'Massive job' ahead for flat Europe as US take charge of Solheim Cup
Europe's Leona Maguire, left, watches her tee shot on the 12th hole alongside teammate Georgia Hall. Picture: AP Photo/Matt York
Europe’s record winning streak is in grave jeopardy after the American women caught fire and scorched the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club and the visiting side in sweeping both Friday’s opening sessions to open the largest first-day lead, 6-2, in Solheim Cup history.
U.S. captain Stacy Lewis called her squad’s quest “unfinished business” after a 14-14 tie at Finca Cortesín in Spain last year allowed Europe to retain the cup for the third consecutive time dating back to the last U.S. victory in 2017 in Iowa.
“It’s been a really good day. I saw a ton of good golf, and really things played out the way we were hoping,” said Lewis after her U.S. team won both the foursomes and four-ball sessions 3-1.
“So just really happy with the pairings I was able to put out, and the players produced some great shots and some great scores and got us a ton of points.”
The largest previous opening-day lead in the Solheim Cup was 3½ points four times – twice each by both the U.S. (1998 and 2017) and Europe (2000 and 2021) – and neither trailing side was able to rally to win. Europe, however, did rally from a 4-0 hole last year in Spain to ultimately forge a tie and retain the cup.
“Well, I guess we have a massive job ahead of us,” said European captain Suzann Pettersen. “We were faced with quite a big challenge last year. We’ve done it before. We can do it again. It’s just gonna take a massive effort, but I know we can do it.
“Today’s play, it’s kind of all history now. So all I would say, I think we gave it a good effort. I think the Americans played great. They really did. I feel like they kind of had all the putts rolling their way. I just don't feel like we've had any momentum, but it's not to blame.”
After watching helplessly as Europe dug itself an early hole in the Solheim Cup, two veteran pairings were charged with the task of coming off the bench and sparking a fightback in the first two afternoon four-ball matches on Friday. That mission didn’t go as planned.
Squaring off against world No. 1 Nelly Korda and No. 21 Megan Khang, Ireland’s Leona Maguire and England’s Georgia Hall were sent out first to try to put some blue on the boards and blunt the morning momentum of the home team. It was a first-day four-ball partnership that worked successfully in both 2021 and 2023 when Maguire-Hall collected 1-up victories each time against the Americans.
“We have a strong team this afternoon; we obviously have Leona and Georgia leading us off,” said Pettersen, as both captains cleared their benches with all subs playing in the afternoon session.
“Leona is very keen to get going. Hopefully they can get a trend in the right direction and the others will follow.”
It was not to be, however, as Korda and Khang breezed to a 6&4 win and Team USA opened a 6-2.
Swedish Veterans Anna Nordqvist and Madelene Sagström, with 13 combined Solheim starts, did their job in securing Europe’s second full point in a decisive 6&5 four-ball win over Lexi Thompson and Alison Lee after another Swedish team – Emily Pedersen and Maja Stark – hung on to salvage the only Euro point in the morning foursomes.
Alison Lee closed out a 5&4 win with Rose Zhang on a near albatross on 14, beating Linn Grant and Charley Hull. Capping the big U.S. day were rookies Lauren Coughlin and Sarah Schmelzel winning their second partnership of the day, 3&2, over Pederson and Stark in four-balls.
With former U.S. President Barack Obama joining the teams before introductions, there was no shortage of electricity on the first tee in the afternoon as there had been in the morning when transportation issues plagued the second consecutive Solheim Cup. Throngs of patrons waited hours for shuttles just to get to the venue in rural Virginia, with buses so far behind that the normal frenzy at the first tee was met with some empty seats as many fans had been unable to reach the course in time.
But the party was in full throat for the afternoon, and Maguire stepped right up first and striped her drive down the middle of the dogleg first fairway. She and Hall looked grimly serious as the American duo of Korda and Khang danced their way off the first tee to the beat of the music that blared during play like a LIV Golf event.
“It felt like at times in Spain last year, it got kind of flat,” Lewis said of her team. “So I wanted to make sure I had the right people out here with the energy. Certainly saw it with Megan and Nelly as they were skipping out of that tunnel on the first tee.”
Maguire and Hall could never match that energy and form as they got rolled over. It was unique experience for Maguire, who sat out her first session in the morning and then suffered her first career four-ball loss after coming in 3-0-1 in the format and 7-2-1 in two prior Solheim Cup victories.
“I’m not a big personality. I’ve never been the loudest in the room,” Maguire said this week.
“I’m not going to be giving massive team talks. For the last two, my job is to get as many points as possible. That’s how I can contribute best to the team, and that’s what I try to do.”
Maguire had a golden chance to set the early tone, but her 10-foot birdie chance to win the first hole was tentative and never threatened the cup – launching a theme of chilly putting that beset the Euro pair through most of the front nine. Instead, it was Korda’s hot putter that seized control with birdies at 3, 5 and 6 and Khang joined the fun at 7 and 8 to build a commanding 5-up lead.
Hall finally delivered the team’s first birdie on the par-3 ninth, burying a 15-footer to send them to the back side 4-down in the along match not all square at the time. Korda quickly hushed rally thoughts by driving the par-4 10th (birdie) and nearly holing her second on the par-5 12th (eagle) to go dormie.
Korda sealed a 6&4 victory with another eagle on 14.
“We’ve been asking for this pairing for quite a while. When Stacy told us we got it, we were pumped,” said Khang, a former Junior Solheim Cup partner with Korda. “If you couldn’t see it on the golf course, you must have been blind. We had so much fun out there.”
The second fresh team of Nordqvist and Sagström did their part, but the blue wave Pettersen hoped for never materialised.
“Today all we needed to do was go out and try to get a point for Europe,” said Sagström, who got married the previous weekend to Nordqvist’s caddie, Jack Clarke.
“We just have to keep putting our best foot forward. I believe in my team, and we have a really good game plan for the week,” said Nordqvist, playing in her ninth Solheim while also serving as assistant captain.
“Obviously the U.S. came out really strong today, which we really expected, but there’s a lot of golf left. You’ve just got to keep doing your best. One or two putts can make a whole lot of difference out here.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
