Friday Morning Foursome Matches

The 2013 Solheim Cup will officially kick off on Friday morning at Colorado Golf Club. Now that the morning matches have been announced, we will take a look at them and break down the pairings.

Match 1

Team Europe: Anna Nordqvist & Caroline Hedwall
Team USA: Stacy Lewis & Lizette Salas

European captain Liselotte Neumann stuck close to home with her first pairing of the day, sending out two of the Swedes to kick things off for her team. Nordqvist and Hedwall are very familiar with each other’s games, Neumann said, and the feeling was that the two would be a good fit together in a foursome format. But the U.S. will be sending out two of its hottest players for the first match of the day. Stacy Lewis, who is ranked No. 2 in the Rolex Rankings, will try to get off to a much better start than her last Solheim Cup where she posted a 1-3-0 overall record. She’ll be matched up with rookie Lizette Salas, who is playing in her first team event of this kind, and U.S. Captain Meg Mallon wanted to get Salas out on the course quickly to get her feet wet.

Match 2

Team Europe: Suzann Pettersen & Beatriz Recari
Team USA: Brittany Lang & Angela Stanford

The Americans are sending out two of their Texans for the second match of the day. Brittany Lang and Angela Stanford are practically neighbors in their home state and have spent a lot of time playing together recently. That combined with their opposite personalities – Lang’s carefree humor and Stanford’s intense competitiveness – was something that made Mallon believe this pairing was a great fit. Team Europe will be going with its veteran anchoring this group in Suzann Pettersen, who is playing in her seventh Solheim Cup. Pettersen mentioned in Hawaii a few months ago that she’d like to be paired with the young, fiery Spaniard and she gets her wish. Recari is making her Solheim Cup debut but could be a great fit with the equally intense Pettersen.

Match 3

Team Europe: Catriona Matthew & Jodi Ewart-Shadoff
Team USA: Morgan Pressel & Jessica Korda

The third match of the day will feature a veteran-rookie combo for both squads. Scotland’s Catriona Matthew will be paired with another United Kingdom teammate in Jodi Ewart-Shadoff. Matthew has certainly had her share of experience in the Solheim Cup and should give a steady presence to the pairing. Ewart-Shadoff has been playing some great golf on the LPGA Tour this season and she’ll get a chance to match up against her best friend and frequent roommate on the road during the LPGA season, Jessica Korda. The match should provide plenty of intensity with Korda and Morgan Pressel paired together, as they are both known for their competitive and fierce attitudes out on the golf course.

Match 4

Team Europe: Azahara Munoz & Karine Icher
Team USA: Cristie Kerr & Paula Creamer

The final match of the day will feature two veterans on the U.S. Team with relatively new members on the European side. Spain’s Azahara Munoz, who earned one of the final two points that lead to the Euros victory in 2011, will be paired with France native Karine Icher who is making her first appearance since 2002. They will be matched up against two of the most fierce competitors in the Stars and Stripes, Paula Creamer and Cristie Kerr. In the three times they’ve been paired together in the event starting in 2005, they’ve earned 2 ½ points and haven’t lost yet.

Solheim Cup: Breaking down the Pairings

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