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Highlights from the opening day of the Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin
Highlights from the opening day of the Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin
Crew Europe battled again within the fourballs to maintain their hopes of a Solheim Cup threepeat alive, however what can Suzann Pettersen’s aspect study from an eventful opening day towards Crew USA?
Europe arrived as pre-tournament favourites and with a aspect that Pettersen felt was the strongest of their historical past, with the hosts trying to construct on victories at Gleneagles in 2019 and Ohio in 2021.
Momentum shortly went in the best way of Stacy Lewis’ USA aspect after a dominant foursomes session, the place they loved a clear sweep for the primary time of their historical past, just for Europe to combat again beautifully to say three of the 4 factors on provide within the fourballs.
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On day one of many 2023 event Emily Pederson adopted Anna Nordqvist’s 2013 ace with simply the second hole-in-one within the historical past of the Solheim Cup
On day one of many 2023 event Emily Pederson adopted Anna Nordqvist’s 2013 ace with simply the second hole-in-one within the historical past of the Solheim Cup
Europe now path 5-3 heading into one other double-session on Saturday, dwell from 6.30am on Sky Sports activities, though will probably be inspired by their afternoon efficiency that their hopes of a historic threepeat stay on monitor.
Watch out for Crew USA’s expertise
Crew USA hadn’t led after a gap Solheim Cup session since 2009, when fourballs was once performed first, which makes the way of their quick begin to this yr’s contest much more exceptional.
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A putt from Allisen Corpuz secured Crew USA a clean-sweep within the morning foursome matches on day one on the Solheim Cup in Spain
A putt from Allisen Corpuz secured Crew USA a clean-sweep within the morning foursome matches on day one on the Solheim Cup in Spain
It is the primary time since 1996 that the USA went undefeated within the opening spherical of a foursomes session and the primary time within the biennial contest’s historical past that they swept a foursome spherical.
The quick begin is simply the sixth time within the Solheim Cup {that a} crew has managed to win all 4 matches in a session and the primary time since 2017, when Crew USA gained all 4 Friday fourball fixtures on their option to a 16.5-11.5 success.
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One hope for Crew Europe is that there was a earlier event when a crew has recovered from shedding a session 4-0 to win the Solheim Cup, with Crew USA attaining that in 2002 after bouncing again from being swept within the Saturday fourballs.
Combined fortunes for line-up gambles
The choice to steer off with two rookies shortly felt like a mistake for Europe, with Maja Stark and Linn Grant shedding every of their opening three holes to right away see Crew USA dominate the leaderboard.
Though the Swedish pair battled again into the competition and had been stage with 4 holes remaining, they by no means led and had been ultimately overwhelmed 2&1 by Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang.
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Linn Grant and Maja Stark had been defeated 2&1 by Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang within the Friday morning foursomes session after Grant missed a brief putt on the seventeenth gap at Finca Cortesin.
Linn Grant and Maja Stark had been defeated 2&1 by Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang within the Friday morning foursomes session after Grant missed a brief putt on the seventeenth gap at Finca Cortesin.
Thompson hit the opening tee shot regardless of struggling for type this season, with the Solheim Cup veteran with no top-10 all yr on the LPGA Tour, with that call a last-minute name from captain Stacy Lewis.
“She wasn’t in my line-up that I’ve had for a pair weeks and simply the best way the final 4 days have gone, simply the best way she appeared mentally, I had a very good feeling about it,” Lewis defined.
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Lewis additionally ignored world No 2 Lilia Vu and rising star Rose Zhang from the opening session, though in contrast to Pettersen – who ignored Caroline Hedwall all day – elected to make use of all 12 gamers in at the very least one match.
“You possibly can not ask for way more,” Lewis added after the 4-0 session sweep. “We knew simply seeing the pairings, these center two matches had been going to be robust. We noticed a ton of combat in our women and happily we had been on the appropriate aspect of it.”
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Crew USA Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis claimed that Lexi Thompson wasn’t in her unique plans for the Friday morning foursomes however her efficiency in observe satisfied her to incorporate her with Megan Khang
Crew USA Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis claimed that Lexi Thompson wasn’t in her unique plans for the Friday morning foursomes however her efficiency in observe satisfied her to incorporate her with Megan Khang
Europe’s character shines via
Having misplaced the foursomes 4-0, Europe went into the fourballs beneath excessive stress.
Except for the ultimate pairing of Carlota Ciganda and Grant, who managed their match from nearly begin to end, the opposite six European gamers needed to come via nail-biting finales realizing that developing brief would depart the crew dealing with a mountain to climb over the weekend.
Fairly than succumbing to the second, the stress produced the very best play we noticed from Europe all day.
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Leona Maguire chips in for birdie on the 18th to save lots of the day for Crew Europe on the Solheim Cup
Leona Maguire chips in for birdie on the 18th to save lots of the day for Crew Europe on the Solheim Cup
Emily Pedersen, who had been closely overwhelmed alongside Charley Hull within the morning earlier than struggling on the entrance 9 of the fourballs, holed out on the twelfth and nearly did so once more on the seventeenth to assist herself and Stark to half some extent.
Leona Maguire, having already made a number of clutch putts on the again 9, produced a shot which may have even upstaged Pedersen’s ace by chipping in on the 18th to show a possible loss into victory for herself and Georgia Corridor.
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Gemma Dryburgh places a tricky entrance 9 behind her with this sensational chip-in birdie on the sixteenth on the Solheim Cup
Gemma Dryburgh places a tricky entrance 9 behind her with this sensational chip-in birdie on the sixteenth on the Solheim Cup
In the meantime debutant Gemma Dryburgh, who regarded terribly nervous as she struggled on the greens within the entrance 9, got here to life on the best way in to gap out brilliantly on the sixteenth, having already holed a few essential putts
If there was any doubt that Pettersen’s crew had the characters to return again from an unenviable 4-0 deficit, they proved it on Friday afternoon.
‘No considerations’ for Hull regardless of report loss?
Hull talked about she was coping with a neck pressure within the build-up to her sixth consecutive look for Crew Europe, with the Englishwoman ignored of the Friday fourballs after struggling the heaviest defeat of her Solheim Cup profession.
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Emily Pedersen and Charley Hull went six down via 9 holes as Crew Europe struggled within the backside match in the course of the foursomes on day one of many Solheim Cup in Spain
Emily Pedersen and Charley Hull went six down via 9 holes as Crew Europe struggled within the backside match in the course of the foursomes on day one of many Solheim Cup in Spain
Hull mentioned midweek she was solely swinging at 80 per cent and acquired physio forward of partnering Pedersen, the place they had been an estimated eight over par for the entrance 9 on their option to a 5&4 foursomes loss towards Ally Ewing and Cheyenne Knight.
Hull was a late arrival on the first tee and was nowhere close to her greatest throughout a convincing loss, though captain Pettersen performed down any attainable considerations over her health.
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“Charley is okay,” Pettersen instructed Sky Sports activities. “Most likely did not really feel the very best within the entrance 9 and the extra she performed she felt higher, so she’ll be positive. She has some therapies however nothing to fret about – simply Charley being Charley, so I’ve no considerations!”
Unbeaten partnerships finish for Europe
Celine Boutier and Corridor’s 4 match unbeaten partnership – throughout two Solheim Cups – got here to an finish after they suffered a final-hole loss towards Danielle Kang and Andrea Lee, with the pair stored aside for the afternoon session because the Frenchwoman sat out.
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Georgia Corridor misses the inexperienced twice on the ninth in her match-up with Lexi Thompson and Lilia Vu on the Solheim Cup
Georgia Corridor misses the inexperienced twice on the ninth in her match-up with Lexi Thompson and Lilia Vu on the Solheim Cup
Europe’s top-scorer from their 2021 success in Ohio, Maguire was unable to construct on her unbeaten debut two years in the past as her and Anna Nordqvist – a taking part in vice-captain – had been additionally overwhelmed by the identical margin.
It was that dominant of a show from Crew USA that the European crew solely led for 4 holes throughout all the morning session, Stark, Grant, Pedersen and Hull finishing the group that had been closely overwhelmed.
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