ANDALUCIA, Spain — After going 0-4 in the morning foursomes session on Friday at Finca Cortesin, the Europeans came out swinging in the afternoon fourball, winning two matches and halving two matches to trail 5-3 heading into Saturday. Afternoon play was highlighted by just the second ace in Solheim Cup history that came from Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen on the par-3 12th hole, and the European team looks to have regained its footing with their p.m. performance, refusing to go down without a fight. Here’s a look at the Friday afternoon results and Saturday morning matchups on day two of the 18th Solheim Cup.
Friday Afternoon Results
Match 5 – Rose Zhang/Megan Khang tied Gemma Dryburgh/Madelene Sagstrom
The United States held the lead from the jump, going 1-up after the first hole. It stayed a 1-up USA advantage through three before Madelene Sagstrom birdied No. 4, deadlocking the match for another hole. Then, Rose Zhang birdied No. 4 just to find the match tied once again after another European birdie on 6. Megan Khang put the Americans back in the lead, where it stayed until being knotted up after 12. The Europeans took their first lead of the match thanks to another Sagstrom birdie but quickly found themselves tied again after 15. Gemma Dryburgh looked to give Europe the edge again after holing out from the fiarway on 16, but Zhang sunk a clutch birdie putt to keep the match dormy. A round of pars on 18 kept the score that way, securing a half point for each squad.
Match 6 – Leona Maguire/Georgia Hall def. Lexi Thompson/Lilia Vu 1 up
After losing each of their foursomes matches this morning, Georgia Hall and Leona Maguire took the Solheim Cup stage again, this time paired together for fourball. The duo stayed even with Americans Lexi Thompson and Solheim Cup rookie Lilia Vu through the first three holes. Hall birdied hole No. 4, giving Europe the 1-up lead for the next nine holes. On 14, Thompson drove the green on the short par 4 and sunk an eagle putt to knot the match. Not for long, though, as the Europeans once again reclaimed the lead and held it for Nos. 15 and 16 before Vu birdied hole 17, tying it up just before the final hole. Coming down to the wire, Maguire chipped in for an impressive birdie and the Americans could not match it, giving Europe their first full point of the event.
Match 7 – Jennifer Kupcho/Allisen Corpuz tied Emily Kristine Pedersen/Maja Stark
The U.S. Team took the early 1-up lead thanks to a birdie from Jennifer Kupcho. Her and partner Allisen Corpuz stayed comfortably in the lead through five of the first six holes until Maja Stark tied the match with a birdie on No. 7. America reclaimed the lead on 8 and held it for the next three holes until Emily Kristine Pedersen aced hole No. 12, using her 7-iron to earn just the second hole-in-one in Solheim Cup history and first since Vice Captain Anna Nordqvist made one in 2013. The celebration did not last long with Kupcho adding another birdie on No. 13, giving the U.S. the lead through 15 where Europe tied it up once again. After an even 17, the teams took to No. 18 with the match on the line. Corpuz applied the pressure, sinking a birdie putt to give America the chance before Stark stared down a birdie putt of her own, sinking it and halving the match.
Match 8 – Carlota Ciganda/Linn Grant def. Angel Yin/Ally Ewing 4&2
In front of her home crowd, Spaniard Carlota Ciganda and her frouball partner Linn Grant earned a decisive win over Angel Yin and Ally Ewing. Ciganda birdied hole one, giving the Europeans their first lead of the day. That lead gradually grew as the matches went on, thanks to low scores by Ciganda and Grant on No. 4, which pushed the lead to two. Yin birdied No. 6, bringing the lead within one. It would stay that way for the next four holes until a Grant birdie on 11 and another Ciganda birdie on 14 put the Europeans 3-up. They finished 4&2 thanks to a pair of birdies on 16, giving Europe their second full point of the day.
Saturday Morning Matches
Match 9, 8:10 a.m. – Lilia Vu/Jennifer Kupcho vs. Emily Kristine Pedersen/Carlota Ciganda
Match 10, 8:22 a.m. – Lexi Thompson/Megan Khang vs. Anna Nordqvist/Leona Maguire
Match 11, 8:34 a.m. – Nelly Korda/Allisen Corpuz vs. Georgia Hall/Celine Boutier
Match 12, 8:46 a.m. – Danielle Kang/Andrea Lee vs. Maja Stark/Linn Grant
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