There was a European renaissance in the afternoon fourball matches with the U.S. Team leading by two at the end of the first day of the 2023 Solheim Cup.
After being up 4-0 from the morning foursomes, Europe had plenty of work to do in the afternoon, but they got to work.
In the end, Team Europe secured victory in two of the matches with the other two being halved for the U.S. to lead by 5-3.
Rose Zhang/Megan Khang tied with Gemma Dryburgh/Madelene Sagström
The United States held the lead from the jump, going 1-up after the first hole. It stayed a 1-up USA advantage through three before Madelene Sagström birdied number four deadlocking the match for another hole.
Then, Rose Zhang birdied number five just to find the match tied once again after another European birdie on six. Megan Khang put the Americans back in the lead, where it stayed until being knotted up after 12.
The Europeans took their first lead of the match thanks to another Sagström birdie but quickly found themselves tied again after 15. Gemma Dryburgh looked to give Europe the edge again after holing out from the fairway on 16, but Zhang sunk a clutch birdie putt to keep the match dormy. A round of pars on 18 kept the score that way, securing a half point for each squad.
“Halves are huge. I think from past Solheims, you forget how important halves are,” said Khang when asked about how important the half-point was for the team.
“But, you know, obviously we’d love to get a full point, but Madelene and Gemma played really well and it was a fun match, honestly. Shots were exchanged, a couple tap-ins here and there from both teams, and again, both clutch putts from both, like, Gemma, Madelene, and everyone in the group.”
Leona Maguire/Georgia Hall def. Lexi Thompson/Lilia Vu 1 Up
After losing each of their foursomes matches this morning, Georgia Hall and Leona Maguire took the Solheim Cup stage again, this time paired together for fourball. The duo stayed even with Americans Lexi Thompson and Solheim Cup rookie Lilia Vu through the first three holes.
Hall birdied hole number four, giving Europe the 1-up lead for the next nine holes. On 14, Thompson drove the green on the short par 4 and sunk an eagle putt to knot the match. Not for long, though, as the Europeans once again reclaimed the lead and held it for numbers 15 and 16 before Vu birdied hole 17, tying it up just before the final hole.
Coming down to the wire, Maguire chipped in for an impressive birdie and the Americans could not match it, giving Europe their first full point of the event.
“I think our games complement each other really well,” Hall said about why her and Maguire make good partners. “Leona’s short game, as you saw, is phenomenal. I think having a short iron into some holes that gives us maybe a bit more of an aggressive play. But we get on really well, and I think we know each other’s games pretty good. Yeah, it’s nice to be undefeated.”
Jennifer Kupcho/Allisen Corpuz tied with Emily Pedersen/Maja Stark
The U.S. Team took the early 1-up lead thanks to a birdie from Jennifer Kupcho. Her and partner Allisen Corpuz stayed comfortably in the lead through five of the first six holes until Maja Stark tied the match with a birdie on number seven.
America reclaimed the lead on eight and held it for the next three holes until Emily Kristine Pedersen aced hole No. 12, using her 7-iron to earn just the second hole-in-one in Solheim Cup history and first since Vice Captain Anna Nordqvist made one in 2013.
The celebration did not last long with Kupcho adding another birdie on 13, giving the U.S. the lead through 15 where Europe tied it up once again. After an even 17, the teams took to 18 with the match on the line. Corpuz applied the pressure, sinking a birdie putt to give America the chance before Stark stared down a birdie putt of her own, sinking it and halving the match.
“Yeah, I mean, I made a lot of birdies. She made a lot of birdies. They made a couple of really good shots holing out. So it was a good match. We played really well,” said Kupcho of the match.
Carlota Ciganda/Linn Grant def. Angel Yin/Ally Ewing 4&2
In front of her home crowd, Spaniard Carlota Ciganda and her fourball partner Linn Grant earned a decisive win over Angel Yin and Ally Ewing. Ciganda birdied hole one, giving the Europeans their first lead of the day.
That lead gradually grew as the matches went on, thanks to low scores by Ciganda and Grant on number four, which pushed the lead to two. Yin birdied six, bringing the lead within one.
It would stay that way for the next four holes until a Grant birdie on 11 and another Ciganda birdie on 14 put the Europeans 3-up. They finished 4&2 thanks to a pair of birdies on 16, giving Europe their second full point of the day.
“I was just embracing it and having fun. I think the atmosphere on the first hole, it’s amazing. I’m so happy that we get to play here in Spain. It’s very special for me. I think, yeah, we played great. I feel very comfortable with Linn. She’s an amazing player. I really like how she is on the course and I think that we played a really good four-ball and we were in control all the time. Hopefully, we can keep it the same tomorrow,” said Ciganda.
Follow all the action on @LETGolf and @SolheimCupEuro on Instagram and X and Ladies European Tour on Facebook and YouTube – #RaiseOurGame #VamosGirls.
