After the weekend heroics it all comes down to the singles at Inverness Golf Club in the Solheim Cup today with 12 points up for grabs, of which Europe need five to reach the magic 14 and retain the Cup.
Ireland’s Leona Maguire has undoubtedly been the star performer, drawing praise from every corner including the legendary Dottie Pepper, who played in six Solheim Cups in succession from 1990 to 2000 and cannot stop talking about the Irish golfer
“I can’t tell how good this girl is”, said Pepper commentating on SKY Golf. “It’s been quite a sensation this week for the rookie. It is clear rookie Maguire didn’t read the script”.
Europe heads into day four leading by two points 9 – 7 after Maguire and Reid claimed a hard-fought half point against Kupcho & Salas on Sunday evening with Reid finding birdie on the 18th. From 136 yards out, she put it a few feet from the pin, tying the match. The half point was “huge,” said the 33-year-old.
“I didn’t have my best stuff today. I think they were obviously two great players and they played perfect four-ball. If one was out, one was making a look at birdie,” said Reid.
“Leona, again, played great, putted fantastic, kept us in the match, and then I just saw kind of a wave of yellow and blue, which was all our team, and I knew I had to pull something off. Leona has been obviously holing the winning putts everywhere, so I thought I’d take a little bit of credit finally.”
And the veteran Salas only had positive things to say about her rookie partner as well. “I feel like the MVP of our team is this one right here,” she said, hugging Kupcho on the 18th green. “She played, again, amazing golf today. I did my part the first like six holes, and obviously we would have wanted a full point, but Europe is a tough competitor. She played amazing, and I’ll figure my game out by tomorrow.”
So it will be a battle of the rookie stars in match #3 as Maguire and Kupcho face off with Europe looking to become only the second European Team since 2013 to win the Solheim Cup on US soil.
MONDAY SINGLES PAIRINGS (all times Eastern)
12:05 p.m. – Anna Nordqvist (EUR) vs. Lexi Thompson (USA)
12:15 p.m. – Madelene Sagstrom (EUR) vs. Ally Ewing (USA)
12:25 p.m. – Leona Maguire (EUR) vs. Jennifer Kupcho (USA)
12:35 p.m. – Georgia Hall (EUR) vs. Nelly Korda (USA)
12:45 p.m. – Celine Boutier (EUR) vs. Mina Harigae (USA)
12:55 p.m. – Nanna Koerstz Madsen (EUR) vs. Austin Ernst (USA)
1:05 p.m. – Matilda Castren (EUR) vs. Lizette Salas (USA)
1:15 p.m. – Carlota Ciganda (EUR) vs. Brittany Altomare (USA)
1:25 p.m. – Sophia Popov (EUR) vs. Megan Khang (USA)
1:35 p.m. – Mel Reid (EUR) vs. Yealimi Noh (USA)
1:45 p.m. – Charley Hull (EUR) vs. Jessica Korda (USA)
1:55 p.m. – Emily K. Pedersen (EUR) vs. Danielle Kang (USA)
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