OVERALL SCORE – EUROPE 2.5, USA 1.5
FRIDAY FOURSOMES RESULTS – EUROPE 2.5, USA 1.5
Carlota Ciganda/Bronte Law (EUR) halved with Morgan Pressel/Marina Alex (USA)
Georgia Hall/Celine Boutier (EUR) def. Lexi Thompson/Brittany Altomare (USA), 2 and 1
Jessica Korda/Nelly Korda (USA) def. Caroline Masson/Jodi Ewart Shadoff (EUR), 6 and 4
Charley Hull/Azahara Munoz (EUR) def. Megan Khang/Annie Park (USA), 2 and 1
FRIDAY FOUR-BALL PAIRINGS (all times local; Gleneagles is five hours ahead of Eastern)
12:40 p.m. - Suzann Pettersen/Anne van Dam (EUR) vs. Danielle Kang/Lizette Salas (USA)
12:55 p.m. - Anna Nordqvist/Caroline Hedwall (EUR) vs. Ally McDonald/Angel Yin (USA)
1:28 p.m. - Charley Hull/Azahara Munoz (EUR) vs. Nelly Korda/Brittany Altomare (USA)
1:10 p.m. - Carlota Ciganda/Bronte Law (EUR) vs. Jessica Korda/Lexi Thompson (USA)
FRIDAY FOUR-BALL PAIRINGS NOTES
This is the fifth time that Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall have been paired in Solheim Cup competition; they are 1-0-0 in four-balls and 2-1-0 in foursomes
Danielle Kang and Lizette Salas were paired in Friday foursomes in 2017, earning a 1-up win over Carlota Ciganda and Caroline Masson
The USA is not repeating any pairings from the morning’s foursomes groups; Europe is repeating Charley Hull/Azahara Munoz and Carlota Ciganda/Bronte Law
FRIDAY FOURSOMES RECAPS
Carlota Ciganda/Bronte Law (EUR) halved with Morgan Pressel/Marina Alex (USA)
The opening match of the 2019 Solheim Cup was a back-and-forth affair between Team USA and Team Europe. The European pair of Carlota Ciganda and Bronte Law pulled 2 up through four holes over Morgan Pressel and Marina Alex. But the Americans battled back, winning the next three holes to take a 1-up lead through seven.
The scoreboard swung between a 1-up lead for USA and all square for the remainder of the match. Team USA carried a 1-up lead to the 17th hole, where Ciganda drained a long birdie putt to pull even and send the match to 18. Pressel had a good look at a winning birdie, but her long putt came up inches short.
“Obviously we took the lead early on, but you know they're always going to come fighting back,” said Law, who took the opening tee shot for the Europeans. “I think we really held them there well. There was a couple of really clutch putts that we had to make to stay in the match that were definitely pivotal in us getting that half point.”
Six-time Team USA veteran Pressel made the opening tee shot for the second time, joining the 2015 Cup.
“We had the opportunity maybe a couple times to make putts to go ahead with a more commanding lead. And then Carlota made an amazing putt there on 17 to square the match heading into 18,” said Pressel, who is now 10-7-3 in Solheim Cup competition. “A little bit all over the place. I feel like Marina and I played well together, we played well. And a half point, half point is a half point. Sometimes come Sunday half points are really important.”
Georgia Hall/Celine Boutier (EUR) def. Lexi Thompson/Brittany Altomare (USA), 2 and 1
The morning’s second match saw Team USA’s Lexi Thompson and Brittany Altomare jump out to a 1-up lead through three holes. Georgia Hall and Celine Boutier came storming right back, winning the next two holes to take their own 1-up lead through five.
The Europeans pulled to a 4-up advantage through 13 and while the Americans won 14 and 16, it was too little, too late. The sides swapped pars at No. 17 to secure a 2-and-1 win for Team Europe.
“I'm glad that I stuck some really close on the front nine,” said Hall, who remains undefeated in foursomes play at 3-0-0. “And then Celine holed some good putts on the back nine, so we worked well.”
The loss was Thompson’s first in Solheim Cup competition since 2013.
Jessica Korda/Nelly Korda (USA) def. Caroline Masson/Jodi Ewart Shadoff (EUR), 6 and 4
Jessica Korda and Nelly Korda made history on Friday, becoming the first set of sisters in Solheim Cup history to play together. The duo also made quick work of their European counterparts, birdieing the par-4 first hole to go 1 up and cruising in for a 6-and-4 win over Caroline Masson and Jodi Ewart Shadoff.
The 6-and-4 win is the second-largest winning margin in foursomes competition, behind four 6-and-5 wins. It is the largest winning margin since 2011 (6 and 5, Caroline Hedwall and Sophie Gustafson over Angela Stanford and Stacy Lewis).
“It was a lot of fun. I think the whole group had a lot of fun,” said Nelly Korda. “Our caddies are really good friends, too. So it was really light out there.”
Charley Hull/Azahara Munoz (EUR) def. Megan Khang/Annie Park (USA), 2 and 1
Team Europe never trailed in the morning's final match, but Team USA also never let their competitors pull into a comfortable lead. Charley Hull and Azahara Munoz earned a 2-up win over American rookies Megan Khang and Annie Park when Park's par attempt at No. 17 raced past the hole.
The Europeans immediately went 1 up with a par at No. 1. While the Americans squared the match on the next hole, Hull and Munoz pulled 2 up through five. Khang and Park won Nos. 6 and 8 with pars and the match remained all square until Hull and Munoz birdied the par-4 13th to pull ahead by a 1-up margin, a lead they carried to the conclusion of the match.
“It's amazing. There's nothing like Solheim,” said Munoz. “It's so cool, such a good experience, hearing all the ‘Go Europe,’ ‘Ole, Ole, Ole.’ It's my fourth -- both of our fourth -- but it still gets your blood running. It's such a good experience.”
)
)
)
)
