It was a morning to remember for the U.S. Team in Spain as they hold a 4-0 lead at the conclusion of the end of the session.
The 2023 Solheim Cup began with a session of foursomes, and it was the Americans who came out on top winning all four matches.
It’s the first time that the Americans have ever led 4-0 at the end of the first session, the feat was achieved by the Europeans at the 2000 Solheim Cup.
Lexi Thompson/Megan Khang def. Maja Stark/Linn Grant 2&1
In the opening match of the 2023 Solheim Cup, the American duo got off to a hot start against the Swedish rookies and ended up being 3 Up after the first three holes. Thompson and Khang combining well as the sun rose in Spain with Team Europe unable to capitalise on any chances.
It took until the sixth hole for the Europeans to win a hole, but when they did the celebrations and cheering began and they soon began to claw the match back. Slowly but surely Grant and Stark grew into the game, and it ended up all square at the 13th hole.
But it was the pair from the United States who took the lead again on 15 thanks to a long putt by Thompson and despite Team Europe keeping themselves in the match, they were unable to earn a point as the U.S. Team secured a 2&1 victory.
Thompson said: “Honestly, we both just played really solid golf on both sides. Megan had so many amazing iron shots and gave me looks for birdies, and I just tried to get her down there as far as I could. Our personalities just worked.
“It means a lot to me, first off, to just be able to hit the first tee shot out there. I kind of live through this tournament. It’s my favourite one of all time. I love representing my country and to be alongside my partner and my team and playing under Stacy, it’s incredible.”
Danielle Kang/Andrea Lee def. Celine Boutier/Georgia Hall 1 Up
A tense match two saw the dynamic duo from 2019 and 2021 Celine Boutier and Georgia Hall take on Danielle Kang and rookie Andrea Lee in a battle which went right down to the final hole. The U.S. took the lead with a birdie on the opening hole, the contest came alive from the fifth hole as back-to-back birdies moved Europe into the lead.
Kang and Lee responded with a birdie of their own to tie the scores, only for Boutier to roll one in on the par-5 eighth to take back the lead. Feeding off the away support, the American duo birdied the next hole to square the match before a rare bogey on the 10th from the Europeans – their only one of the morning – handed their opponents the lead again.
Onto to the stunning par-3 12th, and Boutier rolled in a beauty to follow up Hall’s dart and square the match for a fifth time. With Kang back to her best and feeding of the away support, she rolled in a monster birdie putt on the 13th only for Boutier to hole out from 10-feet to halve the hole.
The par-3 17th then proved the turning point as Kang rolled in another birdie to give her side the lead with one hole remaining. Despite Hall getting inside Lee with her third into the 18th, Boutier missed her birdie attempt as the Americans claimed another point.
Lee said: “It was a close match all day. I knew it was going to come down to the stretch. Danielle hit a great shot on 17, and we had a 10-foot left-to-right putt. I don’t think my heart ever pumped that fast before in my life.”
Kang added: “Honestly, I’m just so proud of her. It’s been her first showing, first Solheim Cup match, and she held it together. I know she was saying that she was nervous, but she was hitting shots, she was stiffing it all day giving me birdie chances, and when I put her in a tough spot, she still left me alive. I told her, I got it, I’ll clean it up, and it’s been really, really fun and enjoyable.”
Nelly Korda/Allisen Corpuz def. Leona Maguire/Anna Nordqvist 1 Up
It was quite the start for the third match of the morning with Team Europe going 1 Up after the first hole when Nelly Korda went for the green but ended up with the ball in the water. However, it was soon back to all square with the U.S. Team fighting back.
A topsy turvy affair was ahead with the Americans going ahead but never too far as Maguire and Nordqvist kept in touch throughout, but in the end, it was the was opposition who sealed their final point of the morning to close out a clean sweep for the side in red.
“Nelly put me in great spots all day long, so it just felt really good to get the job done,” said Corpuz. “Just knowing that I am playing for the team and not just myself. There’s that added pressure. Just having her there, it’s so much fun.
“Everyone said the first tee was going to be nuts, and then I walked out there and it was somehow even crazier than I expected. I had a ton of fun with Nelly out there this morning. The team chemistry’s been great all week and I think just knowing that she’s a veteran and she’s such a great player just definitely gave me a lot of confidence.”
Korda added: “Leona is a very tough competitor. I think playing against her in Solheim Cup or any matchplay event head-to-head, she brings a lot of fire to the table. I’m happy that we got the W, that Allisen made the putt that I left her on 18, and that we have a lot of red on the board.”
Ally Ewing/Cheyenne Knight def. Charley Hull/Emily Kristine Pedersen 5&4
Another pair who got off to an incredibly good start was that of Ally Ewing and Cheyenne Knight, as once they had built a lead they never looked back. The duo were 6 Up through nine holes against Charley Hull and Emily Kristine Pedersen.
But the Europeans fought back on the back nine, winning the 10th hole and were able to keep the match going until the 14th hole. It was left to Knight, a rookie on the U.S. Team, to hole the winning point and seal the first point of the morning.
Speaking about her first experience of the Solheim Cup, Knight said: “I’ve never experienced fans like this before, and just that first tee and everyone yelling, ‘Go USA or Go Europe’, it was so great. Even the Europe people are yelling. I’ve never seen anything like that too, so I was just taking it all in.
“We know we’re going to be in for a dog fight. Team Europe’s really stacked. Honestly, I think it kind of set the tone with Lexi going out first. A lot of people have doubted her, and I hope that she pulls out the point today, and I saw they got off to a really great start. But I think we are the underdogs and we’ve got everything to gain and nothing to lose and we are here to kind of shock some people.”
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