- Europe needs a record-breaking comeback after a 6-2 loss to Team USA
- Englishmen Charley Hull and Georgia Hall were among Friday’s losers
If Europe is to retain the Solheim Cup for a record fourth time, they will need a record-breaking comeback. Trailing 6-2 to the United States after the first day of play in Virginia, they are in serious danger of suffering their first defeat since 2017.
Just like last year, during the tie match in Spain, Suzann Pettersen’s team was soundly outplayed in the morning foursomes. The big difference, however, is that the punishment continued all afternoon and evening during the fourballs at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.
With 3-1 defeats in both sessions, the gap between the Europeans and the rest of the competition is greater than ever before.
It was a particularly painful day for England’s Charley Hull, who lost 3-2 in the alternate shot alongside Esther Henseleit to world No. 1 Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz before her partnership with Linn Grant was dismantled 5-4 by American phenom Rose Zhang and Andrea Lee. With Hull in the spotlight this year for smoking on court, the jokes may well have written themselves on Europe’s chances.
European vice-captain Mel Reid said: “Emotions are high at the moment, a lot of disappointment but we’re not losing heart. We’ve come up against a strong team who have messed everything up. They can’t keep that up all week but it will be a massive achievement to come back. We’re ready, we’ve done this before and we believe we can do it.
Europe need a record-breaking comeback after 6-2 defeat to USA in the Solheim Cup (Charley Hull pictured)
England’s Georgia Hall was crushed in the fourballs along with Leona Maguire
“There were times, especially in the afternoon, when we were too independent instead of more of a team. There were also some stupid club choices and that made it a bit easier for the Americans. Now we have to put our best foot forward.”
US captain Stacy Lewis said: ‘It went as we hoped. We played a lot of good golf and we scored a lot of points.’
The morning foursomes were poor for Europe, but that was only mitigated by the fact that it was not as bad as the 4-0 defeat suffered in Spain in the same session last year.
This time, Emily Pedersen of Denmark and Maja Stark of Sweden took one point on the 18th inning, but they had to give up a four-hole lead after five holes against Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho.
By then, Europe had already trailed 3-2 in each of the other three matches. As in the Hull and Henseleit defeat, Pettersen’s pairs – Celine Boutier and Albane Valenzuela and Carlota Ciganda with Grant – were both blown out on the back nine.
Team USA is on track to secure its first win since 2017 after Day 1 of play
England’s Georgia Hall was called up for the fourballs but was crushed along with Leona Maguire by Korda and Megan Khang. Korda, a six-time Tour winner this year, has never been on the winning side of the previous three Cups but that bucks the trend: she was exceptional on day one with her putter and approaches for America’s best cheerleader, former President Barack Obama.
Pedersen and Stark were defeated 3-2 by rookie pair Lauren Coughlin and Sarah Schmelzel in the fourballs, with the only European point coming from Anna Nordqvist and Madelene Sagstrom. They defeated Lexi Thompson and Alison Lee 6-5.
