Europe ties U.S. entering singles at Solheim Cup
It’s all square – or tied – heading into singles at the 18th Solheim Cup.
Once down, 4-0, Europe has clawed its way to an 8-8 tie entering the Sunday session.
The home team won three of the four Saturday afternoon fourballs. Here’s how the matches played out late on Day 2 at Finca Cortesin in Casares, Spain:
Match 13: Charley Hull/Leona Maguire (EUR) def. Nelly Korda/Ally Ewing (U.S.), 4 and 3
Both Hull and Maguire made birdies. Korda and Ewing did not. The Euros took a 4-up lead through eight holes, with the U.S. not claiming a win until Ewing holed out for a 2 at the par-3 10th.
That was the only ‘W’ for the U.S. in this match and the Euros quickly struck back with a birdie to win the 12th.
Maguire and/or Hull recorded birdies on eight of the 15 holes en route to an easy victory, making the overall score, 7-6, U.S.
Match 14: Cheyenne Knight/Angel Yin (U.S.) def. Anna Nordqvist/Caroline Hedwall (EUR), 2 up
This was a huge win for the U.S. and a big disappointment for the Euros. After sitting the first three sessions, Hedwall was credited with five birdies over her first eight holes Saturday afternoon. She and Nordqvist built a 2-up lead through No. 10, only to see it wither away.
Yin and Knight won Nos. 11, 12 and 13 to turn the tide and Europe couldn’t convert any opportunities over the remaining five holes. The Americans closed with a birdie to deny Europe any chance to salvage a half-point. As the third session match to finish, the U.S. went up, 8-7.
Match 15: Madelene Sagstrom/Emily K. Pedersen (EUR) def. Rose Zhang/Andrea Lee (U.S.), 2 and 1
Zhang got the U.S. going with an eagle-2 at the par-4 first, but Europe claimed a 1-up lead by the fifth.
It was still 1 up home team, when Pedersen rolled in a birdie putt from just off the green at the par-4 15th to give Europe a 2-up advantage with three holes to play.
The U.S. had two chances to cut into that deficit at the 16th, but Lee missed from 20 feet and Zhang missed from 10. Sagstrom and Pedersen wrapped it up a hole later, giving Sagstrom her first Solheim Cup win with a partner in six tries. This was the second fourball match to finish, evening the overall score, 7-7.
Match 16: Carlota Ciganda/Linn Grant (EUR) def. Danielle Kang/Lilia Vu (U.S.), 2 and 1
Seven of the first nine holes in this match were halved with birdies. It was all square through 10, when a Grant birdie won the 11th and a Ciganda par won the 12th.
Vu responded by sticking a tight approach shot to win the 13th.
It remained a 1-up European edge as the two teams played the 16th hole, with the three other fourball matches having been decided. The outcome of this match meant the possible difference between an overall tie or a two-point U.S. lead.
After a near-perfect Vu birdie putt lipped out at No. 16, Ciganda confidently rolled in a 12-footer to win the hole and go 2 up.
On the next hole, Kang needed to make a 15-foot birdie putt to keep the match alive, but she missed, giving Europe the win and an overall tie with 12 singles matches to be played Sunday.