have to hole from 25 feet and as her putt slid by, conceded giving Europe a 2UP victory and their first point.
The final match saw rookie Sarah Schmelzel and world number two Lilia Vu take on Carlota Ciganda and Linn Grant. Again, the Americans never trailed and won back-to-back holes on 12 and 13 to take a 3UP lead. A European victory on 14 kept their slim hopes alive, but a sublime tee shot from Schmelzel on 16 left Vu a three-footer for birdie and the match and she made no mistake, getting the third point on the board with another 3&2 victory before match number three had come to its conclusion.
It’s not all doom and gloom for Europe who will no doubt be reminded that they lost all four matches in the opening session at Finca Cortesin last year, but bounced back to win three of the four available points in the afternoon.
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