2024 Solheim Cup: Nelly Korda, Americans pour it on late again to keep 4-point lead

GAINESVILLE, Va. – Just as they had done in the first foursomes session a day earlier, the Americans came alive on the back nine in the format on Saturday morning at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club to maintain their four-point Solheim Cup advantage.

Nelly Korda moved to 3-0 on the week, flipping her match alongside Allisen Corpuz, to lead the U.S. to a 2-2 result, which after trailing in three of the four matches at one point, now sees the home side up 8-4 entering Saturday afternoon’s fourball session.

While Korda came back from a 2-down deficit to win a full point for the fourth time on nine occasions, she and Corpuz also notched their fourth straight win as a foursomes duo, a Solheim record.

Lexi Thompson also got onto the scoreboard with her first point of the week, putting the pedal down with Lauren Coughlin, the third American rookie to win each of her first three matches.

This one is far from over, though. Twice before has a team trailed by four points and come back to at least tie the Solheim Cup. Europe was down 4-0 after the opening session last year before retaining the cup with a 14-14 score. And in 2015 in Germany, the Americans rallied in singles, erasing a 10-6 deficit to prevail by a single point.

Here’s how Saturday morning’s foursomes unfolded:

Allisen Corpuz/Nelly Korda (U.S.) def. Emily Pedersen/Carlota Ciganda (Europe), 1 up

The Europeans led for much of the match before their first bogey, at the par-4 13th hole, allowed Corpuz and Korda to tie the match for the first time since the first hole. Things continued to shift in the Americans’ favor as Corpuz topped her second shot at the par-5 14th hole and then watched as her ball took several lucky bounces before ending up 25 feet away from the hole. Korda rolled in the eagle to push the U.S. pair ahead for the first time.

“I told her that could be top 3 one of the greatest shots I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” Korda said.

While the Americans gave the lead back at No. 16 following a thinned fairway-bunker shot by Korda and ensuing bogey, Korda regrouped to stick her approach at the par-4 17th to a few feet. Corpuz capped off the birdie, as the U.S. took another 1-up lead, which it kept for Korda’s third point in as many sessions.

Esther Henseleit/Charley Hull (Europe) def. Ally Ewing/Jennifer Kupcho (U.S.), 1 up

The Europeans led 3 up after eight holes before the Americans battled back. Ewing and Kupcho shrunk their deficit to just 1 down after 13 holes and again after Ewing canned a lengthy birdie putt at the par-4 15th hole, a hole after a European eagle.

The Americans then tied the match entering the 18th hole, only to watch Henseleit hit the flagstick with her approach shot and earn a conceded birdie. When Kupcho couldn’t hole a long greenside bunker shot, that sealed the second European point of the session.

Lexi Thompson/Lauren Coughlin (U.S.) def. Maja Stark/Georgia Hall (Europe), 4 and 3

Thompson was routed in her fourball match on Friday afternoon, but she teamed with an already 2-0 Coughlin to dominate Stark and Hall late. The Americans birdied four of their final five holes in this match, which they never trailed in.

Anna Nordqvist/Celine Boutier (Europe) def. Lilia Vu/Sarah Schmelzel (U.S.), 4 and 3

Nordqvist continued the momentum from her 6-and-5 fourball win Friday alongside Madelene Sagstrom by teaming with Boutier to jump on this American duo early. After taking each of the final six holes on Friday, Nordqvist’s side won the first three on Saturday morning, a nine-hole streak that is the longest in the last decade of this competition.

To compare, Scottie Scheffler won eight straight holes at the 2021 Ryder Cup, the most consecutive since 1985.

Schmelzel struggled with the putter to open the door for the Euros, missing three putts inside of 4 feet on the first five holes as she and Vu fell 4 down. The European lead grew to 6 up at the turn.